10 Quilt Backing Ideas – From Super Simple to Super Scrappy!
Here are 10 fun quilt backing ideas that I hope will help you finish your quilts and let them be seen and used!
Quilt backing is normally the last thing you think about when you make a quilt, but it’s equally as important as the fabrics you choose for the front of your quilt.
Most quilters like to use just one piece of fabric for the back of their quilts, and there are a big selection of wide backing fabrics available that you can use.
There are also plenty of other options for finishing off your quilt, including piecing smaller fabrics together, using fleece, old duvet covers or making a scrappy quilt backing with leftover fabrics.
I’ve personally tried and tested all of these methods on my own quilts, so I’ll share my experiences with you to help you figure out exactly what you’re going to do with the back of your quilt.
By the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll know how big your quilt backing needs to be and the method you’ll use to make it.
I’ll start with the simplest and move down to the scrappiest (and sometimes most fun!).
There is a table of contents below and a video version of this post if you prefer!
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Table of Contents
How Large Should My Quilt Backing Be?
A general rule of thumb is that both your batting (the insulation middle layer of your quilt sandwich) and your backing should be 2″-4″ larger all the way around compared to your finished quilt top.
This is to allow for movement during the quilting process.
If your quilt backing and quilt top are exactly the same sizes and things shift even a tiny bit during quilting, you could find yourself caught short on the edges of your quilt and see the batting peeking out somewhere!
So better to measure large! You will trim everything down before binding anyway.
If you send your quilt to a longarm quilter, you will want to check with them about the size they want your backing to be. Because of the way they attach the quilt back and top, they often require a larger quilt back.
Standard Quilt Sizes
You may have noticed when searching online that standard quilt sizes are listed differently on different websites.
You can make your quilts whatever size you like, but if you are following standard sizing on quilt patterns it is best to use standard quilt batting sizes to measure what size your backing should be.
Many folk say the backing should be wider than your batting, but I have always cut my backing and batting the same size – the key thing is that they are bigger than the quilt top itself!
Below is a handy chart of pre-cut quilt batting sizes. Your quilt will be smaller than these sizes as you will trim it down after quilting.
10 Methods To Back Your Quilt
Extra Wide Quilt Backings
Unless you are making a baby quilt, the standard width of fabric, 44″ wide, will not be wide enough to back your quilt in one piece.
So, one of the simplest ways to back a quilt is to buy extra wide fabrics for your quilt back, which often comes in widths of 90″ and 108″.
Most quilt shops will stock this backing fabric or be able to order it in.
You can also find wide quilt fabric online from Quilt Shops, and Etsy sellers.
The fabric in the image above is Ruby Star Society’s Cosmos print in a 108″ width, available from Hartland Quilt Shop.
Extra Wide Quilt Backing Fabric – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- No piecing! You can buy one whole piece of fabric and all you have to do is center it where you want it and trim it down if necessary.
- You can get a range of prints from modern designers like Tula Pink and Anna Maria Horner, as well as muted blender fabrics.
Cons:
- It can be expensive – especially if you plump for the trendiest prints.
Duvet Covers & Sheets as Quilt Backing
I use secondhand duvet covers as backing in some of my large quilts, and it makes the perfect backing fabric.
You can see some examples of how I’ve done this in my Rainbow Raindrops Baby Quilt, the Denim Quilt, and my Easy 9 Patch Quilt.
It’s a simple way to get one large-sized piece of fabric at a fraction of the cost of wide quilt backing fabric.
I know many quilters also buy flat bed sheets to use as quilt backing too.
I tend to gravitate towards duvet covers because they have two sides, so when you cut them apart you have two different pieces of fabric – two quilt backs!
They often have different prints on each side too!
What to keep in mind when using duvet covers and sheets as quilt backing:
- Be aware of the quality of the material. I tend to stick to 100% cotton, and I know many other quilters who swear by flannel for this.
- It is worth checking the thread count to make sure the material will be thick enough for what you want. In general, the higher the thread count, the better the quality of the material.
- If you are buying secondhand, check for bobbling.
Where to find secondhand duvet covers and sheets for great prices:
- Ebay
- TJ Maxx (TK Maxx here in the United Kingdom)
- Friends and Family
- Thrift Shops
- Facebook Marketplace
You can also check out my post on other places to buy cheap fabric for quilting.
Duvet Covers & Bed Sheets for Quilt Backing – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Cover and bed sheets are cheap in comparison to quilting fabric.
- They come in a lot of fun colors and prints.
- If you buy secondhand you are reducing waste and helping the environment.
Cons:
- You might need to do a bit more hunting around to find a print you like in the size you need.
- There can be some guesswork when it comes to exactly what material to buy.
- If you use a duvet cover rather than a sheet, you need to cut the two sides apart (it’s not that hard though!)
