Now that I’ve finally switched all our bedding over from winter and springtime blankets/ covers to something much more comfortable to cope with this Midwest heat, let’s chat about it! I usually make the switch long before we hit July, but I’m going to use the excuse I use for pretty much everything these days when I am falling behind or in a phase of steady procrastination: I have three small children. Alas, I am all caught up with the bed situation over here, so let’s head on upstairs to where I’ve fitted each bed with line-dried sheets and lightweight bedcovers to take a through this sweaty and sunscreen-slathered season called summahhh.
After a long holiday weekend of playing musical fevers/barfing with the kids (that was a real joy!) nothing sounded better to me than getting freshly washed bedding in each room. Because we have been without rain and our yard has been begging for some sheets flapping around, I threw everything on the clothesline. I filled that baby right up and crossed my fingers that the humidity wouldn’t get in the way of a good dry. There is something to be said for bedding that had spent some time outdoors. That clothesline smell is my very favorite and beats all the candles in the world, so I like to take advantage of that when the weather is nice. Beforehand though, I washed everything in my homemade laundry detergent scented with geranium and lemon oils, a recipe I’ll be sharing with you soon! After our linens had dried, I made all the beds before supper, landing on mostly pretty white and soft coverlets. I folded up our heavier quilts and duvets, storing them in the hallway closet where they are going to hang for awhile, all washed and ready for use in the colder months. Lastly, I fluffed all our pillows that had also spent some time in the sun, tucked in the sheets as tight as I could muster, and followed that with soft parachute of thin blankets on the top of each bed.
As Andrew and I crawled into bed that night it was like opening a present we had picked long ago but knew we had to patiently wait for. We were both craving a good night’s sleep and snoozing away in our clean bed was a real luxury with the sheets smelling and feeling as fresh as they come. For the bed making folk, here are a few tips for making a summer bed, along with some handy sources for some of my favorite places to get our current bedding.
Simple Tips For Making a Summer Bed:
- I am sure this one is very obvious, but storing heavy bedding is the first thing one should do when making the transition from the colder to warmer seasons. Wash and tuck away your feather-filled blankets and duvets, along with those toasty flannel sheets. I like to spray our bedding between each fold to make them smell yummy in the linen closet. Adding a spray of lavender or pine essential oil here and there is a nice way to keep your bedding smelling fresh and ready to use later on when the trees start to turn.
- Swap out heavy bedding with something lighter that is made with natural fibers. Breathable cotton or linen are your best best for late spring through early autumn. These thin layers will keep you much cooler throughout the evening while still providing comfort as you sleep. A few thin layers + fan and you should be set.
- Less pillows are a good idea, too. We like two per person and one in the middle for propping up books at night, whereas in the winter months I throw a few more on each bed to make things a bit warmer.
- Because it’s summer and hotter (and unfortunately you will be sweating more) make sure to wash your bedding more often. Because your room is likely to be warmer even if you use the AC, it’s best to keep your linens fresh by washing them and letting them air dry on the clothesline every other week or as needed. I like to do our bedsheets more often than the coverlets as to not make a huge fuss about laundering all our bedding. Our pillow cases get a wash just about every week though.
- Don’t forget to flip or rotate your mattress, we seem to forget this one a lot.
- And last but not least, keep something green by your bedside. It’s always really nice waking up to something alive and cheery like yard clippings or a small bunch of flowers when the season provides them for you. Head outdoors and clip a few things by the side of your house, no need to spend any money here.
Warmer-Weather Bedding Sources:
- White Belgian flax linen sheets – They get softer and softer with use, such a great purchase.
- White linen crocheted pillowcases: I wanted to order another set of linen pillow cases for our bed but wanting something beautiful with more detail than your standard sham. These are simple and lovely (and on sale to boot!).
- Chambray natural striped throw: I have had my eye on this for some time and am so glad I bought it. It’s the perfect size for our queen bed and is quite cozy without being too heavy for this season.
