Video: How to Stuff a Duvet

Duvet cover on bed from Ballard Designs

Luxury hotels and interior designers alike have long considered duvet covers an ideal way to dress beds – and we have to agree. Not only does a duvet cover protect your down comforter and help it to last for years, it also gives you greater decorating flexibility. Simply swap out your existing cover for a fresh one when the seasons change or whenever the mood strikes. Even better, duvet covers tend to be an easy-care option. Since they have no batting or fill, they can usually be machine-washed at home and won’t take up much storage space in your linen closet.

On the other hand, getting a freshly washed duvet cover back on your comforter quickly and neatly can seem like a real hassle. The comforter always seems to slip and slide and shift around while you’re trying to get the cover over it, resulting in unsightly lumps and bumps or even whole areas without any comforter at all. So we did a little research and found out about this simple, foolproof way to get a comforter perfectly inside a duvet cover without any fuss or muss.

Diagram of how to stuff a duvet into a duvet cover from Ballard Designs

Step 1: To begin, spread out your down comforter (or whatever other insert you prefer) on the top of your bed.

Step 2: Next, turn your duvet cover inside-out, and lay it down directly on top of your comforter with its opening at the foot of the bed.

Step 3: Now you’re going to take your arm and reach it up through the right-hand side of duvet cover’s opening, working your way all the way up to the top, and grab hold of the cover’s top right corner.

Step 4: With the top right corner of the duvet cover over your hand like a mitten, take hold of the top corner of the comforter underneath it. Now flip the corner of the duvet cover up and over the corner of the comforter and pull it down a little bit. Repeat that process with the top left corner.

Step 5: With the top two corners of your comforter now neatly inside the duvet cover, shimmy the cover down and over the rest of the comforter. Gently work each of the bottom two corners of the comforter into place inside the cover. Then, button or zip your duvet cover closed. Straighten everything out with a little shake and one last smoothing over, and enjoy the sight of your perfectly fluffy, inviting bed.

Browse more videos in our Video Gallery on How to Decorate, or find more bedroom decorating inspiration on our Bedroom Ideas Pinterest Board.

How to Decorate Team

We enjoy spending days interacting with How to Decorate readers. From answering Design Dilemmas to writing How To articles and working with guest designers, our passion is to provide informative and accurate resources to help people solve their design problems.

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  1. Reply

    Cynthia Jagneaux

    February 23, 2014

    Ito keep my down comforter in place inside the duvet – I used old curtain tie backs by cutting off the semi circles off the ends. I sewed them (by hand ) onto each corner of the comforter and sewed a narrow ribbon on each corner of the duvet. No more shifting!,

    • Reply

      The How to Decorate Team

      February 24, 2014

      What a clever idea, Cynthia! Thanks for the tip.

      Best,
      The How to Decorate Team

  2. Reply

    Renee Klein

    January 27, 2014

    Great tips for making the duvet cover easy to handle. Would like to add another tip: buy the small round plastic circles to hold the duvet cover in place. They work very well.

  3. Reply

    Renee Klein

    January 27, 2014

    Just an additional note – little plastic rings can be purchase to clip into each corner to keep the duvet cover in place. Thanks for all your tips.

  4. Reply

    Joyce Earwood

    January 26, 2014

    My duvet cover has little ties attached to the corners from the inside. The only way I can see to attach the ties to my comforter is bunch the corners and tie. Do you have a better way?

    • Reply

      How to Decorate Team

      January 27, 2014

      Hi Joyce,

      Thanks for your comment. Bunching the corners of the duvet so you can tie the duvet in is a completely acceptable approach to keeping your comforter from shifting inside your duvet.

      If you want something a little neater and don’t mind doing a little sewing, we imagine you could so some ribbons to the corner of your comforter so you can have something to tie together.

      Best of Luck!
      The How to Decorate Team

  5. Reply

    Mary Ryckman

    January 19, 2014

    good heavens I have been struggling with duvet covers for ever what a great way to put your comforter into a duvet she did a beautiful job and she’s fun to watch thank you

  6. Reply

    Karen

    January 15, 2014

    I followed these directions just this morning and it worked like a charm!

  7. Reply

    Sarah West

    January 8, 2014

    Wow…this sylist is adorable and obviousy very talented. Can’t wait to see more tips from her!

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