how funny that all of us (of a certain age) were taught to do that, and bed cover fashions have changed. I wonder how the Victorians, or others, made their beds.

It makes sense that duvets and comforters aren't long enough, though.

Yes, that's how I was taught. And in the summer, when I use a bedspread, that's what I still do.

But the comforter I use in winter is too short to use this method, so I bought a set of pillow cases that matches the comforter cover to make the bed look a bit nicer.

The rise of the comforter over the bedspread has been a good thing for bedding manufacturers. When you use a bedspread, you don't need shams or a dust ruffle. So switching to comforters meant that more different types of bedding gets sold.

Marketing, that's what it's all about. Just like wallpaper has been out for years, so have bedspreads. Now that wallpaper is making a minor comeback and gaining speed, can bedspreads be far behind?

I have a bedspread in the guest room and make the bed as you describe. The mattress, box springs and bed frame make the bed so high that I needed something more generous than a comforter or coverlet. I always notice how tidy that bed looks when I walk by.

Gosh.....can you even buy an honest to goodness old fashioned pretty bedspread anymore? I'm actually quite tired of the lumpy duvet/400pillows look and would love to go back to the tailored bedspreads we grew up with.

You can sometimes, joaniepoanie. I saw a beautiful bedspread either in jcpenney or Marshall's last year. Wrong for my bedroom, or I'd have snapped it up. I haven't looked for one, though, so it may be impossible.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Another oldie here! We always did that. My mother also "folded" the pillows on her and Dad's bed (creased them with her arm and put them open side down\-can you picture it? Am I being clear?) so it looked like one long bolster with the spread over the pillows. I started doing that, too, sometimes.

I have been tempted to buy a chenille bedspead like the ones we used to use at the shore. Vermont Country Store has some of those. Might be fun in the summer....if I weren't using the Rough Linen summer cover.

Yes....and I STILL do it that way! I have bedspreads on all beds. I do not like the comforters and duvets! I love the look of a bedspread but they are much harder to find. Country Curtains has them as well as Vermont Country Store. I adore chenille .....but beware....they shed horribly for quite a while.

I prefer the old "Bates" style spreads. I dress them up with a quilt folded at the bottom.

I am obsessed with trying to get a good look using a king-sized duvet. Seems my mattress is too high so it's a puzzle to get the duvet to cover the sides and foot, let alone covering pillows!

This was an interesting article: How to make your bed like a Swede

While we're on the subject, I cannot fathom bed skirts. Since I cannot lift my bed all the way off, and am a single person, it's impossible to get those things under the mattress laid out straight, and prevent them from twisting around. Gave up.

I admit that I love the look of pillow-stuffed pillow shams and a puffy duvet on a bed. Clearly, I am not a minimalist.

If you are looking for bedspreads, I saw a few in Macy's recently. On-line, The Vermont Country Store carries some, and LinenSource has a lot. You can sometimes find them at TJMaxx and similar stores.

So they are out there, you just have to look for them. I would also recommend measuring your bed and the height of the top of the mattress from the floor, to make sure the bedspread will come down far enough on the sides. With all the different thicknesses of mattresses these days, it makes a difference.

In recent years I've bought several bedspread-in-a-bag sets. Those bedspreads are too short to be folded back to cover the pillows. Because my bed is not super high, the bed skirt is usually too long, so I shorten it. Then I take the leftover fabric (or sometimes I buy coordinating) and join the shams so that they are one piece. After I put the bedspread on, I place my bed pillows on the bed and then cover them with the now one piece sham. Then I have 2 contrasting color quilted covers over bed pillows and then my decorative pillows. Definitely not a minimalist.

I still mourn the demise of my Bates orange and gold bedspread with the gold fringes. (1968- and I had matching gold fiberglass -ugh!!- drapes. Every once in a while that bedspread comes up on eBay. I'm tempted to buy one, one of these days.

I remember that as a child. I've not seen a bedspread in years, although I haven't actually looked for one. But I haven't seen them in bedrooms of friends/family either.

Now this is how I learned to make a bed: Chenille bedspreads from the 60's

I was taught that as well but I don't like the look. I even buy larger duvets ie. my queens have king comforters.

My husband and I have gone Nordic with two duvets...he's a furnace and requires a thin one. I would perish of hypothermia. It began because he had severe (undiagnosed) sleep apnea and would flop around like a fish in a net all night. It was unbearable to share a blanket with such a restless sleeper. Now he's got a machine and sleeps much more peacefully, but I've grown accustomed to my own warmth of duvet so we've stayed separate. Our bed never looks neat.

Yes, that's how my mother taught me. I use comforters with pillow shams, so I don't do it anymore. BUT, if I had a bedspread, that is how I would do it.

