How to Make Your Own Nursery Bedding

Creating your own nursery bedding can be a rewarding project. Not only will the new bedding keep your baby warm and comfortable but you'll have a family heirloom once baby outgrows the crib. Sewing your own nursery bedding can yield impressive results. Making the bedding yourself may also be less expensive than buying a commercially made set, depending on how extravagant or detailed you want it to be.

Things You'll Need

• Crib bedding pattern
• Fabric
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Needle
• Thread
• Elastic (1/4 inch width)

Instructions

1. Decide on a nursery theme or color scheme. This will allow you to narrow your fabric search to only those materials that fit the theme or contain the chosen colors. Look for fabrics that are 100 percent cotton to provide the best wear.

2. Find a crib bedding pattern. A pattern is a guide for a sewing project and ensures the correct size and shape for the fabric. Patterns are readily available in craft or fabric stores or from mass merchandisers.

3. Determine the amount of fabric needed. This amount can be found on the back of the pattern package, but the length and width of the crib and crib mattress may also need to be considered when purchasing fabric.

4. Cut the fabric. Lay the material on a clean, flat table, and attach the pattern pieces with straight pins. Carefully cut around the pattern with scissors to reveal each individual piece to be sewn. In order to minimize costly errors, do not cut all of the pieces at one time; rather, cut the pieces required to make one component of the nursery set, and then sew that item completely before moving on to the next component.

5. Pin the pieces together. Temporarily hold them together with straight pins around the outside of the fabric, approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the fabric's edge. Be sure to carefully match up patterns, shapes, pictures or stripes.

6. Sew carefully. Each piece of bedding may require different sewing techniques and machine settings. When sewing the sheets, sew the four corners first to create pockets, then attach the center of the elastic to the center of one of the corners. Continue sewing the elastic to the perimeter of the sheet, stretching continuously while sewing. A comforter may require that one end be left open in order to fill it with stuffing before closing, or lace may be attached to the bottom of the fabric for the crib's bed skirt.

   It may be helpful to lay the sewing instructions (included with the pattern) next to the sewing machine and check off each step as it is completed.

Tips & Warnings

• Unless fabric is specified as being pre-shrunk, all fabric should be washed prior to sewing.

• Do not attach buttons or other small decorative items to bedding that could pose a choking hazard to an infant.

References

• Make Baby Stuff
• Healthy Children