How'd you duvet that?

So I'm told duvet is a french term.  To me, it's a much easier to launder bedding option.  Especially considering our two furkids (don't worry, they make a guest appearance later on).  The problem was, I couldn't find any bedding that I liked that was also in my price range.  Enter Target (one of my favorite stores along with TJ Maxx/Homegoods).  Since this was technically our guest room, where Luke keeps his clothes,  I let him pick the color. Anybody surprised he picked black, white, and red and the colors?  I wasn't.    

I bought two queen sized flat sheets at ~$12 per sheet (to make a full size duvet cover) and used some thread I had leftover from another project.  I opened one package and used the fold marks as my guide (I know Mom, I didn't wash the sheets first - REBEL!), placing a pin at every other "cross" of fold marks.  

Five minutes later I had this:

 I then fired up my sewing machine.  At each pin, I pinched the fabric, twisted it about an inch, then sewed across the twisted pinch, which resulted in a pucker on the opposite side of the fabric.  (Hard to visualize, but super simple I promise.) It didn't even matter what color thread I used, since it would all be on the inside of the duvet. I then sewed the two flat sheets (wrong sides facing out), added a zipper (used YouTube for directions on how to do that), and inserted our old white fluffy duvet.  The whole process took 2 hours max (and I am a novice sewer).  

So SIMPLE!

I staged the bed for this picture to send to my mom and sister, since I had received the sewing machine as a Christmas gift. This may have been my first project even!

The blue pillows were from my sister since she no longer wanted them and our space was still screaming for accessories.  I recovered them in a black and white fabric from Hobby Lobby. At this point, I was so thrilled with my new skill of adding zippers, I added zippers to the pillow covers too - ridiculous.  I have since learned the art of the envelope pillow, and it's MUCH easier. But I digress.  Here's the finished product and I wasn't the only one loving the new additions to the room: can you spot the furkid?

The only problem with this duvet - it attracts four-legged creatures.  They seem to be multiplying.

I've since washed the duvet several times, and it is starting to fade (a little bummed about this), but since I spent so little money, I don't feel bad changing the bedding out.  It was money well spent for the time we got out of it!  And that's how I "duvet" it. 

Total cost:

$30 for the duvet

$5 for the pillow covers

Washable bedding for the furkids: Priceless.