How to Make Quilts From Children's Clothes

The fabric in outgrown clothes is too good to throw away.

Children grow up so quickly that they often outgrow their clothes before they've had much wear, particularly clothes that are bought for special occasions. Instead of throwing away this good fabric, recycle it by cutting it up and turning it into quilts. Not only will you have a useful household item, the individual squares will also hold a special memory of a particular time in your child's life.

Things You'll Need

• Children's clothes
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Pins
• Batting
• Backing sheet

Instructions

1. Cut 4- or 6-inch squares out of the saved clothes. If you're cutting up party dresses, you may need to rip out the seam that joins the skirt to the bodice, so you can lay the fabric flat to cut squares.

2. Arrange the squares so the different colors and patterns are scattered randomly but evenly throughout the quilt surface. Play with the placement of the squares until you get an arrangement that you like.

3. Turn all the squares over, right sides facing down, and pin the rows together. Sew the squares in each row together by hand or with a sewing machine.

4. Sew the rows of squares together along their length, keeping the right sides together, adding until the quilt top is complete.

5. Lay the quilt top on a flat surface, right side facing up. On top of this, place batting of an equal size, and then lay the backing sheet over these two layers. Pin edges and randomly in the center of the quilt to hold all the layers in place.

6. Machine stitch around three sides of the quilt, leaving the fourth side open. Turn the quilt right side out so the batting is sandwiched between the backing sheet and quilt top.

7. Turn under a small hem along the open side of the quilt, and then sew the opening by hand stitching.

Tips & Warnings

• Tie the quilt together or machine stitch through all three layers in parallel lines where the squares meet. To tie the quilt, choose a yarn or embroidery thread in a matching color and sew a single stitch in the center of a square through all layers. Take the thread out of the needle, and tie the ends in a knot. Repeat the knots in every other square.

• You can also make casual quilts or throws from play clothes such as T-shirts or denim jeans.