DIY Sew a crib sheet

These are easy presents to sew for a new mom or a toddler, since they fit a crib mattress (which also is a toddler bed size).

Materials

2 yards fabric (42" wide)
80" thin elastic (1/4" works well)
sewing machine for a straight stitch
clothes pin to thread elastic
ruler
scissors
thread

Watch the video for instructions!  Pre-wash your fabric.

Cost

Make sure to use a 50% off coupon for Jo-Ann Fabrics - go to www.joann.com/coupon.  Your fabric will probably cost about 5.99-9.99 per yard, and so with the coupon, that's still a crib sheet for under $10.

DIY Cloth Menstrual Pads

I made this video years ago, and am still using the pads.  They really do last a long time!  You might need to reinforce the snap stitches every couple of years, but essentially they remain stain free and soft since you only use them once a month.

Click here for patterns.

Make sure to use a coupon if you go to Jo-Ann Fabric: http://www.joann.com/coupon/  Your project could cost you 50% less!

Cloth Diapers - Converting a Cover to a Pocket Diaper

Watch this video to see how I updated my covers to pocket diapers.  I did this because it became increasingly hard to get my son to lay still (or be on the changing table at all) for diaper changes, and pocket diapers can be quickly snapped on the child when they are standing up.

After I sewed the fleece into my diapers as the video shows, I later realized I needed to sew a line in the beveled leg openings like this:

*This Thirsties Duo Wrap Size 2 is stuffed with an OsoCozy Better Fit Prefoldsand sometimes I add a diaper doubler in there as well.

Click for Pattern

Before

EZ 2T pajama pants

For these pajama or lounge pants I made sure to make the butt big enough for his cloth diaper bulge.  This cassette flannel was my first pair and the front and butt are the same.  For the second pair I made, I used a sweet-pea printed flannel and trimmed the front so there wasn't extra fabric bunched up there.  In the pictures, my son is 25 months old and weighs 30 pounds.  These pants leave enough room in the legs to climb and play without the pants being too tight in the thighs.

Pattern

Click here for my pattern.

Materials

-18" of 1/4" wide elastic

-20" of flannel (42" wide)

Prewash and dry fabric.

Instructions

1.  Lay your fabric flat, then fold in the edges to the center.  Place the pattern on a fold.  Cut two pieces like this:

Open pieces to lie flat.

If you want to make the front less baggy, open the pieces and match them up (right sides together) and cut a line like this: (use a ruler to mark a line or use a rotary cutter)

Step 1: less baggy front

2.  Place the two pieces right sides together and sew on the inseams 1/4" from the edge (black markings).  Then zig-zag over the edges to prevent fraying (red).  Use a wide enough zig-zag to cover between the stitch and the edge.

Step 2

3.  Open and press flat the opposite way like in the picture below.
Sew on the inside of the legs (blue markings).  Then zig-zag over the edges (green).

Step 3

4. Top of pants (waistline): iron a 3/8 inch fold, wrong sides together.  Then fold and pin over an additional 3/4".  Sew along the edge about 1/8" from the lowered edge of the hem.  Leave a 2" gap open to insert elastic.

Step 4: the hems

5. Cut a piece of 1/4" wide elastic to 18".  Insert into your waistline (using a safety pin).  Sew ends of the elastic together, tuck under hem, and sew shut.

6. Bottom of legs: measure inseam of the child, or just do the same type of hem as you did for the top of the pants (see step 4).  Do not leave an open space when sewing along the hem because you won't insert any elastic here.