- Linen blend quilt: We have this on our bed in a king so it has the option of falling to the sides or being tucked in. I change this up depending on my mood that day and how I want our bed to look.
- Cushion cover: This gray/blue blend is so pretty.
- Thin blue and white diamond ticking quilt: Theodore’s bed is currently dressed with this beautiful quilt. It is thin enough for summer but also one that will work well in the cooler months too.
- Organic cotton coverlet & Yarn Dye Stripe Wingspan Cotton Blanket: We have several of these and they are great additions to the tops of beds in the warmer months because they are so pretty, but then great when used as warm layers under duvets in the cold months!
- Small Cross Quilt: I designed this with Jen for a fun collaboration when Theo was a little bub. It now lives at the bottom of Stella’s bed.
- Floral Pillow Cases: Thrifted. You can find so many gems out there that need a good home. Just remember to wash well in hot water!
More Tidbits:
- If wanting good quality white bedding, wait for seasonal white sales! I purchase almost all of our bedding online and on sale. Usually when things are off season I will scoop up a quilt or duvet at a fraction of the cost without having to fork out a ton of money.
- If you buy quality, chances are it will last…keep this in mind if you are unsure of spending a little extra on your bedding. We have had some of our wool blankets and heavier linen throws (items I will share in the colder months) for years now and the higher cost for such items can really be worth it.
- Head to your local thrift store or flea market to scoop up floral linens. You may even want to raid your mom’s closet like I did years ago for some…thanks, ma.
- A wonderful place to stock up on affordable linens is IKEA. All of our curtains and a few of our duvets are from there and we are really happy with them. I will say, some of their less expensive sheets did not hold up, nor has a cheap mattress we bought there for one of the kid’s beds. But, you get what you pay for and I am all for cheap lace curtains.
That should do it! Stay tuned for homemade laundry detergent and my favorite combinations of essential oils for linen sprays. xx
Amy - Such a timely and beautiful post! Glad someone else shares my geeking out about seasonal bed linens 🙂
I adore all of your bedding sources. For those of us who need less expensive bedding options, I’ve found a couple that are pretty & super cool in the summer:
Am loving this navy ticking percale sheet set from Target. Percale is a bit stiffer than linen but I’ve found that the sheets always feel so crisp and cool.
http://www.target.com/p/threshold-percale-sheet-set/-/A-14678544
Linen duvet & pillow cases are gorgeous in white (Ikea – Linblomma)
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80190096/
Questions for you: how do you wash/dry both your down comforters and pillows?
admin - Amy – Great sources! I love IKEA’s duvets, we have a few from there and they are lovely for the Winter. It’s nice to get some cheaper one’s because then you have plenty to change up which is fun. 🙂 Okay, so for washing our down duvets and pillows I do the same process: I wash them with very little detergent on delicate with TWO rinse cycles to make sure all the soap gets out. I then dry them with lots of wool (or tennis) dryer balls and then in the summer let them hang outdoors to let the sun bleach them. The one major tip I have to is to make sure everything gets REALLY dry before packing it away otherwise…MOLD. Ew. xx Amanda
admin - And one more thing I forgot to mention, I rarely wash our duvet because we always have it covered. I am not sure if seasonal washing would destroy the feathers? I’ll have to look into this!
stacia - i love my getting into my bed after my sheets have hung on the line. it just smells like summer. reminds me of when i was a child. in the summer my mom never used the dryer. everything went on the clothes line.
i have really gotten tired of spending so much money on bedsheets. i never thought i would be the one that bought bedsheets at a second hand store. but i do. i mean when we sleep in hotel rooms they are essentially second hand sheets. other people have slept on them. plus they have some really sweet flowered sheets that i cannot find at any store. most of my beds are all white bedding but sometimes i might switch a flat sheet out for something with some tiny blue or yellow flowers or mix my pillow cases up.
i bring home my new/old sheets and pillow cases and wash them in really really hot water and put those babies on the clothes line. works great for me.
