I lay mine out on my living room floor. First tape down the backing (wrong side up) Then I spray that with basting spray. Lay your batting on top of that and smooth out any wrinkles. Spray that with basting spray. Then lay the top out on that (right side up) and smooth that out. Ready to go. If you would rather pin or baste it layer it the same way but tape down the batting and top also. Than pin it. Use lots of pins.