I was taught that as well. I still prefer a bedspread even though I have a duvet. Bedspreads are still available. The one below looks like something I would have wanted at age 5

My Sister taught me to make a bed that way. Cyn427, I know exactly what you mean about your Mom folding the pillows to make a bolster look. My Sister taught me that too. I thought that looked so cool when I was a kid. :)

Emmarene! LOL! A 5 yo, yes! Wow, can you image the DUST? EEK! And my cats would have a field day with that! Violet, I'm glad you brought this up as I'm am getting rid of things prior to my move, and I won't get rid of my Martha Washington-type spread after all.

I will say that I am not of that "certain age" category but I still prefer to make the bed that way. I use a quilted coverlet from RH. I have a substantial footboard so if it is a bit on the shorter side, it is not visible but I think it is probably still long enough. My duvet is folded at the end of the bed. I started doing the coverlet over the pillows after I noticed how I prefer the way it supported my Euro shams better that we place in front of the pillows. It is much easier for me to get the bed looking neat with a coverlet than it ever was with a fluffy comforter and it is just more soothing to walk into the room seeing it all neat and tidy. When we married, Dh told me to get the bed really smooth, take a wire coat hanger and get all the wrinkles out (obviously, he was former military). I told him to count himself lucky if I ever made the bed. We have met somewhere in the middle, because the bed is made about 80% of the time but I never, ever use the coat hanger.

I made my bed that way when I was young. And I think my parents still do. But I love lots of regular pillows and big fluffy blankets (a duvet I guess...) I find the 'bedspread look' to be un-inviting and sterile.

I don't know what constitutes "of a certain age", I'm 54 and that's how I was taught to make a bed. I did have comforters and bedskirts and shams, etc. I like that look. I like the bedspread look also. Much easier too. Covers from top to bottom, side to side without extra bedskirts, etc. Bedspreads are had to find. My favorite would be a tailored bedspread, in beautiful patterns and colors not just solid colors and quilted. And not $500! lol

I did that today, in fact, in a guest room. The two pillow shams that go with the quilt folded at the end of the bed and on top of the bedspread, go on top (propped up) of the bed pillows which are underneath the bedspread.
A classic, traditional look, imo.

That is how I learned to make a bed because we had bedspreads. Most of ours were 'Martha Washington'-type cotton spreads iirc. My brothers may have had chenille for a while but not long. It always looked so neat. And we had handmade quilts piled under in winter for extra warmth.

I grew up with a mother who loved pillow shams, which are a real pain to get the pillow in and out in my opinion. So, my preference is having bedding with enough room for a "pillow tuck". This means we have to have it custom made.

The catalog Touch of Class --touchofclass.com -- has lots of nice bedspreads in different styles and colors and mostly affordable, but not too cheap. I am not associated with them but have had good luck ordering from them. I use a fitted style suede look Q bedspread in our guest room. You can add matching shams. It makes bed making easy because the spread is seamed and tailored to fit the top.

Calico Corners will make them. There are three styles I think.

I love the look of a fitted bedspread. I'll be checking out all the links!

I think some of the move away from bedspreads is attributable to the time and convenience factors; that is, it takes more time and effort to make a bed with a bedspread than it does to fluff a duvet. Easier for kids; easier when all the adults work outside of the home.

Maybe so, violet, but it seems much easier to me to make the bed with a spread rather than pile and place all the pillows that often go with a comforter, and then have to put them some place when I go to bed at night.. Shams, bolsters, you know the stuff. I think it is marketing, designers selling new stuff, changing decor styles. I am sure that when designers start showing gorgeous bedspreads in their lines, comforter-lovers/users will find beautiful bedspreads that fit their decor and will snap them up and love them. We all love change, and what's old is new again. Those new bedspreads will just have to be beautiful!

Many of the bedspreads in the past, I admit, were pretty ugly; although I still remember with fondness my Mondrian-style twin spreads (color blocked) I had as a kid.

Yes, we had bedspreads and mom was very proud of them. She only had quilts growing up during the Depression. I prefer a duvet. I just don't take the time to properly make a bed anymore.

This reminds me of Pal who went to some effort to have custom bedspreads made as the ones of yore were no longer available. Hope they are holding up well, P!

Also learned to make bed the way discussed here but never really liked it unless we folded pillows to look like bolsters. Not in love with Chenille either. I've seen the Swedish style of bed making in my travels and don't like it as it makes me think they bought wrong size linens. Coverlets for me in warm Houston.

I was taught the same thing (with bedspreads of course). I wish I could say I make a "pretty" bed but I no longer do that. I pull the two quilts/comforter up and fold it down about 1/3 of the way. I remember my mother having bedspreads custom made.

I still make my bed that way. I have the Historic Charleston Collection™ King Charles Matelassé Bedspread in ivory. I have matching shams that I lean against the "roll" and then decorative pillows in front of the shams. At the bottom I have a folded comforter from Pottery Barn.

