Yes, it’s me — Sherry, the mediocre seamstress — back with another sewing tale: part frustration, part triumph. I managed to turn one boy’s duvet cover into two, and I’m here to walk you through how it went down.
The situation was simple: my best friend inherited her husband’s childhood twin-bed duvet set for their son’s room. They were using only one duvet in their old home, but in the new house they had space for both beds. The problem was she only had one matching duvet cover and the original style was no longer available for purchase.
I volunteered — probably with too much enthusiasm — to try to split the single duvet cover into two usable covers. If it failed, she would buy a new matching set; if it worked, she’d have two covers and I’d finally feel like I’d repaid her for all the meals and root beer floats she’s fed me since our dorm-room days.
Step One: Start by separating the front and back panels. I sat on a kitchen stool and used baby scissors to carefully clip the small threads joining the front and back panels, much like using a seam ripper. I didn’t cut the patterned fabric itself, only the stitching holding the layers together. That left me with two almost identical fabric panels — one with buttons and one with buttonholes.
For this method to work the duvet must have the same fabric or pattern on both sides. The basic idea is to pair each half with a flat sheet in a coordinating color to create two full duvet covers. We chose white cotton flat sheets from Target because matching fabric weight and fiber content — in this case 100% cotton — helps the finished covers sit and wear consistently with minimal puckering.
Tip: buy flat sheets one size larger than the duvet panel you’re covering. I used full-sized flat sheets for the twin panels so the sheet would be at least as wide and long as each duvet half. If the sheet is too small, the finished cover will look misshapen.
Step Two: Prewash and dry the flat sheets a few times to remove any initial shrinkage. Lay a sheet flat, place a duvet panel on top, and trim the sheet to match the panel’s size. Leave an extra inch on any side you cut so you can hem it before attaching it to the panel. The folded and stitched hem prevents fraying and gives a clean finish. Hem the cut edges before you join the sheet and duvet panel.
It helps morale (and accuracy) to let a small dog supervise the process.
Step Three: With the sheet hemmed, stitch three of the four sides together — leave the short side with the existing button or buttonholes open. Sew with the pieces inside out so the seams are hidden when you turn the cover right-side-out. I placed the patterned duvet panel pattern-side-up and the sheet face-down against it, aligning corresponding edges, then stitched with a standard seam allowance. When turned right-side-out, the result looks like a neat, oversized pillowcase; any small imperfections are camouflaged once the duvet insert is inside.
Step Four: Address the open end. The original cover left about one-third of the short side open for stuffing the insert. To recreate that, I turned the cover inside out and stitched the outer corners closed, leaving the middle third open. That mimics the original opening and keeps the finished look tidy.
Step Five: Recreate closures. Splitting the original cover left one panel with buttons and no holes, and the other with holes and no buttons. For the panel missing buttons, I salvaged buttons from an old pair of cargo shorts and hand-sewed them to the inside hem of the sheet where the matching buttonholes were located on the patterned side. Sewing the buttons to the inside lets the fabric fold over and hide the closure when buttoned, giving a clean, finished appearance.
Step Six: Make buttonholes for the other panel. I hadn’t sewn buttonholes before, so I improvised: cut a small slit where each button needed to go, then reinforce the perimeter with tight looped stitches to prevent fraying. The result isn’t a professional machine-made buttonhole, but stitched carefully it held up well through use and washing. Once the buttons were passed through the slits, both covers looked equally finished and functional.
In the end, both duvet covers worked perfectly. There were moments of doubt and a few colorful threats to fling the sewing machine out the window, but the finished covers now sit happily in the guest room — matching and ready for use.
Side note: her son is obsessed with dinosaurs — he can name dozens of species and corrects my guesses with charming enthusiasm. The room’s decorating strategy focused on using what they already owned, with a few playful additions like shark and dinosaur wall heads and a T-Rex lamp, plus existing rugs and a woven side table serving as a nightstand.
If you like sewing projects that are part challenge, part reward, this method is a practical way to split a reversible duvet cover into two usable covers by pairing each panel with a coordinating flat sheet and replicating the original closure. It saves money and keeps a beloved pattern in rotation — all without needing to buy a new matching set.
For more of my sewing adventures, here are a few past projects I’ve tackled:
- A patchwork quilt for my daughter
- A small stitched quilt for my son
- A beanbag pouf (full of personality)
- Curtain panels for the dining room
- Accent pillows made from cloth napkins
- A drapey pom-pom canopy for my daughter’s bed
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