How to Make a Baby Car Seat Cover Pattern
A car seat cover will keep a baby warm during the cold winter months without having to use a snow suit. Making the cover out of fleece fabric is easy as no seam finishing is required. The fabric is warm and available in many fun prints. Fleece is also easy to wash and will not shrink
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Tissue paper
- Fleece fabric
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Half-inch elastic
Instructions
-
Making the Pattern
-
1
Measure the dimensions of the car from head to toe and handle to handle. Add approximately 10 inches to each measurement as excess is needed to fold down the sides of the seat.
-
2
Lay out tissue paper or brown package paper on a flat surface in a size larger than the car seat.
-
-
3
Draft the car seat measurements on the paper, adding an additional 5 inches to each side.
-
4
Draw an opening for the head eight inches down from the top measurement. The opening can be a circle or oval with a flat top. The dimensions should be at least 8 inches wide and 10 inches tall. Make sure the dimensions are large enough based on the car seat dimensions so the fabric will not come in contact with the child's face.
-
5
Draw a pattern for the face hole cover on a separate sheet of paper. The cover is a square or rectangle flap that covers the face while carrying the car seat in cold weather. The size should be 1 inch to 2 inches wider than the hole dimensions.
Making the Cover
-
6
Lay the seat cover pattern and face hole covering pattern on a single layer of fleece, pin in place, and cut out.
-
7
Lay the face hole 1/2 inches to 1 inch above the face hole and sew in place. Fleece does not fray and does not need seam finishing.
-
8
Fold under 3/4-inch elastic casing around the entire car seat cover. Sew closed approximately 1/8 inch from the raw edge in a zig zag or straight stitch, leaving a one inch hole to feed the elastic through.
-
9
Measure around the edge of the car seat and cut a piece of elastic that is 5 inches shorter. Pin a safety pin to one end of the elastic and push it through the casing hole. Move the elastic through the casing by scrunching and pulling the fabric while holding onto the safety pin. Do not let the opposite end of elastic pull into the casing.
-
10
Sew the elastic ends together once the elastic is pulled through. Let the elastic go back into the casing and sew the hole closed.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Measure the car seat accurately so the cover fits without too much gap. Do no leave the face cover on the baby without supervision.
