Are you a new recruit or soon-to-be service member looking to prepare for military life? If so, it is a good idea to learn a few things ahead, including how to make a military bed with hospital corners. Hospital corners’ beds are essentially tucked away sheets made of overlapping folds.
As you may have guessed, this way of making the bed is used not only in the military but also in the hospital. Surprisingly, it is also the go-to method for most hotels and resorts. Beds made in this way are professional-looking, neat, and tidy. Who wouldn’t want a bed like that, right?
Even if you are not about to join the above-mentioned places to work, you can learn to make a bed with hospital corners for your own bed at home with our article right here. We will walk you through what you need to prepare and all the steps you must take. Keep reading; your perfect bed is only a few folds away!
Here’s a gist of the steps we will cover and you will need to take:
- Step 1: Put the fitted sheet on the mattress
- Step 2: Place the flat/top sheet on the fitted sheet and align it
- Step 3: Tuck the flat/top sheet in at the foot of the bed
- Step 4: Make a 45-degree line fold at the corner of one of the bed’s sides
- Step 5: Tuck away the excess sheet from the 45-degree line fold
- Step 6: Make another diagonal line fold with the 45-degree line fold and tuck the rest in
- Step 7: Repeat the previous step for the other side of the bed
Table of Contents
Make a Military Bed With Hospital Corners in 7 Steps
Making a bed with hospital corners is much easier than it sounds. You will only have to prepare at most 4 items, carry out 7 steps, read thoroughly, and follow along.
What You Will Need to Have
You will have to prepare the following:
- A fitted sheet (This type of sheet has rounded corners often with elastics on said corners)
- A flat sheet or top sheet (This type of sheet does not have rounded corners with elastics)
- A wooden spoon – Optional
- A pillow – Optional
Once you have everything ready, proceed to the step-by-step instructions below!
What You Will Need to Do
- Step 1: Put the fitted sheet on the mattress
We will first start with the fitted sheet. Fling it over your mattress and secure it one corner at a time. The rounded elastics should go where the corners are. Once you have tucked the corners in, proceed to do the same with the head, foot, and sides of the bed.
Top Tip: While you are doing this, don’t forget to check that there are no bunched up fabric, wrinkles, or creases.
This can take a bit of effort and time, especially if you are by yourself and have a large bed. But be patient! Everything will be worth it in the end.
- Step 2: Place the flat/top sheet on the fitted sheet and align it in
Next up, take your flat sheet, also called the top sheet, and lay it on top of the fitted sheet. Line it with the head of the bed, then circle around to do that same for the bed’s foot. Finally, align it with the sides of the bed. Again, ensure that none of the fabric is bunching up, wrinkling, or creasing.
- Step 3: Tuck the flat/top sheet in at the foot of the bed
Now, go to the foot of the bed. This is when you start tucking. Use one hand to lift the bed slightly and the other hand to tuck the fabric in between the mattress and the base of the bed.
Top Tip: If you have trouble lifting the bed with one hand, slip in a wooden spoon to act as leverage and relieve the burden on your hands.
- Step 4: Make a 45-degree line fold at the corner of one of the bed’s sides
After tucking in the sheets at the foot of the bed, go around to one of the bed’s sides. Grab the sheet at the corner of the bed and fold it up on top of the bed. At this point, you should see that the fold forms a 45-degree line. Leave the fold on the bed and move on to the next step.
- Step 5: Tuck away the excess sheet from 45-degree line fold
Locate the excess fabric hanging down from the fold that you just made. Pull it towards you a bit so that the entire fold becomes tight and bunch-free. Then, lift your bed up with one hand and tuck all of the excess fabric in with the other hand.
- Step 6: Make another diagonal line fold with the 45-degree line fold and tuck the rest in
Now, return to the fold lying on the top of the bed. Bring it down with one hand while the other one holds the base of the fold to stretch it out and get rid of creases. Make it into another fold like you are wrapping a present. Make sure you smoothen out any bunched up fabric here too. Trace down from the diagonal line you just made and begin tucking at the end of the line. Ultimately, you should have no excess sheet and just one neat diagonal line.
- Step 7: Repeat the previous step for the other side of the bed
Repeat step 6 for the other side of the bed. Then, do a final check of the entire bed. Is everything tight? Is it crease- and wrinkle-free? Yes and yes? If so, you are good to go!
Side Note: Feel free to put a pillow on the bed. But be sure to center it!
If you need visual guidance, watch this video on Youtube by Mattress Clarity.
This hospital folding bed method can also sometimes be referred to as military bed corners. But its name is not as important as remembering the 4 items to prepare and the 7 steps to take. This is the standard way of making beds for the military, hospitals, and hotels, so why not impress your family and friends by having a bed of your own that meets such standards?
Conclusion
Congratulations! You now know all the necessary materials and steps to make the perfect bed. Did you find the instructions easy to understand and follow? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Also, do not be hesitant to spread this article/guide on how to make a military bed with hospital corners to other readers, especially those you know who are struggling with making their bed.
I am Everett Bledsoe, taking on the responsibility of content producer for The Soldiers Project. My purpose in this project is to give honest reviews on the gear utilized and tested over time. Of course, you cannot go wrong when checking out our package of information and guide, too, as they come from reliable sources and years of experience.