Simple Pieced Quilt Back from One Fabric
This next option is probably one of the most common and easiest quilt backings.
Simply put, you piece together two or three pieces of the same fabric to create one large piece of fabric for your quilt back.
Since standard quilting fabric is 44″ wide, if you piece two long strips of fabric together you should have a piece that is 87.5″ wide x whatever length you have cut your fabric.
A twin-size quilt is approximately 72″ x 90″, so two pieces of yardage sewn with a center seam lengthways should work fine for that.
If your quilt top is a double, queen, or king-size you will, of course, need to add an extra panel of fabric to make up the width you need.
You should also pay attention to the direction of the print.
If your print is non-directional it may be possible to turn your fabric horizontally and get the width from the length of the yardage and make up the length by piecing extra panels of the same fabric.
The quilt back pictured above is the back of my X Marks the Scrap Free Quilt Pattern for Scraps.
Quilt Back Pieced from one Fabric – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- This technique provides a clean-looking quilt back without the cost of wide backing fabric.
- Minimal piecing is required.
Cons:
- You will need to do some measuring.
- Depending on how much of a perfectionist you are, you might need to fiddle at the basting stage to get the backing seams sitting right where you want them, in relation to the quilt top.
Two-Tone Fabric Quilt Backing
This is pretty similar to the simple pieced backing fabric option above. It is for when you don’t have enough yardage in your stash to piece the backing from just one print.
Instead, you can use two fabrics to make the backing and do one half in one print or solid fabric color and one in another.
When I did this, I kept it pretty simple and used two different navy blues split down the middle.
When I made my queen-sized quilt as you go quilt, I actually pieced the whole thing in 4 sections – backing included but I didn’t have enough of one blue to do the whole thing, so I did two panels, one blue and one in another shade of blue.
You can have fun with this and do two totally different prints or two complimentary block colors! I played with this in one of my more recent QAYG quilts and used 3 colors on the backing.
Two-Tone Fabric Quilt Backing – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- You can shop from your own stash and use different fabric pieces to make your own creative backing.
- The two stripes can bring out different colors from the front of your quilt.
- The piecing process is pretty straightforward and painless.
Cons:
- You still need quite large pieces of fabric to use only two fabrics for your backing.
Fleece Quilt Backing
I really like using fleece for quilt backs. It’s my favorite way to back a quilt. It is easy to work with, and it makes quilts extra cuddly and soft.
I use anti-pil fleece when I buy fleece fabric, specifically for a quilt back. This is so you don’t get bits of fluff everywhere!
I have also used old fleece blankets for quilt backing too, like the one below I made for my sister.
The front of this quilt is in my Quilts in Review 2021 post.
I’ve done a whole post about my adventures of backing my quilts with fleece that you can read about.
In addition to the quilts in that post, I have also backed a few other quilts with fleece, including my Modern Scrap Quilt, an I Spy Baby Quilt, my Holly Wreath Christmas Quilt, and a Stroller Quilt.
How wide is Anti-pil Fleece?
The width I seem to find most often is 58″ wide – so it’s a bit wider than your standard quilting yardage. But check with wherever you are purchasing to see what width they sell.
As with traditional quilt backing material, you can also buy extra wide anti-pil fleece!
Can I piece fleece pieces together?
Yes, you can! I have done this and pressed my seams open and never had a problem with bulk!
Fleece for Quilt Backing – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- This backing feels so soft & cuddly and tends to be a hit with recipients of quilts as gifts.
- Fleece is really easy to sew.
- It can be cheaper than some quilting fabric.
- Fleece adds warmth and weight if you like that (see below) – I do!
Cons:
- Adds weight – you can use fleece backing with or without batting so if you find it is too heavy, you can leave the batting out.
- Adds warmth – this is usually a good thing, but if you are making a summer quilt – maybe not the time for fleece!
- Most fleece is polyester, often made from recycled plastic bottles. That sounds eco-friendly, but unless you have a specialist filter on your washing machine, you could be releasing small plastic particles back out into the ocean when you wash your fleece-backed quilts.
Use another Quilt Top!
Another good idea for quilt backing, is to use another quilt top.
If you are the type of quilter with many projects on the go, including piles of unquilted quilt tops, this might be a great option for you.
Pick one with similar colors (and that is a similar size!) to your quilt top and pair them for a double-sided quilt.
I have yet to use this method, but I do have one quilt top that I made and never had the heart to quilt, which I have earmarked for a quilt backing one day!
Quilt Top for Quilt Backing – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Two quilts quilted at once!
- No need to piece a quilt back or buy extra fabric.
- Double-sided quilt.
Cons:
- The quilting design that suits one side may not suit the other.
- You may need to trim one or the other of your quilt tops to make them fit together.
- Depending on how much time you spent on the quilt top it may feel like a letdown to use it as a quilt backing instead of the star of the show.
