FLANNEL BURP CLOTH

Now that I make my own baby bibs and burp cloths, I like to have matching sets. (Yes I'm one of those people) Not only does it look cute but having matching sets make for great baby shower gifts! So when I make a bib, I make the matching burp cloth to go with it. The process for making a burp cloth is basically the same as the bibs which is why I'll be repeating some of the same steps.

What You Need:
*Flannel - 1/2 yard of print flannel & 1/2 yard of coordinating solid flannel (1/2 yard will be enough material for two bibs & a burp cloth)
*Straight pins
*Matching thread
*Sewing machine


Instructions:

***First, before you do anything, you must pre-wash your flannel fabric. Flannel shrinks ALOT and also frays when you first wash it. This is why you buy more than what you need. One way to avoid too much fraying is to wash the flannel on a gentle cycle and then dry on delicate. You will still see fraying but trust me this is minor compared to what I saw when I accidently washed it on regular settings!

Once your flannel has been washed and dried, iron your fabric so that there are no wrinkles and trim off the frayed pieces.  You should now have two nice ironed pieces of material ready to go.

For the pattern, I drew up mine and transfered it to a large piece of stiff felt. For easy cutting and to make sure that your burp cloth is symmetrical, I made the pattern for half and folded the fabric so that once the material was cut, you unfold it and have a perfectly symmetrical piece of material.



This is the pattern for half of the burp cloth. Place
the side marked "fold" on the folded edge of the
fabric.



Once you have both pieces of fabric cut out, pin them together with right sides facing each other.

Then sew around the perimeter of the burp cloth leaving an opening in the center of one side so that you are able to turn the material right side out.





Once you flip the material so that the right sides are facing out, fold and pin the bottom opening closed so that it "flows" with the seam around the rest of the burp cloth. Sew around the whole burp cloth, making sure that you sew close enough to the edge to catch the material where the opening was. This is where you want to have a matching thread color because this is the seam that you will see. I recommend using the same color as your solid fabric. The thread will be more noticeable on the solid than on the print fabric. The print distracts from thread.

The final step is to make a few 1/2 inch long stitches in the center of the burp cloth. These stitches keep the two layers of the burp cloth together to prevent a bag like appearance. For these stitches make sure you use a matching thread! Now you have a cute matching bib/burp cloth set.

*I will be posting the .pdf file of my patterns soon

FLANNEL BABY BIB

Baby bibs are one of the most important of all baby items, but just because it will inevitably be covered in food and spit up does not mean that they don't have to be as cute as the clothes they are protecting.  Bibs you purchase in the store are usually slightly expensive and plain, so why not make some yourself that are half as expensive and ten times as cute?

What You Need:
*Flannel - 1/2 yard of a print flannel and 1/2 yard of a coordinating solid color (1/2 will be enough for a two bibs & one burp cloth)
*Straight pins
*Matching thread
*Sewing machine
*Snaps

Instructions:
***First, before you do anything, you must pre-wash your flannel fabric. Flannel shrinks ALOT and also frays when you first wash it. This is why you buy more than what you need. One way to avoid too much fraying is to wash the flannel on a gentle cycle and then dry on delicate. You will still see fraying but trust me this is minor compared to what I saw when I accidently washed it on regular settings!

Once your flannel has been washed and dried, iron your fabric so that there are no wrinkles and trim off the frayed pieces.  You should now have two nice ironed pieces of material ready to go.

For the pattern, I drew up mine and transfered it to a large piece of stiff felt. For easy cutting and to make sure that your bib is symmetrical, I made the pattern for half and folded the fabric so that once the material was cut, you unfold it and have a perfectly symmetrical piece of material.

Once you have both pieces (print and solid flannel fabric) cut out, pin them right sides facing together.

Next, sew around the whole bib, leaving a small area in the bottom of the bib open so that you are able to flip the material right side out.

Once you flip the material so that the right sides are facing out, fold and pin the bottom opening closed so that it "flows" with the seam around the rest of the bib.

Sew around the whole bib, making sure that you sew close enough to the edge to catch the material where the opening was. This is where you want to have a matching thread color because this is the seam that you will see. I recommend using the same color as your solid fabric. The thread will be more noticeable on the solid than on the print fabric. The print distracts from thread. The picture below shows the approximate placement of how far from the edge the seam should be.

The final thing you need to do is attach the snap closure at the neck.  Using a snap attaching tool, attach them to the ends of the neck straps. This is the step where you could also attach velcro instead of the snaps. (I like the snaps because my son would always rip the bibs with velcro off and throw them food covered and all onto my floor.)



Now you have a super cute, absorbent bib that will get you a ton of compliments! This is what it should look like when finished!



BIRTHDAY BALLOON WREATH

In my house birthdays are treated the same as holidays...and while I may want to skip my "holiday" this year (when you're in late twenties, birthdays just aren't as fun), my son's birthday is a big celebration! I found this really cute idea for a decoration that I could display for the whole month. 

MATERIALS:
*Straw wreath (leave plastic wrapping on...it saves you from making a mess and helps the pins stay in place)
*Floral pins (several packs...you one for each balloon)
*Latex balloons (1"-2" balloons  You need A LOT. I used around 300)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Take one floral pin and one balloon, place pin across the center of balloon (don't put through balloon). Then stick pin into wreath, push in tight, The pin should make the balloon fold in half. Continue with the rest of the balloons, making sure you place them close together so there are not "bald" spots. 

The finished wreath should look full. I only applied balloons to the front and outer/inner sides of the wreath. The back of the wreath should be bare so it lies flat against the door.

The great thing about this wreath is that it can be made with multi-colored balloons for a birthday wreath. Or you can select just a few colors like powder blue and white for a baby shower. I am in love with this wreath!