How to Make a Twin Mattress Cover

A mattress is an expensive investment, and it makes sense to protect it. This is especially important if the person sleeping in it is a bedwetter. People who are prone to "accidents," often sleep alone in twin beds. Because the top of a standard twin bed is only 39 inches wide---less than the width of most fabric available to consumers---the home sewer can make a mattress cover. The mattress cover described here is made from absorbent terrycloth with a waterproof vinyl rectangle on the underside of the cover. The vinyl is positioned only in the center of the mattress. This protects the area that is likely to get wet, but eliminates a crinkling sound near the sleeper's head that could be bothersome. They vinyl is attached with Velcro fasteners so it can be removed for ease of washing. This cover has the look of a fitted sheet and is intended for a standard twin bed that is 39 inches wide, 75 inches long and 9 to 10 inches deep.

4 1/2 yards of 45 inch wide terrycloth
1 yard of 36 inch wide heavyweight vinyl
1 1/2 yards of 3/4 inch wide elastic
Tape measure
Scissors
Straight pins
Sewing machine
Thread
Four Velcro fasteners

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a 40-by-76-inch rectangle of terrycloth. Cut two 12-by-40-inch and two 12-by-76-inch strips of terrycloth. Cut a 36-by-36-inch square of vinyl. Cut four 12-inch pieces of elastic.
- 2
  Sew the short ends of the 76-inch terrycloth strips to the short ends of the 40-inch strips to form the sides of the mattress cover. Turn under one long edge of the connected strips 1/2 inch and use a zigzag stitch to sew along the edges.
- 3
  Pin the large terrycloth rectangle (the top of the mattress cover) to the unfinished edges of the side strips. Sew the top to the sides.
- 4
  Center a piece of elastic at the bottom corner of the side edge of the cover. Stretch the elastic around the corner and pin it in place. While keeping the elastic stretched, zigzag the elastic to the edge. Repeat for the remaining three corners.
- 5
  Sew one side of a Velcro fastener to each corner of the vinyl square.
- 6
  Lay the vinyl piece on the underside of the mattress cover, positioning it so that the vinyl square is centered across the width of the cover, and the bottom edge of the vinyl is 18 inches from the bottom edge of the terrycloth top.
- 7
  Pin the other half of the Velcro fasteners to the terrycloth so that the Velcro on the vinyl matches up with the Velcro on the terrycloth. Sew the Velcro pieces to the terrycloth.

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