How to Make Crib Bumpers

It's fun to anticipate the birth of a much-wanted baby into your home, or into the home of a friend or relative. It's even more fun when you can create gifts for the newcomer--gifts that come from the heart. You can easily find gifts and supplies to pick up for the baby, but why not make something that will always be remembered by the parents-to-be? You can learn how to make a crib bumper using few supplies. Since the fabric is already filled and fused to the batting, you won't have to worry about stuffing the crib bumper.

Things You'll Need

• 2 1/2 yards of quilting material (design of your choice)
• Thread
• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. At your local hobby store, fabric store or discount store, buy 2 1/2 yards of quilting fabric in a baby pattern. If you already know the gender of the baby, you can buy a color traditional for either a boy or girl. If you don't know the baby's gender, or if you don't want to follow the "blue for boys" or "pink for girls" rule, you can choose a fabric pattern which would still fit in a baby's nursery.Purchase a spool of mercerized cotton thread. You can choose a color that matches the color theme of the fabric you've chosen or you can choose a contrasting or complementing color.

2. Measure the length and width of the crib the bumper will be tied into and double those amounts so you will have two pieces each for the length and width of the bumper. Cut two pieces 12 inches high for the length; add 5/8 of an inch all the way around for the seam allowance. Do the same for the width--cut two pieces 12 inches high and add 5/8 of an inch on all four sides for the seam allowance. Pin a width piece to a length piece; do the same with the other width and length pieces.

3. Thread your sewing machine and fill a bobbin with enough of your thread for the crib bumper. Leaving a 5/8 inch seam allowance, sew one width to the length and back stitch about one inch. Repeat with the other two pieces.

4. Join one of the remaining open width ends to one of the remaining length ends--you will be joining the two pieces of the crib bumper together into one unified piece. Leave the last side open so you will be able to sew edging and ties onto the bumper and custom-fit the bumper to the baby's crib.

5. Measure the entire length of the crib bumper, including the sewn-on width pieces. Cut four lengths 1 1/2 inches wide for the edging and carefully stitch a narrow hem on the each long side. Make sure you cut enough material for the edging so that you have an additional 20 inches for each piece.

6. Pin the edging on one side of the crib bumper and set the machine to the zig zag stitch. Stitch the edging, making sure to leave approximately 10 inches for a tie to one side and leave another 10 inches near the middle of the bumper. Repeat for the remaining edgings. As you are stitching the remaining edgings to the bumper, leave approximately 1/2 inch in between the stitching for one edging and the stitching for the next edging so you have enough room to tie the bumper to the crib. Do the same for the remaining edgings. When you have finished sewing all four edgings to the bumper, you will have ties in the middle of each "length" side of the bumper, as well as at each corner, sufficient for securely tying the bumper to the crib. In this way, you can assure the baby won't be able to slip his face under the edging.

Tips & Warnings

• Clip all loose threads from the crib bumper.

• Make sure all stitching is secured with back stitching. When the baby can stand, he will stand on the bumper to gain additional height to escape his crib.

• You may want to make note of the washing instructions for the new crib bumper and enclose them with the gift as the baby will spit up and wet the bumper.

• Do not leave any pins in your crib bumper! Make sure anything dangerous for the baby or his family is removed before wrapping it to give to the family.

• Enclose a note to the parents advising them to make sure the crib bumper is sufficiently secured to the rails of the crib so that the baby won't be able to slip his face under the bumper and suffocate.