No matter how small my living space has been in the past, I have always put my energy and budget towards making the bedroom the coziest spot on the planet. Nice bed linens can break the bank, but my best tip is to look for inexpensive comforter sets---you know the ones with the top stitching and cheap fiberfill.

and turn them into a duvet cover instead. I think a duvet cover is more elegant, and I will always choose a down duvet blanket instead of a comforter to keep me warm at night. It’s also easier to wash a duvet cover rather than the whole comforter.

I found this paisley comforter from an off-price home store called Homegoods (http://www.homegoods.com/index.asp), and I started carefully removing the top stitching with a seam ripper.  If you choose a comforter with a pattern as opposed to a solid, the needle marks left by the top stitching will be less noticeable. Washing and pressing the newly freed comforter will also help erase needle marks.

I opened up one seam and removed the fiber filling and then hemmed the raw edges and finished the opening with grosgrain ribbon ties. I am very happy with the results….

…and so is Scooter!