Pieced Stashbuster Quilt Backing
I really like this way of making a quilt back.
It’s a good way to use leftover fabric, fat quarters, and other larger pieces of fabric.
It’s the halfway house between piecing large pieces of yardage for a quilt backing and making a scrappy quilt back that takes more time and thought.
You can use so many different layout ideas for this option.
I tend to look at my quilt top and then head to my fabric stash to find some pieces that coordinate. Anywhere from a half a yard to a jelly roll strip.
You need to piece enough pieces of fabric together until it is big enough. It’s kind of like crumb quilting on a super large scale!
One of my favorite quilt backs I made in this way started with a fat quarter and then I added larger strips of fabric remnants and jelly roll strips around and around in a log cabin kind of a way. I then finished it off with large strips of white fabric.
One thing I was keeping in mind with this backing is that the bottom 2/3rds of the quilt top was made of dark fabric and the top third was light, so I didn’t want to put a mix of dark and light in the top third of the quilt as it would shine through – this is worth keeping in mind for any patchwork or scrappy style quilt back.
You can see the front of that quilt in my Easy Sailboat Quilt.
Here is another stashbuster-style quilt back I used for a disappearing 9-patch quilt.
I used one large piece of yardage (the blue) for one side and then pieced together the rest from a half yard, a fat quarter, and some other remnants. I really like how it turned out.
Stashubster Quilt Back – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- It can be fun to quickly choose larger pieces and piece something that looks like a modern quilt top – it can give you inspiration for future quilts!
- You can use up beautiful prints that you don’t want to cut up but aren’t quite big enough to be used as a backing on their own.
- You can shop your stash rather than going out to buy fabric specifically for a backing.
Cons:
- It can be frustrating if you don’t have quite enough pieces of the colors you want to use.
- There is a little more sewing and a little more thought necessary to come up with fabric choices and a layout that you like, and that will fit your quilt top (I enjoy this bit myself though!)
Scrappy Strip Quilt Back Extension
This is another hybrid of a scrappy back and a quilt backing made from one fabric.
So for this method, you might have one piece of fabric that you would like to use for the quilt backing but it isn’t quite big enough.
Basically, you are just going to add a strip down the middle as an extender.
You can do this with leftover blocks from other quilts or workshops. You can use a single stripe of fabric, or you can use a scrappy pieced stripe.
I used the braided improv scrap quilt block technique for the largest strip in this quilt back.
That is what I did for the quilt top above. In fact, I used several pieced scrappy strips from the scraps leftover from making the quilt top.
I had a beautiful piece of fabric that was just that bit too small so I just kept slicing the back and adding strips to extend it until I got it big enough!
You can see the front of the quilt above in my Quilts in Review 2021 post.
You can keep this technique as simple as you like – do one strip of blocks or jelly roll strips down the middle or make a cross if you need your backing to be both wider and longer.
Scrappy Strip Quilt Back Extension – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- A great way to use up orphan blocks or leftover scraps created when sewing your quilt top.
- You can add a scrappy touch to your quilt back without piecing a whole other secondary quilt top
- You can make that beautiful piece of fabric stretch just far enough to use it for your quilt back!
Cons:
- The quilt math can get complicated if you are adding skinny strips – remember your seam allowances will also subtract width (or length) so this works better with slightly larger inserts.
- Piecing long improv scrappy strips can be time-consuming – if you enjoy the process that is no bad thing but they do tend to take time.
Block-Based Scrappy Quilt Back
So now we are venturing into the territory of piecing a completely scrappy back for your quilt.
We aren’t using large pieces of yardage anymore!
This essentially equates to making a second quilt top specifically for the back using blocks as the method for piecing and arranging your layout.
So you can choose any size block you like – ideally using the scraps from the front of the quilt.
If you are super organized you can even be chain piecing your quilt back blocks at the same time as the blocks for your quilt top!
In order to not overcomplicate things, it’s usually best to use a simple block for this type of backing. Here are some ideas but of course, this is also your chance to get creative and do whatever you like!:
- Half Square Triangles
- 9 Patches
- Floral Scrap Quilt Block
- Scrappy Improv Blocks
Keep in mind that you will be quilting the front of the quilt to suit your quilt top so try to choose blocks for the backing that will fit in.
This photo above is the only block-based backing I’ve done so far.
It was inspired by Karen Brown’s After Quilts video which is definitely worth a watch.
At the time I made this, the blocks were improv blocks with the scraps from the front, but I have since made a tutorial about a Floral Spring Scrap Quilt Block that is an improved version of these!
Block-Based Scrap Fabric Quilt Back – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Use up the scraps from the quilt top.
- Blocks can be easier to conceptualize and, therefore easier to finish.
- If your blocks are a set size you can easily calculate how many you will need for your quilt back.
