I’m not obsessive about making the bed with hospital corners or even making it as soon as I get up (Burger sleeps in a little and I usually get around to it in the early afternoon). But I am a maniac when I can feel the featherbed slipping around under me, or worse- resting about a foot out of alignment with the bed (gasp).
We already posted a few other ways that we whipped our bed into shape (so easy, still loving both methods!) but when it came to our slippery featherbed mattress topper we were stumped for a while. I tried alligator clips (no dice), clothespins (negatory), and other clipping devices (argh) in a desperate attempt to secure the sides of the featherbed to the trim around the mattress, but everything popped right off with the slightest pressure (as soon as we climbed into bed… snap!). And then my darling husband had an idea.
Safety pins! I was originally convinced it would result in a shredded featherbed or a ripped up mattress but three months later (we waited to post about ’em just in case…) everything is still secure and tear-free. The key is grabbing enough of the featherbed and the mattress to be certain that they won’t easily rip and dispersing enough pins around the perimeter of the bed so there’s not too much pressure in one area. We used three across the head of the bed and three across the foot. And that’s the story of how my man MacGyvered our featherbed into submission with a few household items that we already had laying around. Best zero dollars we ever spent!
Focipresley says
Good Morning Sherry –
*Sigh* the feather-top sounds luxurious!! Alas, I am slightly allergic to feathers. Boo!
Enjoy!
~Bon
Laura says
So clever! Luckily, my pillow top is attached to the bed, so I don’t have to worry about that, but still, it’s a neat trick! Thanks for sharing!
Denise says
Sherry, with the feather-top do you also use a mattress cover or just the fitted sheet? Also, does this arrangement require a deep pocket fitted sheet?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Denise,
We just use our featherbed with a fitted organic sheet over it (so of course it was always slipping around!). Oh and it’s a regularly-sized sheet, and it fits just fine. We actually have a major bed upgrade in the works though (our current mattress was actually a hand-me-down from John’s sister and it’s more than past its prime), so stay tuned…
xoxo,
s
Laurie says
I’ve done this with my duvet for the last 10 years or so; and I so agree on the ease of pining and flipping inside the cover. Your dduvet clips seem like they might painful if encountered but I’ve never noticed the pins they slip easily into the excess from the seam.
congrats on the satisfaction of your newly stable bed (isn’t that the best feeling?)
elizabeth says
Bon,
Pacific Coast Down makes a line of down products for allergy sufferers called ‘Allerest’…They have a feather bed protector too! We really want to try the comforter.
-Elizabeth
Meaghan says
i have to ask; is there a day that goes by in the petersik household that doesn’t have an ingenious discovery? have you ever thought about designing for IKEA- ya know, simple solutions to modern day living?
another fine solution!
jessi says
smart idea!! i also pin my down comforter to the inside of the duvet cover to prevent it from sloshing all over in there!
Travis says
Do you ever get poked by a safety pin that has come undone? Any magic to which side of the safety pin is up?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Travis,
Good question. We actually have never been poked so we don’t really have a method when it comes to the direction of the pin since they seem to stay in place so well and haven’t popped open yet. Perhaps if we ever get poked we’ll revise the pinning direction…
xo,
s
Julie says
I guess the key to doing this properly is to secure the safety pins and place them in a concealed place, so whether or not it comes undone, there won’t be any poking incidents.
BTW, the safety pin idea is ingenious.
Amara says
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is the bane of my existence. I am going to try it when I get home:)
Erin says
The trick is to get a feather/fiber bed that has the pocket sides that scretch over the corners of your mattress. We have a pillow top, but I believe you can never have too much cushion! Most come with the extra large pockets to fit most any mattress. I have purchased mine at Kohl’s in the past. They usually run a sale on mattress toppers several times a year – Buy One, Get One Free!! Great Deal, especially for the guest beds. It’s still a little bit of an investment, but well worth it!
Focipresley says
Dear Elizabeth,
Thank you so much for the information! I’ve actually been searching for an allergy-free version of the feather-bed matress cover for quite a while and couldn’t find anything… I _thought_ this was strange. I just checked out the Pacific Coast website and am relieved that they sell their products at a few Canadian retail locations. Thanks again!
~Bon
Maria says
Never would have thought about that!! Great solution to an annoying problem! Thank you!
Arlene says
I have had this problem for a long time and tried the safety pin thing but they always popped open. I’ll try using more pins and as you said the pressure won’t be on one area.
We use a mattress cover under the sheet hoping it would keep it in place (and to protect the topper)but it doesn’t!!
Thanks!!!
cheep3r5 says
I am wondering if using cotton duck or heavy webbing fabric wrapped around the edge of the feather topper, through which the pins would go, would relieve or take the pressure/tension off of the feather topper fabric? The heavy fabric would give the pin-etration support through the topper.
Moving around and tugging on the topper every night….
Just thinking out loud….
arissa says
Hopefully this makes sense without a photo. I am currently using a feather bed that has 1.5″ wide elastic stitched on each side of the 4 corners (approx 12 inches across) so it looks like a triangle. You just tuck the elastic under the mattress and it holds in place. Works just like a fitted sheet!
