7 Tricks for How to Make a Bed Fluffy for Less
Tips and tricks for how to make a bed fluffy and full like the magazines but for less than luxury bedding without sacrificing comfort.
I don’t know of any other technical term for this one, but you know what I’m talking about, right? You know how magazines seem to have all the tricks for how to make a big bed look fluffy so that they look like giant marshmallows?
Don’t you just want to throw yourself on them and sink deep into their squishy pillowy goodness after a long day?
Yeah, that.
I wanted a kind of fluffy bed that dreams are made of when finishing our primary bedroom makeover.
7 Tricks to Make Your Bed Fluffy
Lots of research later… (Who the heck researches fluffy beds? This girl.)
All I kept coming up with were $400+ duvets and $50+ pillow inserts and well yeah… if I’m paying that much money for my bedding, it BETTER be fluffy. And also do my taxes for me.
But then I found a few way cheaper tricks that I swear work to create a fluff-a-licious bed.
Here are some easy ways to get the fluffy bed of your dreams.
- Buy pillow inserts larger than your pillow covers.
- Find inserts for less in clearance aisles.
- Layer 2 inserts in a duvet cover for extra fluffiness.
- Stack your sleeping pillows.
- Roll down your blankets at the top of the bed.
- Drape a throw blanket across the end of the bed.
- Lightly “chop” your throw pillows.
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The Best Luxury for Less Bedding
- Pillow Inserts (2″ larger than pillow covers for extra fullness)
- Down Alternative Duvet Insert (I double them up by using two so they’re really fluffy)
- Cooling Gel Sleeping Pillows
- Classic White Quilt Set
- Knit Bed Blanket
- Super Soft Sheet Set
1. Buy pillow inserts that are 2 inches larger than your pillow covers.
For decorative pillows, I prefer buying just throw pillow covers so that they take up less space to store (and are cheaper) than buying entire pillows.
For our primary bedroom, I bought these blue mudcloth 24″ accent pillows covers, but I stuffed them with 26″ inserts to make them extra full (I have a little trick for getting cheap pillow inserts in a sec so hang tight). Whatever size pillow cover you have, choose one or two pillow sizes larger for the insert.
The larger the throw pillows, the better, especially on a larger bed size. Anything smaller than a 22″ pillow on a queen bed or king bed could look kind of dinky.
2. Get down inserts for way cheaper in clearance or after-season decor aisles.
I always check HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls for super discounted throw pillows (sometimes even online though I have better luck in stores). The clearance aisle can be your best friend for this.
Even if the cover is totally not your style or is stained or out-of-season, if it’s only $10, just buy it for the insert and donate the cover.
It’s still way cheaper that way than buying a stand alone down insert for retail. (I steer clear of pillow inserts in thrift stores though because I’m terrified of getting bed bugs.)
3. Layer two inexpensive duvet inserts together for extra fluffy bedding.
This comforter and this comforter are rated as two of THE fluffiest in all the land, but I can’t bring myself to spend over $400 on a duvet insert.
So I got two of these duvet inserts and stacked them on top of each other. It’s a more affordable way to get that fluffy look! Robert and I are hot sleepers and, surprisingly, we don’t get hot at all sleeping under these.
We’ve had ours for 3 months now, and they’re still great (we also have one on our daughter’s bed and it is still fluffy after 2 years).
But if they ever lose their fluff, stick them in a dryer with a couple of tennis balls to poof them back up. Same goes for pillows.
Choosing cotton duvet covers rather than an entire comforter in a bedding set makes it easier to change your bedroom design plan later with different colors. Plus, they’re machine washable with less bulk.
4. Stack your sleeping pillows.
Bed pillows look thicker and less flimsy when stacked. And then just place throw pillows in front of your stacked standard pillows.
We really love these pillows ( you can do the tennis balls in a dryer trick with these too if you ever need it).
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5. Roll down the tops of your blankets.
Take the top of all of your bed layers- top sheet, comforter(s), quilt… and fold it a third of the way down. It makes your blankets look even more pillow-y.
If you don’t want your top sheet showing, fold the third you just folded down back up on itself to double up that top layer. (We just use this simple raw-edge quilt set on top of our comforters.)
6. Toss a throw blanket at the end of the bed.
Rumple it up a little bit to make it look messy. It helps give that slightly slouchy, relaxed “come hither” look. 😉 (This is our bed blanket we use.)
7. Lightly “karate chop” your throw pillows.
This one is controversial, and I have no idea why. Haha!
I like to lightly karate chop our throw pillows just so the tops of them don’t look stiff and rigid. Chopped pillows say, “Come squish me please.”
Our Favorite Bedding Sources
I have no idea if my whole process for how to make a bed helps at all, but I thought I’d share.
If there’s anything I love more in the world it’s expensive chocolate, a good binge-worthy TV show, and a giant fluffy bed to sink into, so there ya go.
Do you have any other luxury-like for less bedding tips you do? I like going with all white so it always looks and feels clean too, but maybe that’s just me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fold back a quilt from the top of the bed 1/3 of the way to the end and place a chunky knit throw blanket at the end of the bed to make a bed look fluffy without the bulk of a duvet.
Most hotels use down duvets filled with fine, fluffy feathers. Down duvets tend to last longer and remain fluffier than polyfill comforters. If you have an allergy to down, use a high quality down alternative instead.
More Bedroom Decorating Ideas
10 Small Bedroom Ideas to Make Your Space Feel Bigger
Best Beds on Amazon for Designer Style on a Budget
Bedroom Decor Ideas That Feel Like a Spa Retreat
10 Cozy Bedroom Ideas on a Budget for the Best Sleep Ever
38 Amenities for the Perfect Guest Bedroom
See more bedroom decorating ideas here.
