Duvet covers are always equipped with a closure mechanism, such as buttons or zippers. Some are available with various ornamental decorations that add elegance and texture to them, such as embroidery, ribbons, or buttons, while others are plain. Duvet covers with pleats, ruching, and flocking are examples of various decorations that may be seen on high-quality bedding. Similarly, pleating is a form of fold that is created by folding fabric over itself while ruching is a procedure created by gathering little ripples in the fabric together. Flocking is the deposit of microscopic particles on the surface of a cloth.

Bed sheets come in two main varieties: flat and fitted. A flat sheet is simply a rectangular sheet of cloth, while a fitted sheet has four corners, and sometimes two or four sides, fitted with elastic, to be used only as a bottom sheet. The fitted sheet may also be secured using a drawstring instead of elastic. The purpose of a fitted bottom sheet is to keep it from slipping off the mattress while the bed is in use. A particular way of folding and tucking while making the bed, known as hospital corners, is sometimes used when the bottom sheet is flat rather than fitted.