I love the look of a comforter and dust ruffle, but it became too much work. I've had to make changes as I've gotten older. I like to change my bedroom including curtains twice a year. Now I keep the bedspread and shams on and just change the curtains, decorative pillows and comforter at the bottom of the bed. I always roll down the bedspread at night so it doesn't get dirty. I'm not actually sleeping with it on.

By the way, does anyone actually turn down their bed at night? I always do this several hours before I go to bed. I told my friend that I did this, and she thought it was the strangest thing. She had never heard of it.

I've recently gone back to the old-fashioned way of making a bed, and I so prefer it. I've never liked the pile-o'-pillows school of decor. My allergist told me I had to trade my fancy duvet for something that can go in the wash all the time and I was really pleased to discover that a regular old matelasse quilt can be used like a spread if you have a high solid footboard, which my bed does.

I was taught to do it that way too. We had bedspreads in the summer,and duvets in the winter. Now that I'm officially a grown up...I never make my bed. Don't have to, don't want to, and no one can make me. I actually saw a news report not to long ago that reported that it is not good to make the bed at all....something about dust mites or something. You're supposed to let it air out during the day. It was nice to have a scientific justification for my refusal to make the bed. Oddly enough, my two sisters say they cannot get into a bed that isn't made. I have no clue of my 3 brothers preferences,but I doubt they either notice or care whether or not the wife had made the bed or not. Strange how people who were raised in the same house can have such different preferences over stuff like that. My mother gave me my old bedspread when I moved out, and I use it to curl up on the couch,but I don't put it on the bed.

I turn down the bed when I think about it. Turn a dimmed light on and turn down the bed. When our granddaughter spends the night, she sometimes gets a couple of chocolate covered mints and places them on the pillows :)

I was taught that way when bedspreads were in but now I have a lightweight down alternative blanket with a big warm down comforter folded at the end. I don't like bed skirts so I actually use a fitted sheet on my box spring, it looks neat and clean.

I have my parents old brass bed and it's custom made bedspread. We don't use it I just have it packed away. Mom had it made in the late 70's and I guess you might call it Granny Chic. Maybe. Pink and gray blue floral. The pillow cover is sewn to the head of the spread and you lay the pillows on the spread and the ruffled cover part folds back over from the head. So much easier than even a regular spread. The sides of the spread are gathered from the top of the mattress to look like a dust ruffle. There are valances to match. And lace curtains...

I didn't really like it back then but when I packed it up after my dad passed I decided to keep it. I kind of like it now but my DH said its way too fru-fru.

Since we moved the bed is fairly naked. Just the sheets and a coverlet.

I actually saw a news report not to long ago that reported that it is not good to make the bed at all....something about dust mites or something. You're supposed to let it air out during the day.

Actually, I have severe dust mite allergy and you're supposed to leave the bed open (pull the covers down over the foot so it's all the way open, à la Anne of Green Gables) for an hour or two, not all day, FWIW. At least that's what both my allergist and pulmonologist tell me.

Yup that's how I was taught to make the bed too but haven't used a bedspread in a long time. However after traveling in Europe and getting just a duvet (or whatever they call it over there) we decided we like that rather than the spread and blankets. Plus we're in MN and turn our heat way down at night so need a nice warm down comforter. I'm more about function than appearance though so no pile of decorative pillows to mess with. We each have two pillows so we can read in bed. One has the pillowcase and that's the one we use for sleeping and the other has the sham which doesn't get taken on and off every day - just when laundering the duvet cover.

There are lots of bedspreads available online.

1,341 results for "bedspread" on Overstock? Doesn't seem all that passé? Yes, I was taught to fold it down and to cover the pillows.

Cyn, I do that too! Pillows are folded lengthwise, and then I sort of tuck them a bit between the headboard and mattress. Mom didn't teach me this, I saw it used in a hotel we stayed in years ago. I've also gotten ideas for folding hand towels in different ways, and cute little tp foldings, both only used in the PR when having company. ;)

wow, thread revival, ha! I don't always make my bed, but I have a down comforter in a duvet cover, which I like to roll down a couple of times to make a puffy roll -- if that makes sense.

Sometimes my cat is curled up asleep so nicely in the nest of covers that I can't make it! Really!

As an aside, I sometimes have a hard time lifting the king size mattress to change the sheets -- couldn't even do it at all without help when I was sick recently. So I got myself a "mattress lifter" which is a wedge you can insert that holds the end of the bed up so you can tuck the sheets in. Works pretty well and makes changing the sheets much easier.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NX669G?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00

Another bedspread child. While I do not want change out my entire house, I plan to have a vintage chenille bedspread in my guest room down the road, just waiting for one of my kids to move out so I can have that guest room. Always loved the comfy feeling of chenille.