- You can chain piece blocks.
- Gives you a double-sided quilt!
Cons:
- Time-consuming (compared to some of the simpler quilt back methods).
- Depending on how light or dark your quilt top is you may have to consider the placement of light and dark fabrics on your quilt back so you don’t see one or the other through the opposite side (see my photo above- you can see the quilt top through on the lighter areas of the quilt back – whoops!).
Improv Scrappy Quilt Back
This type of quilt back can be the most time-consuming and often also the most fun!
I was actually working on a super scrappy improv quilt back (that took me two weeks to piece!) when I was inspired to write this post about quilt back ideas.
This method involves going at your quilt back with no plan at all.
You just go with the flow and piece sections using your scraps until you have made something large enough for a quilt back.
But how do I piece the scraps?
There are lots of ways to approach this.
Improv means different things to different people including how much they plan or don’t plan what they are going to do.
If it helps, think of it as not following a pattern.
Here are some ideas of techniques you can try in a scrappy quilt back:
- Crumb Piecing
- Braided Scrappy Piecing
- Scraps on Adding Machine Paper
- Small Scraps Modern Improv
- Sew strips together, cut, rotate and sew to something else.
- Sew your version of a traditional quilt block without measuring
- Try curves
I tend to set some parameters such as ‘I am going to use all the scraps from the front and one additional background fabric (or color )’.
That makes it easier to get started and figure out when you are done!
The back above was from my first-ever denim quilt. I used the scraps from the quilt top plus a thick piece of utility fabric I bought by mistake on ebay!
This is another scrappy back, which turned into a triangle as I went. The photo above is an unironed work in progress!
I used lots of strips, using a few leftover triangles from the quilt top and some scrappy strips made using the improv braided scrap quilt block technique.
This quilt back was actually meant to be a block-based back but I ended up cutting the blocks up and piecing them into strips and then making this improv triangle shape!
Here it is finished!:
Tips for Making an Improv Scrappy Quilt Back
- Choose set colors or limit yourself to the scraps from the quilt top plus a limited number of other additional fabrics.
- Press often – depending on what type of piecing you feel inspired to do, improv pieces can often have lots of intersecting seams, so press often to keep things as flat as possible.
- I tend to gravitate towards one technique or two per quilt back – so if that helps you, then limit yourself to a set number of techniques and colors (if you prefer to try everything at once – go for it!)
- Get in a rhythm – I set up my cutting mat on my left-hand side, my iron on my right-hand side, and then I chain piece and swivel around on my chair in front of the sewing machine in the middle. I can get into a real mindless, meditative state sometimes!
Improv Scrappy Quilt Backs – Pros & Cons
Pros:
- A chance to do some mindless sewing without worrying about how it will turn out.
- You can use up the scraps from the quilt top.
- You can try new techniques in a low-risk way.
- You might surprise yourself with what you create!
Cons:
- This type of back can sometimes take longer than the quilt top (at least for me!)
- It can be hard to calculate how big it will turn out and how many sections you need to sew. (I tend to lay the sections out on top of the quilt top as I join – I get a bit frustrated near the end when one corner doesn’t quite fit but there is usually a solution!)
- You might get to what you think is the end and find that you need more fabric to make it big enough – a border can be good in such cases!
10 Ways to Back Your Quilts – Video Verison
Top Tips for Choosing Quilt Backing
- Try to choose a quilt backing that will tie in with the front of your quilt. If your quilt front is quite busy, try choosing plainer backing fabric.
- If you choose to use bed sheets or duvet covers, choose high-quality cotton fabric and check it has no bobbling.b
- If you need to piece fabric together to make your backing, choose colors that compliment the main colors on the top quilt.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best backing for a quilt is great-quality quilting cotton. Choose a color that matches the front of your quilt to tie it all together.
The cheapest way to back a quilt is to use an old bed sheet or duvet color. If you have old ones that you no longer use then you can back your quilt for free! Failing that, you can always buy secondhand duvets for next to nothing.
The quilt backing should be 2-4 inches wider on all sides than the final size of your quilt. Measuring on the larger side is better so you don’t fall short of fabric when you piece the front, batting, and back together.
Fabric shifts when you quilt it and add thread which is why you need the extra on the back!
What Type of Quilt Backing is Your Favorite?
I’d love to know which type of quilt backing you use most often and why. Drop me a comment below or join me over on YouTube and drop me a comment there!
Other Posts you might like:
- Free Quilt Patterns For Your Scrap Fabric!
- 7 Quilt as You Go Methods (No Hand-sewing!)
- 8 Ways to Label your Quilts – and why you should!
- Quilt Label Sayings & Quotes for Every Occasion
- Sewing Room Makeover – Again!
- How to Make a Quilt Design Wall (It worked!)
- 5 Ways to use Fabric Scraps to make your own Fabric
