How to Make Your Own Fleece Baby Car Seat Cover

A fleece car seat cover keeps distractions away from babies while traveling.

Infant car seats are convenient ways to transport babies without waking or disturbing them. When it is cold, though, you can create a fleece covering that hangs over the seat and keeps babies warm while you are traveling. The fleece cover will also help keep out noise and germs when you are traveling with your baby.

Things You'll Need

• Fleece
• Threaded sewing machine
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Ribbon
• Sewing needle, if desired
• Thread, if desired

Instructions

1. Measure the height and width of your infant car seat when the handle is raised. If you would like a larger cover, add about six inches to your measurements, but if you would like a snugger fitting cover—which would be better for cooler climates—add two or three inches to your measurements.

2. Cut out two pieces of fleece that match your measurements.

3. Sew the pieces of fleece with your sewing machine, right sides together, using a ¼ inch seam. Leave a six-inch opening.

4. Turn the fleece right side out.

5. Stitch around the outside of the sewn fleece piece with your sewing machine. This will also close the opening left open earlier.

6. Cut out two identical pieces of ribbon, six to eight inches long, depending on how long you would like your ties to be.

7. Using your tape measure, find the exact center of the fleece piece. For instance, if the piece is 30 inches long by 20 inches wide, the middle would be 15 inches from the top, and ten inches from the side.

8. Pin the middle of one of the ribbons six inches to the left of the center of the fleece piece. Pin the middle of the other ribbon six inches to the right of the center.

9. Sew the ribbons to the fleece in the area you pinned with your sewing machine or by hand with a needle and thread.

10. Place the fleece covering over the infant car seat and tie the ribbons around the car seat’s raised handle.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a chopstick to help get corners out after you turn fabric to the right sides.

• You can make the fleece cover reversible by adding ribbons to both sides of the cover. That way, you can switch colors to match your diaper bag, your outfit or the baby’s outfit. If you do this, though, tie the ribbons in a bow on the side that faces the baby so that they do not get tangled up with the baby.

• Use the same color of fleece, or use complementary colors.

• Add embellishments, such as ribbons or sew-on patches to personalize the cover.

• Never add anything to your car seat that interferes with the straps or locking mechanisms.

References

• Make-It-Do: Baby Car Seat Cover Tutorial