How to Measure the Drop of a Ruffled Bedspread or Bed Skirt

To measure the drop of a ruffled bedspread, put the end of a tape at the top edge of your made-up mattress and let it hang straight down to the spot where you want the hem. If you are measuring for a separate bed skirt, start at the surface that will support the skirt. On the same bed, those two measurements can be quite different.

The charcoal Ruffled Elegance Bedding Set shown above is a good example. The narrow ruffle follows the duvet cover around the corner. A separate gathered skirt hangs underneath. The set lists a duvet cover, a bed skirt and two pillowcases. Measuring the trim on the cover would tell you very little about where that lower hem will fall.

Choose where you want the hem to stop

Make the bed with your usual topper in place. Hang a spare flat sheet over one side and adjust the edge until you like what you see from the doorway. You might want to hide the base, leave a wooden rail visible or give a drawer enough clearance to open. Measure to that edge near the middle of the side. Check the foot separately, especially if you have a footboard.

Read the measurements for the piece you are buying

One flat, rectangular bedspread. Measure the width across the top of the mattress. Add the drop you want on the left and the drop you want on the right. For example, on a bed you measure at 60 inches wide, an 18-inch drop on each side calls for a finished width of about 96 inches. If a listing gives 90 inches including trim, centering it would leave about 15 inches per side before allowing for the curve over the edge. These are example measurements you can replace with your own.

A bedspread with a sewn-on ruffled skirt. Check the size of the top panel and the drop from the seam to the hem. The seam should sit where you want the ruffle to begin. If the top panel is wider than the mattress, the seam may already hang down the side. Ask whether the listed width includes the ruffle before adding anything to it.

A separate bed skirt. Locate the edge of the platform, base or attachment point the skirt hangs from. Measure down from there. A thicker topper raises the top of the sleeping surface, but it does not move a skirt attached to the base.

One last check before ordering

Write down which piece you measured, where it starts to hang and the distance to your chosen hem. If a listing gives only a size name or the dimensions of a duvet cover, ask for the finished drop of the specific piece. Once you know where the edge will land, our guide to styling ruffled bedding shows three ways to leave that detail in view.