Barbara says
You are so lucky that Burger sleeps in! My doggie begins to softly growl around the time the birds start chirping, which is too early for me. Did you ever notice that the bed is always the most comfortable when you first wake up?
Krysten says
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this – my husband and I HATE when our topper slips around and have been at a loss for what to do! We’re buying safety pins today!
Brighton says
Very clever! I have almost the same problem with a duvet cover for my daughter. The insert is always moving around…until I pinned it!
Sharon says
Great idea, especially being simple and basically free. For a slight upgrade, you may want to try baby diaper safety pins, which come with a locking mechanism to prevent accidental poking.
Kelly says
Such a clever title! I love this blog.
Cherry@NewburghRestoration says
Wow this is a good idea. I will be getting married in a few months, and this will solve my dilemma before it even begins. We plan on registering for a down mattress as well.
ksten says
I used to have the same problem with a comforter sliding around inside the duvet! The only concern I had was that the safety pins would come undone and stick me. I solved that with a quick trip to the dollar store. They had super safe safety pins for use with a babies diaper… but they are still big and strong enough to hold everything together. No worrying about accidentally having a safey pin let you know it’s there in an unpleasant way. Just a thought!
Tiffany says
Ok, yet another reason why I LOVE LOVE LOVE you guys and this blog…. my husband and I groan every night because the feather bed slips! I had never thought of using giant safety pins to do the trick….. I am definitely trying this!
Jamie says
This. Is. Genius. I’ve tried everything, including what my mom calls a bed bra strap which is a cross between an alligator clip and a bungee cord… but alas, slippage abound! I’m going to try this right away.
Featherbed says
I can understand your dilemna. I myself use two featherbeds made by DOWNLITE and use a mattres pad on top of both and then my fitted sheet. The issue with safety pinning is that you then can’t fluff the bed easily – which to get the maximum umph for a featherbed is a must have. I’ll give you one trick if it is an issue – those rug underlays – they keep your carpet from flying around on wood or tile – so they will be great for a tactile material like cotton.
If you have to use a pin – then I’d suggest buying a featherbed cover or protector and then safety pin to the cover thereby not putting holes in your featherbed.
OK – one more trick – your featherbed might be too small or lightweight. Most featherbeds in a store are about 3 inches thick. Look for a Hotel Down Top Featherbed that comes in at 5 inches plus. The weight of the featherbed will keep it in place much more easily.
Hilary says
A mattress pad on the mattress before the feather bed really helps too. After I figured that out, we had no problems! It was a cheap one, so maybe the stiffer the better.
Santina says
Thank you SOOOOO much for this.
I’ve gotten sick of pulling my feather bed back into place every three days. It’s late now, but I’m going to take the time to do this before I crawl in anyways!!
Thanks again!!
-S
Annna says
Hi everybody!I’m up in the middle of the night searching the answer:
My featherbed is Queen-size, very thick and heavy, and the top/bottom cloth cover is stiched together forming big squares, to keep the feathers in place.
WELL! After using it a couple of months,I’m sure they have moved towards the edges, leaving fewer feathers where my body actually lies, in the middle. The edges are twice as full and lofty.
I have hit it with my hands, but the feathers stay put. Flipped it, shook it well, no change.
SHOULD I UNDO ALL THE STICHING, and this way the feathers will be free and I can push them to the middle every day?
I live in an apartment, no yard or big windows to hang it out.
Thank you so much for reading this, I SOhope someone knows the answer!
YoungHouseLove says
We wouldn’t undo all the stitching since that seems like a lot of work and the feathers will be even crazier without a grid to keep them contained. What about folding it in half and then shaking it once a day so the feathers go back towards the middle where you sleep? Good luck!
xo,
s
C Redmond says
Since I know you guys care about animal welfare re: ditching the real sheepskin, you may want to know that harvesting down and feather fill is rarely a humane act.
While some feathers come from birds killed for meat, many birds are killed just for their feathers and worse others are live harvested approx. every 8 weeks. It may be worth mentioning to readers to source humane harvested down bedding and pillows.
IKEA doesn’t sell down/feather products harvested from living birds, for those it matters to.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much! That’s great to know! Especially since we just got our master bedroom duvet insert from them!
xo,
s
Jacqueline says
I tried this because our featherbed slides across the mattress without fail. Unfortunately it ripped my featherbed to shreds!!
Guess I’ll keep looking for a solution!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man that stinks! Fingers crossed that you find another solution!
xo,
s
Rob says
The one shot fix is to switch to drawstring sheets. Not only do they hold the mattress topper in place, they also stay nice and tight and smooth. They are also easy to put on since there’s no fighting elastic.
tlazer says
I have tried this method already. Does not work. I have 3 pins at the top and bottom plus 4 pins on each side and the
Pins pop open with the slightest of movement
Conrad says
Same Here!!!!
Maria says
VELCRO!!!!! Pinned a 1 1/2 foot long 2″ wide velcro strip to mattress & featherbed cover.Fantastic!