Guest Room Bedding On A Budget

The inspiration for the colors of the new guest room were found on a pillow that a friend gave me after my kidney transplant.  She knows I love birds and this sweet pillow has some beautiful colors.

After Hubs hauled the new frame and mattress set up the stairs and set it up, I was a little disappointed that the mattress set seemed to swamp the antique bed frame.  Years ago, the mattress and box springs were thinner.  Now they both made deeper, even requiring special sheets.   The headboard that I worked so hard to fix up was almost completely hidden.  To add some  height, I added a body pillow. 

I made a pillow case for the body pillow from a curtain valance.  I bought the valance at a yard sale when Hubs and I were driving back from our camping trip last summer.  The lined valance measured 14 1/2  feet by 30 inches.  It had wonderful trim and a cute scalloped border, not to mention the wonderful toile print (in red!)  I paid all of $2.00 for it.

I simply cut the fabric to the length I needed, slipped the pillow between the lining and the front, and whip stitched the end closed. 

The two striped pillows were from Target.  I got them 10 years ago and used them in my previous house.  They aren't exactly what I want, but they'll do until I find some other fabric to upcycle into new covers for them.

I never buy patterned bedding unless it's a decorative pillow.  Generally the larger the purchase, the more neutral I go.  Whenever I see a cream, white, tan, red, or brown quilt or coverlet at a good price, I pick it up.  This quilt was purchased a few years ago at Sears on clearance for $15.00.  It is a simple cream quilt with vertical stitching (in this case, I've turned the stitching to run horizontal so the bed will appeaar wider).  At the foot of the bed, I'm using another cream quilt  but this one's in a sateen finish for some contrast.  I picked it up at a yard sale for $5.00 - it had never been out of the original bag.

  I actually used these quilts as table coverings at my daughter's wedding.  We needed some extra tables set up for extra guests, and I didn't have any more tablecloths.  I quickly ran to my stash and grabbed the quilts.  They looked really nice in the outdoor setting on our property and washed up well in the washing machine. 

The only new purchases I made for bedding were the mattress pad and sheets.  I found both on clearance at Marshalls.  I decided not to use a dust ruffle for this bed.  Because the room is so small and the ceiling height is low, I think the ability to see as much of the carpet as possible makes the room appear larger. 

 The only thing I still need to pick up is a full size fitted sheet in a tan color to cover the exposed box spring since I'm not using a dust ruffle. 

Next post - accessorizing the guest room.