Tutorial: How to make a Hooded Towel

I can't believe it's been half a year since I last posted! I know I keep making these empty promises that I will post more...blah blah... I'm just not gonna make promises I can't keep. Sorry! I will post when I can, and I am grateful you are still here to read it. :)

Anyway, here is a tutorial on how to make a hooded towel. My little kiddos have grown out of their baby hooded towels, so I decided to make my own. Here's how you can make one for your kid, as a gift, or even for yourself. ;)

Materials needed:

-bath towel

-hand towel

-fabric

Steps:

1) Get fabric that measures (length of hand towel+3") by 5" (or so...again approximating). Fold the top and bottom of the fabric and iron.

2) Lay the fabric on top of your hand towel an inch or so from the bottom (so that it covers where you folded the hand towel up). Fold the extra fabric under (I like to sandwich it between the fold of the hand towel).

3) Sew all the way around.

4) Fold the hand towel in half lengthwise (fabric facing each other). Sew along the right edge (reference photo below). 

5) Fold the bath towel in half and mark the center with a pin.

6) (Note: I think it is actually better to not cut the bulky stub, but I did so for the one I made here.) Open up the hand towel, so the bottom edge lays flat. Align the centers of the hand towel and bath towel.

7) Sew the hand towel and the bath towel together. I sew at least 3 rows to reinforce.

8) You can applique the initials of your kids so you know which towel belongs to whom.

Tutorial: How to make Burp Cloths

Burp cloths are a necessity with a 2 month-old. Spit-ups are inevitable...and oh does my baby spit up. I like to have lots of burp cloths on hand (since I don't like doing the laundry every day). Here are some simple burp cloths that you can make during your baby's nap. They also make great baby shower gifts.

Materials needed:
-Tri-fold cloth diapers (I got these on Amazon. I purchased the Regular 4x6x4 size.)
-fabric (cut a little bit bigger than the middle portion of the cloth diaper)
-thread

Steps:
1) Place your fabric on top of the middle portion of the cloth diaper. Fold the edges under so that it makes a neat rectangle covering the middle portion. Iron the edges.

2) Pin the fabric onto the cloth diaper.

3) Clip the corners a little bit so there is no fabric sticking out.

4) Sew using an 1/8" seam allowance (or at close to the edge as you can get it). Don't forget to backstitch at the beginning and end.

That's it! Burp away~! :)

Tutorial: How to make Beco Baby Carrier Strap Covers

Recently when my sister-in-law was in town, she asked me to help her make strap covers for her Beco baby carrier. I see several tutorials out there for making sucking pads/strap covers for the Ergo baby carrier, but haven't seen many for the Beco. The Beco strap covers are not for the thicker part of the straps, but actually the nylon part that clips onto the bigger thicker part (if you have one, you will know what I am talking about). This nylon strap is placed right where most babies' mouths are, and when sucked on, they leave red marks on the side of your baby's mouth. Not good. So if you have a Beco, you will want to make these. :)

Material needed:

-Fabric

-Batting (I use Warm & Natural cotton batting)

-Thread

-Velcro

Steps:

1) Cut four 6" x 6"  pieces out of your fabric. Cut two 6" x 6"  pieces out of your batting.

2) Place two fabric pieces together (right sides facing together) and then a piece of batting below that.

3) Sew layers together using a 1/4" seam allowance. Make sure to leave at least a 2" opening for turning inside out.

4) Clip corners and trim off excess batting. Turn inside out. Poke out corners. 

5) Topstitch using a 1/8" seam allowance all the way around.

6) Sew velcro pieces in place. 

 

Look at it in action~! :)

 

Tutorial: How to make a Quick & Easy Baby Quilt

Recently I was browsing through fabricworm.com (very dangerous for me because they have such adorable fabric)... and came across this fabric. 

Sheri McCulley Studio, Woodland Tails

I thought it would make a great top for a quick baby quilt. Here is how I made it:

1) Sew right sides of fabric together, leaving an opening at the bottom to flip inside out.

2) I cut two layers of Warm & Natural Cotton Batting that would fit perfectly inside the quilt.

3) Pinned the layers together.

4) I then just sewed along the inner border and sewed around the circles.

5) Slip-stitched the opening shut. 

6) That's it! :)

This would make a cute wall hanging quilt too.

Happy Sewing! :)

Handmade Baby Shower Gifts

I'm in that stage of life where there are lots of babies around me...and there's one inside me too! So that means lots of baby showers and gifts to be made. I like to make baby gifts (although with my ever-growing belly, it's becoming harder and harder). It's fun, relatively easy, and always super cute!

Here are a few things that I made for a good friend of mine who just had her first baby.

Again my Silhouette Cameo and Heat Transfer material came in handy! *Note: If you have a Cameo and would like these images, please contact me and I will email them to you.

Taggie Blankie-- Don't you just love this fabric? Riley Blake's Woodland Tails

Burp cloth-- I used tri-fold cloth diapers that I got here. I love them because they are super soft and thick.

Hope that gives you some ideas for adorable baby shower gifts.