Homemade mattress?

[Godiva]

Has anyone made their own mattress? I have read about making a straw tick but that doesn't sound particularly comfortable as it gets lumpy apparently... My DD needs a mattress and I am reluctant to get another one full of all the chemicals and flame retardents that are the norm. She has enough health issues without more VOCs etc. , and I certainly can't afford an organic mattress no matter how great they look!

Has anyone else had experience with this ... the old folks used to make their own beds all the time... but how? I don't know anyone who doesn't sleep on a conventional mattress .... Am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this. Great forum!

 

[Wannabefree]

You could make a tick and put cotton and/or natural fibers into it rather than straw. Get some ducks or geese to pluck and make a down filled tick, that'd be cozy

 

[BarredBuff]

Now I maybe wrong, but I think they used feather beds and the straw type.

 

[Wannabefree]

They used a lot of feather beds. I have the Foxfire series of books and they speak of feather beds and straw ticks a lot. The straw ticks were cleaned once a year and new straw was added. I would think a cotton tick with straw would be pretty comfy actually. I dunno though..haven't slept on one

 

[2dream]

Feathers and straw both present problems. Even if you use a very heavy ticking they will work their way through the ticking and become a sticking you while you sleep problem. Straw breaks down quicker than the feathers though so it would have to be replaced often. The straw will also create a dust problem because it quickly breaks down and turns to dust. (think about hay and straw you use for your animals bedding and how it looks after they sleep and trample on it for a couple of days). So if your daughter already has allergies this might not be the best option.
Goose down is good even though over time it breaks down as well. It provides greater loft for a longer time than either the feathers or the straw. But unless you have geese to harvest from its expensive. It also takes a lot of goose down to fill a mattress. If the mattress is used only for normal sleep activity it should last for maybe a year depending on size and weight of person sleeping on the mattress and how often it is fluffed up. As it breaks down you can add more instead of replacing. But over time you will also get dust issues.
Thistle down is also hypoallergenic and like goose down provides good loft. Unlike goose down you can gather it from the side of the road when the the thistles bloom. Of course you will need boots and gloves because its a prickly job. But its free, hypoallergenic and readily available. Also something that will have to be replaced and added to as the mattress is used.
Cotton mattress are lumpy and uncomfortable but are also an option.

Anyone remember your parents getting really upset over you sitting on the bed. That was a major no-no in my house. The reason was simple. When people made their own mattresses it was a major undertaking. It required lots of resources and time to make a mattress that was reasonably comfortable for a short period of time. The bed was used for sleep only. No one was allowed to sit on the bed because it broke down what ever was used to make the mattress. Which meant that it would have to be refilled quicker which meant more hard work.

Am I glad I know how to make a mattress out of different materials. Sure. Do I want to make my own? No. Somethings are just better purchased if you have the resources. If you have allergy issues in your house just also purchase one of those hypoallergenic mattress covers. New may not always be better but sometimes it is. And with mattresses, new is the way to go in my book.

 

[moolie]

Traditional futons are stuffed with cotton, you might want to look into one of those for her bed--as long as you have the right amount of support for it (place it on the floor, on bed base slats or boxspring) you should be all set.

 

[Godiva]

Some good ideas there folks. Has anyone stuffed a mattress with wool? Maybe we could get a futon mattress and then just put a stuffed pillow topper on top of that? She does have some allergies but also chemical sensitivities hence the interest in a cheaper version of an organic mattress. There is no way we can afford hundreds of dollars to buy a new organic mattress!! And the thought of a used one gives me the heebie jeebies! My DH and I laugh and say we have the original princess from the story of the Princess and the pea! I think DD would make a little nest of blankets if she could and be happy as a clam

 

[Wannabefree]

Well that's what my niece wound up doing for my great niece...pallet of cotton blankets on the floor. I think my lil neiece still sleeps on those, though she is outgrowing a few of her allergies. She's 6 now, and hopefully will outgrow more. She was allergic to EVERYTHING when she was tiny!!

 

[Lynne]

It's a kit you can now buy from Open Your Eyes Bedding to make your own organic buckwheat hull mattress.

I made one for everyone in my family. It's easy as no sewing is involved.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I bought one of those buckwheat pillows when they were all the rage. I can't sleep with it because every time I move my head, even a little, tiny bit, the noise of the hulls would wake me up.