DIY Crib Bedding

When my husband and I found out we were having a little boy, after having two girls, we were VERY excited. I immediately started thinking of nursery ideas and scanning Pinterest for color ideas and all sorts of do-it-yourself projects. Having a brief history and obsession with sewing, I quickly decided I would make the crib bedding myself... it couldn't be that hard could it?

Well, it really isn't, it just takes a little planning. Think about it... everything is rectangular: the skirt, bumpers, and blanket. The hardest part is choosing coordinating fabrics - if you're like me you'll
change your mind.... a lot, lol

The ONLY thing I did not make is the fitted sheet. I know I'm capable of it... I just didn't want to do it, lol. I found an $8.99 grey jersey knit crib sheet from American Baby on Amazon.com and decided it was perfect for my crib set (plus i love the jersey knit crib sheets!) Cheaper and easier for me to buy this than to make it myself.

The Blanket
I actually made two, and I didn't use a tutorial for this that was found on the internet anywhere. I simply knew what I wanted to accomplish: a rectangular blanket with cotton fabric on both sides so it's lightweight for Spring/Summer (I also made one with minky on the back for colder weather). Its the most basic of basic projects. I added detailed instructions below for Minky blanket the way I did it (I'm no expert but it will help a beginner sewer achieve this).

Fabrics I used: Michael Miller Shi-Shi Lagoon Chevron and Minky Frosted Zebra Cuddle in Grey from Fabric.com

Here's what you'll need: Two square or rectangular pieces of fabric in sizes and styles of your choice, coordinating thread, sewing machine, pins.

Here's how to do it: 

1. Pre-wash fabrics to ensure they won't shrink after sewing.
2. Iron any cotton fabrics flat and cut fabrics to size of your liking. (don't iron Minky!)
3. Place your two pieces of fabric facing each other (the "front" sides together). 
4. Pin generously, especially if using minky, and stitch around nearly the entire length of the blanket, leaving a gap large enough to allow you to turn the blanket right-side-out when done.
5. Remove pins and turn blanket right side out.
6. Iron flat on cotton side (to get those crisp edges) and pin around the entire length of the blanket again to keep fabric in place when doing your finishing stitch - Minky is slippery! (again, don't iron the Minky!)
7. Sew a finishing stitch anywhere from ½ inch to 1 inch away from edge of blanket.
8. You're finished!

*Extra Add-On: Embroider your child's name on one of the fabrics (as I have done here - don't judge me too harshly it was my FIRST time lol) after Step #2 and prior to Step #3. Most people don't own an embroidery machine, but if you do this is a very easy option to add a nice touch to your blanket :)

The Crib Bumper 

I used the directions for a DIY crib bumper found on the back of Poly-Fil Nu-Foam Baby Bumper Pads. They give exact dimensions and instructions, so when you're picking these pads up at the craft store (I got mine at Hobby Lobby) you can see a list of everything you need in exact measurements and pick those materials up as well :) 

Fabric I used: JoAnn Fabrics Nursery Cotton in "White Dot on Green" and JoAnn Fabrics Nursery Cotton in "Butterfly Chevron". With ribbon accents in JoAnn Fabrics Fabric Quarters in "Grey Solid"

The Crib Skirt

My particular crib skirt was made by following a simple chart I found on Pinterest (you can see it here) from Project Nursery. Its simple and very effective for a basic straight edge, flat crib skirt that attaches to your mattress frame using sticky velcro pads. EASY!!!

For girls cribs I think the ruffled skirts are much cuter, but since we're having a boy I decided for the flat skirt look instead.

Fabric I used: JoAnn Fabrics Nursery Cotton in "White Dot on Green"

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That's it! Those are the resources I used for my DIY Crib Bedding. It took me approximately 3 days to finish this (working on and off for a couple hours at a time). If you're someone who has the time to sit down for several hours and work, you could totally finish this in one day! 

I have to say it was VERY satisfying to make our son's crib bedding myself. My husband built our girl's bunk beds himself around the same time, and we had all these little DIY projects to spruce up their rooms. It just means so much more when its handmade with love :)