another thing i recently tried. when my 5 year old grandson was a tiny baby i bought quit a few aden + anais swaddle blankets. didn’t want to part with them so i brought them to my seamstress (don’t sew) and using 4 blankets had her make me a king blanket for myself, my daughter and my grandson. great summer blanket, layer it with a sheet and sleep tight.
admin - Stacia – Oh, how I love thrifted floral pillow cases. We have so many and they are what we use on our beds in the Spring and Fall to change things up! You can’t beat a vintage print like they used to make. x Amanda
Kris - Lovely post! There is something so fun about the seasonal change of bed linens. Looking forward to your laundry detergent recipe, I have been wanting to try a diy version.
Tanya - Thank you for all your sources, this is just what I’ve been wondering! You seem to have so many linens and like me, like to change things up every once in a while. I have that Schoolhouse quilt in my Amazon wish list already and now you made me want it even more! It looks like it’d be gorgeous and easy to make on a bunk bed I’m planning on getting for my girls.
Kaitlin - Gorgeous post! Any tips on keeping linens WHITE? I wash weekly and use all natural brightener (Nelly’s) but I can’t seem to keep our bedding white. Any tips would be so appreciated! Also can’t wait for that laundry soap recipe!
admin - Kaitlin, we use The Laundress bleach alternative, vinegar, and sunshine! I think it’s pretty normal for whites to yellow a bit but those three things seem to really help. If you have a really sunny day go lay your whites in the yard. I do it all the time! I have some white pillow cases out there right now come to think of it. Hope this helps! x Amanda
Taylor Norris - Could also be yellowing from sleeping in sheets without a shirt on 🙂 My friends and I have experienced this. Our yellowing totally stopped when my husband started wearing a shirt to bed.
admin - Ahhh, good to know! x Amanda
Sarah - Looking forward to your detergent recipe! Geranium and lemon… sounds awesome. Happy Summer to all!
Heather - Great post! I was wondering, did the Target quilt come with shams? I couldn’t seem to find matching shams…. Thank you!
admin - Heather, yes ours came with matching shams, interesting it did not say it did online? Huh. Well I believe you can still find the same one in the stores as a bed set. They also carry other neutral colors as well. x Amanda
Heidi - Geranium and lemon, yum!
Also, may I ask if your pretty white quilt with the diamond stitching is cream or white?
You really have an art to putting special touches to your home, beautiful!
admin - Heidi, we have the white quilt and thank you! xx Amanda
Maud - Lovely post, thanks for sharing, once again.
I wanted to ask you if one day you could make a post about your beauty routine? I know you are using Essential oils and making your own balms and so on, just curious to know more about it. 🙂
Thanks you!
admin - Maud,
Yes! I am going to share my summer routine and then my winter one since they are a little different with products I make and buy as far as staples go. Hopefully sharing in a few weeks! x Amanda
Maud - Thanks so much xx
Brittany Black - Beautiful post, I love your bed as well…do you mind sharing where to find it?
admin - Brittany, thank you so much! We love it too. It was made by Schoolhouse Electric 🙂 x Amanda
Sarah M - Love this post – thank you.
Would you consider doing a post on your fave summer clothes? For mamas, not babes ☺️
Stacy - Hi Amanda, is your linen blend quilt from Target a cream color like the website link shows?
admin - Stacy, it is a white quilt. I must say, however, I just picked up a new floral stitched white one in a King Size from Home Goods that is heirloom quality for less than $40! I’d check there if you have one in the area. x Amanda
Jill Anderson - Oh my god, yes, I never flip or rotate my mattress! Do we have to? I think we do, don’t we? But I think it is not a single person job! Summer can be really hot and yes, even though we have AC on, it still can get warmer. I do change my pillow case weekly, and maybe once in 2 weeks for my bedsheets. Do I get my formula wrong? Linen is my favorite, I use linen bedding all year! And I also do use my duvet during summer with a lower tog of course. Anyway thank you for the tips, I really need to find a way to flip or rotate my mattress! Oh and come check us out!