It is wise to invest in sewing a good doll mattress. This is the basic feel good part of the bedding and will compliment all the other items you make. Take time to stuff the mattress carefully. Dolly would not like a lumpy bed to lie on and no fairy tale princess would ever be able to sleep on your doll’s bed!
How to Make a Doll Mattress: Supplies
What you need
- Around 1/2 yard (0.90m) of fabric for most 18-inch doll beds
- Polyester or foam stuffing
How to Make a Doll Mattress: Sewing
First, measure the base of your bed. This bed was purchased from IKEA and measures 12 by 19 inches (30.5×48.2cm) at the base. Make sure you are measuring just the base and not the sides of the bed. You want the mattress to fit snuggly inside the bed frame.
Cut 2 pieces of fabric the size of the base plus 1-inch seam allowance all the way around. So cut 14 x 21 inches
With RIGHT sides together, stitch around the mattress pieces with a 1/4 inch seam allowance leaving a 3-inch gap (7.5cm) at one of the short ends. It always looks neatest if you leave your gap at the end of the bed.
Box the corners by finger pressing open the seams at the corners and then aligning the top and bottom of the seam. Mark across where it is 1 1/2 inches (4cm).
Stitch across the boxed corners and trim them straight across.
Turn your mattress the right way out and start stuffing. If you are using polyester fill it is best to break it into small tufts. You want your mattress to look flat and not overstuffed so go slowly. Make sure you have stuffing in the corners to give it a good shape. Before you close the gap, try it on your bed to make sure it is sitting flat like a mattress.
Handstitch the gap closed with a ladder stitch for an invisible closure.
PIN THIS IMAGE FOR LATER 🙂
See all the tutorials in my free doll bedding sewing pattern series
- PART 1 – Free Doll Pillow Pattern
- PART 2 – Free Doll Pillowcase Pattern – 2 styles
- PART 3 – Free Doll Mattress Sewing Pattern
- PART 4 – Free Doll Blanket Sewing Pattern
Shop for an 18-inch doll pajama sewing pattern to go with all your new doll bedding.
Love this, using it for this particular bed for my elderly cat<3. Thank you for taking the thinking out of it! So easy.