How to Decorate a Sleeping Bag

Decorate a sleeping bag to take on your next camping trip.

Add decorative embellishments to an ordinary sleeping bag to turn it into a unique slumber creation to take with you when you go camping or to send with a child to a sleepover party. You can decorate the sleeping bag with a simple ribbon edging or a personalized monogram, or have a child decorate her own sleeping bag by painting freehand pictures onto the sleeping bag with puffy fabric paint.

Things You'll Need

• Tracing paper
• Tracing pencil
• Lightweight stabilizer
• Embroidery hoop
• Embroidery floss and needle
• 2-inch-wide ribbon
• Sewing needle and thread
• Imitation gemstones
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Iron-on decals
• Iron
• Feather boa

Instructions

1. Add an embroidered monogram to the top edge of the sleeping bag. Trace the initials onto a piece of tracing paper with a tracing pencil. Pin the edges of the tracing paper to the top corner of the sleeping bag, next to the zipper. Place a lightweight stabilizer underneath the fabric if it is too flimsy. Place the bottom of an embroidery hoop underneath the fabric and the top of the embroidery hoop over top. Stitch the initials with embroidery floss through the fabric and the tracing paper. Cut the tracing paper around the initials and gently pull the remaining tracing paper away.

2. Sew a ribbon edging along the sides and bottom of the sleeping bag. Measure the length of the two sides and the bottom of the sleeping bag. Cut three pieces of 2-inch-wide ribbon, one for each side and one for the bottom. Pin the ribbon to the good side of the sleeping bag edges and sew it in place using a straight stitch.

3. Glue imitation gemstones along the length of the ribbon border. Apply glue from a hot glue gun to the back of the imitation gemstones and press them firmly against the ribbon. Hold them in place for 20 to 30 seconds to adhere to the ribbon. Make a pattern from different colored or shaped gemstones around the outside edges of the sleeping bag.

4. Use an iron to adhere two or three iron-on decals to the sleeping bag. Choose small decals so that the bends and creases in the sleeping bag fabric do not affect the transfer of the decals. Place the decal on a smooth section of the front of the sleeping bag and iron the decals onto the fabric according to the decal's instructions.

5. Embellish the top edge of the sleeping bag with a feather boa. Measure the length of the top edge of the sleeping bag. Cut a feather boa to this length and pin it to the inside edge of the top of the sleeping bag. Sew the feather boa in place. Be sure to use a soft feather boa because this section of the sleeping bag will likely rest against the occupant's neck or face. You can pin the feather boa to the top outside of the sleeping bag to keep the feathers away from the occupant's face if you wish.

References

• NeedleCrafter: Transfering Designs to Fabric
• Monogram Page: About Monograms
• Manage My Life: Add Trim to Bedding and Pillows