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Sew a Doona Cover with Me: A Simple DIY Project


Earlier this year, we upgraded my son's bed to a King Single. While it was easy to find sheets, it was so difficult to find a doona cover, let alone one he liked. So, I decided to solve the problem by getting fabric printed with a design of mine that he chose and sew my own doona cover. I even created a custom colourway to match his bedroom, and then I got to work sewing it!


This project is actually pretty simple, and these instructions can be used for any doona size. The hardest part for me was laying out a large amount of fabric at home and then cutting it.


For this project, I used Spoonflower's 294cm wide Cotton Sateen fabric, ordering 4 metres to make sure I had enough for the job. It was the perfect solution to a common problem, and it meant he got a unique doona cover.


What You’ll Need


  • Fabric: I used 4 metres of Spoonflower Wide Cotton Sateen. The amount you'll need will depend on the size of the doona cover you're making.

  • Thread

  • Sewing machine

  • Buttonhole foot

  • Scissors

  • Pins or Clips

  • Buttons

  • Iron

  • Quick unpick

  • Fabric marking pen

  • Optional - Overlocker


Steps


  1. Prewash your fabric.

  2. Measure your doona. Add 2cm to the width and 10cm to the length for your seam allowance and casing. If your fabric isn't wide enough, you will need to cut and join it to make it the required width.

  3. Cut the fabric. I'm making a a doona cover for an Australian King Single, so I'm cutting two pieces of fabric sized at 152cm x 210cm. Remember to think about the direction of the fabric and which is the top once you've cut it.

    Fabric layed out on the floor to cut for the doona cover.

  4. With the right sides of the fabric together, sew around the left, top and right sides.

    Sewing the sides of the doona cover while watching something on my iPad.

  5. Overlock or zigzag stitch on those three sewn edges to prevent fraying.

    Overlock the sewn edges of the doona cover.

  6. For the bottom open edge, fold it over 5cm and press. Fold it over another 5cm and press again.

    Fold over 5cm and then another 5cm and press.

  7. Sew along the bottom of the fold all the way around the opening.

    sew down the folded down hem at the doona cover opening.

  8. Turn the doona cover right-side out and push the corners out.

  9. To help stop the doona from falling out at the ends, we'll sew the bottom opening closed slightly. Line up the bottom opening, and clip or pin it together. Along the top stitching line, mark 15cm in from each end and sew over the existing line to close it off.

    Close the openings on the ends by 15cm. The image shows marking 15cm from the end and the opening clipped.

  10. To mark your buttonholes, add 1 to the number of buttons you are using, then divide the width of the doona cover by this number. For example, if you have 4 buttons and your width is 150cm, the equation is 150cm / 5 = 30cm. Mark a spot for a buttonhole every 30cm.

    Marking the spot for the buttonhole for the bottom of the doona cover.

  11. Sew your button holes.

    Using the button hole foot, sew the button holes at the opening for the doona cover.

  12. Using a quick unpick, carefully cut the buttonholes open.

    Cutting the button holes open with a quick unpick.

  13. To mark where to sew your buttons, line up the fabric and mark through each buttonhole.

    Marking where the buttons need to be sewn for the doona cover.

  14. Sew buttons. I prefer to sew my buttons by hand for a more secure finish.

    Hand sewing the buttons on the opening for the doona cover.

  15. Insert the doona, and you're done!


    The completed doona cover on a bed

My son and I are both so happy with the end result! It's a doona cover he loves now, and it's a design that is appropriate into his adult years too.


Using some of the leftover fabric, I've also made a matching pillowcase. If you have some fabric to spare, you can follow along to make your own: Sew a Pillow Case with Me: A Simple DIY Project.



Happy sewing!

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