When Grandma showed the Damsel how to make hospital corners, long, long ago, she had just one question.
Why?
Grandma had a perfectly good explanation, but first let’s ask another question.
What the heck are hospital corners?
They are simply a way of folding and tucking in bed linens. Apparently they were named “hospital corners” because nurses made up beds in hospitals this way, but you don’t have to be sick to enjoy a nicely made bed.
Grandma explained that just cramming the sheets under the mattress wouldn’t work as well. The sheets would come untucked more easily, and there really is something cozy about a bed that’s made right. Besides, once you learn how, you’ll see it’s so simple and easy, it hardly takes two seconds longer than cramming.
First, smooth out the item you’re putting on the bed, whether it’s a top sheet, a blanket, or what-have-you. Make sure it’s positioned right on the bed before you begin. Shortsheeting, another ancient skill, isn’t in today’s class.
The Damsel usually thinks of hospital corners as something she does to sheets, but today she’s using an ancient bedspread, made back at the dawn of time, because it showed up better in the photos.
Tuck the end of the bed in nice and smooth, letting the sides hang.
On the hanging side, grasp the edge of the bedspread/sheet/thing about 12-18 inches from the end of the bed. Pull straight up, forming a sort of triangle. Just lay it there.
Leaving the triangle thing still lying across the top, tuck in the part that hangs down on the sides.
Pick up the triangle thingy, pull it straight down, making a diagonal line.
Now just tuck in that last bit. Now, doesn’t that look nice?
It’s kind of like wrapping a gift to yourself. It’s so much nicer to crawl into a bed with fresh, smooth sheets than a crumpled heap of blankets. As a matter of fact, the Damsel feels a nap coming on.
