What is the "rule" for quilt borders?
 

I'm making a king size quilt, and have the center of it finished. I would like to add borders, but they would start at the sides and hang down. Is there a rule of ratios that I should keep in mind? I would like to use 3 different fabrics, light, medium, and dark for the borders.

Usually, I make scrappy quilts, and don't make borders. Can anyone help me with this?

I would do whatever size in each color that looks good to you. If there is a rule then it needs to be broken.

Ummmmm....... there's a rule? Why didn't somebody tell me?? Oh dear.....

Rules? Whatever size looks good to me and or I have enough fabric to do. Today I pieced a border because I didn't have enough of any one coordinating fabric.

ditto to the others ... no rules!!

Sometimes centre/main part of the quilt "tells" me what widths work for the borders.
Or at least give me hints!

Otherwise, I just audition different fabrics/colours and different widths, til I get what I like best.

Another vote for no rules!

No rules rom me also.

when my daughter was 12 she made her first throw sized quilt out of an animal panel (of giraffes and zebras), and a simple alternating block. She loved it, but when it was done, she wanted it to be a bed spread. we measured how far she wanted the sides to be on her bed (18 inches) and then we added "jelly roll strips" in fabric and colors that coordinated with the panel / throw. It turned out lovely and still looks good 15 years later. We had no rules....just a dream and then made a plan.

While there are no rules, you could try
-equal thirds
-top 2 "strips" equal, lowest one a little wider
-color 1, color 2, color 3, then color 1 again (top to bottom as it hangs off the sides)

More important than anything is that it looks good to you. Trust your gut.