How to Make a Feather Bed Mattress

A feather bed mattress can provide comfort and a good night’s sleep. Learning how to make a feather bed mattress properly can help save you some money and allow you to have the mattress you want. This project can be done with minimal assistance and expense. This project does require some sewing skills such as using a sewing machine.

Step 1 - Purchase Materials for the Feather Bed Mattress

You will need to obtain two pieces of fabric large enough to be stuffed with goose down feathers. Make the size of the fabric a little larger than the bed the mattress will cover. For example, if you are making a feather bed mattress for a twin size bed, use fabric big enough to cover a full-sized bed. If the bed is a full-sized bed, buy enough fabric for a queen-sized bed.

Step 2 - Prepare the Fabric

You will need to pin the fabric together on three of the four sides to leave an opening for stuffing. Pin the corners of the fabric and the sides using straight pins. Once you have pinned the fabric, sew the edges of the three pinned sides. This will make a pouch that has an opening for you to stuff the goose down feathers.

After sewing the sides, pin the open side until you have a foot-long gap remaining. Sew the open side up to the opening.

Step 3 - Stuff the Fabric with Goose Down Feathers

Through the foot-wide opening you have left, stuff the fabric with the goose down feathers. Use commercial bulk goose down feathers that may need to be ordered online if you cannot buy them from a local fabric supply store. The price for the feathers when bought in bulk range from $5 to $40 a pound.

Stuff the fabric with as many feathers as needed to make a four-to-five-inch-thick pad. If you want the feather bed mattress to be thicker, use more feathers. For a softer mattress, use fewer feathers.

Step 4 - Sew the Remaining Gap

Once you have filled the fabric with enough goose feathers to reach your desired firmness, close the remaining gap. This can be sewn by hand or you can use a sewing machine.

Step 5 - Distribute the Feathers

With the ends closed, use a steam iron to hem the ends of the mattress. Once the ends have been ironed, gently shake the feather bed mattress to redistribute the feathers. This will prevent them from clumping inside the fabric and remove any lumps that appear.

Step 6 - Create Seams

Create seams across the mattress. Use the straight pins to create several rows of squares. Take the needle and thread and create a seam stitch across the pins. This will create a decorative pattern and help further keep the goose down feathers in place.

This is the final step. After you create the seams, the mattress should be ready for you to use and enjoy.