Making V-Berth Sheets

So how exactly do you put sheets on a triangular bed? I looked online to see what other people did to try and come up with the best solution. Some people buy custom made v-berth sheets online which are hundreds of dollars and others just use a regular sheet set and tuck the excess material under the foot of the mattress. I decided to combine the two ideas by making custom sheets myself out of a regular set. Now I'm not the best seamstress and they aren't as nice as the ones you can order, but they are way way cheaper and work great!

I ordered 2 sheets of king sized sheets online and gave it a go! A friend of ours orders microfiber sheets from Wal-Mart (I know, I hate them too, but these are great sheets) and they are so comfy, very lightweight, dry in just a few minutes on the line, and are only $20. Check them out here if you're interested.

The flat sheet is easy. I just draped the sheet over the mattress and the got under it and rolled around a bit to see how much sheet we really needed (this is a very technical approach obviously).


I decided to leave about 12" on either side and then cut the sheet to the shape of the mattress and hemmed it all around. Done! Now there's not a ton of fabric to get all tangled up by your feet!


The fitted sheet takes a bit more work. The sheet fits perfectly on the top corners of our mattress so all I had to do was make the bottom fit. I decided that I would fold up the bottom to make it like a pocket that fits around the bottom of the mattress. That way you can just slide the pocket over the mattress when you make the bed and it stays put.


I put the sheet on inside-out so after I trimmed the sheet to size, I could pin it all up for sewing.


Here's the bottom sewn up. I pictured the sheet like an envelope and you can see that's exactly how I sewed it together. It's easier for me if I have a visual in mind - maybe that'll help you too. From this point, I sewed the middle together up aways to make the pocket deeper and to make everything fit as nice as I could.


And here's the finished product - not too bad for the first set! The second set I made turned out better, but I didn't get any pictures.



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28 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM

    I absolutely love this blog! Please keep updates coming! My boyfriend spontaneously bought a sailboat this summer that is in need of some loving care, and your blog is so inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matt and HillaryJanuary 11, 2015 at 12:07 PM

      Thank you! Sounds like you guys have a few projects ahead of you as well then :)

      We are off working for 6 months so our boat is currently on the hard, but we'll keep adding posts when we return in April.

      Delete
    2. Funkybiatch79September 19, 2021 at 5:23 AM

      Hi, I’ve been looking for a tutorial for ages and just got my first sewing machine so I’m very excited to try this. Could you tell me, have you used a fitted sheet or have you put elastic in yourself? Thanks x

      Delete
  2. Phil and LorraineDecember 9, 2014 at 11:05 AM

    Love how you adjusted the sheet for the V end of the mattress.

    Lorraine
    SV Changes

    ReplyDelete
  3. SarahMay 17, 2015 at 2:04 AM

    I've been sleeping in and making a V berth for about three years now, I wish i'd seen this blog sooner. The weekly struggle of trying to make a bed with ill fitting sheets is real and very frustrating. I've always toyed with idea of making my own sheets but had no idea how to go about it. Thanks for sharing your awesome efforts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matt and HillaryMay 30, 2015 at 7:46 AM

      Thank you! If you have a sewing machine handy it really is pretty easy. And anything you do to the sheet will be an improvement! I'm really slow at sewing, but I love being creative and finding ways to fix things. I was just back in the States and my mom used my sheet set as a pattern to make us another set. It only took her about 15 minutes! MUCH faster than my sewing :)

      Delete
  4. sailinglunaseaJuly 12, 2015 at 6:59 PM

    Great idea! Our berth is not a triangle - kind of a weird shape that I havent been able to figure out how to customize. Maybe this will help... Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. pelliAugust 29, 2015 at 12:30 AM

    Brilliant, I can't wait to try this!! We also want to replace our cushions, do you have any tips on making a custom mattress? Or where to get an affordable be berth mattress? I'm thinking about getting a nice piece of foam and cutting the corners off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matt and HillaryAugust 30, 2015 at 7:24 PM

      Thanks! Check out this post on where we got our mattress and how we cut it to fit the V-berth - it's very easy! http://www.verywellsalted.com/2014/07/v-berth-mattress.html

      Delete
    2. pelliAugust 30, 2015 at 11:23 PM

      Thank you! My boyfriend and I went through your whole blog, it's fantastic. We're wrapping up renovations on a 1964 Columbia 26. That electric bread knife is the best idea!!! I can't wait to try it and the cream of tartar!

      Thank you so much for sharing all your hard work!

      Patricia

      Delete
  6. pelliAugust 31, 2015 at 12:24 AM

    And we just got some fabric to make the fitted cushion covers that you did too! Such an amazing solution! Hip hop hooray to you both!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matt and HillarySeptember 6, 2015 at 6:27 PM

      Awesome! So glad our tips were helpful to you guys! The electric knife works so good, like cutting butter. I hope the cushion covers turned out good. What a difference a little fabric makes, huh?!!

      Delete
  7. AnonymousJune 12, 2016 at 8:11 PM

    Our daughter just took delivery of a brand new sailboat and has asked me to make her fitted sheets for the mattress'. Your instructions make it doable! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownApril 25, 2017 at 12:34 AM

    Very cool. Im going to try to make a set. redoing the cushions in my V berth, found a local foam company, and they can custom cut pieces same price as a sheet and cutting yourself w electric kitchen knife. Im forgoing the $26yd Sunbrella for $4.60yd Walmart fleece, and put these custom sheets over, w sleeping bag over that. Low budget

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trojan BoatSeptember 13, 2020 at 11:26 AM

      What company did you find to cut the custom foam?

      Delete
  9. fortniteJanuary 1, 2018 at 12:20 PM

    Thank you for taking the time to publish this information very useful! Bed sheets designs

    ReplyDelete
  10. TtegdirbJanuary 8, 2018 at 5:22 PM

    I'll be trying this! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. buy bed sheet onlineMarch 14, 2018 at 1:18 AM

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  12. UnknownMarch 29, 2018 at 10:12 AM

    so let's talk curtains? Did you make any... please tell.

    ReplyDelete
  13. baturOctober 7, 2018 at 9:42 PM

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  14. Ab DevilliersNovember 11, 2018 at 1:09 PM

    The texture of the sheet is paramount to a restful sleep and high thread count bed sheets will provide the texture needed to achieve this goal. silk bed sheets Another rule is that you should select sheets as per your bed size.

    ReplyDelete
  15. seostar2May 8, 2020 at 3:41 AM

    Thinner threads lead to higher thread and since the threads are longer and woven close together, the bed sheets made from these fabrics can last for decades, if cared properly. cotton bed sheets

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  16. Farhan.JeeNovember 9, 2020 at 4:37 PM

    When you are shopping for a bed, there are certain things you should put into consideration, for example, if you are shopping for a bed for your kid, triple bunk beds

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  18. UnknownJanuary 9, 2022 at 11:13 AM

    Thanks for posting. I'm doing the same, but using thick curtain material from a discount store. I like the way you showed your cuts and flipped the pocket. I'm going to do the same!

    ReplyDelete
  19. technologyMarch 8, 2022 at 2:25 PM

    If you've never purchased a mattress before, studying mattress reviews is a significant initiative. Mattresses are expensive items that will be with you for a long time, used on a regular basis and you'll want to get the right style and model for your needs and preferences. long haul

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2023 at 11:29 AM

    I have real trouble translating your pictures into a template to actually cut the foot of the sheet. What does the foot look like just before you pin and sew it please?

    ReplyDelete

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