One of the best gifts we received before E was born was a big stack of homemade burp cloths from a dear friend of ours. They were soft and incredibly absorbent, and having so many meant we never had to worry about what was in the wash.
Baby E, with her homemade burp cloths from a friend (the pink plaid)
In fact, they received so much use in that first year, we opted to toss them out and make new ones for Baby #2. (To clarify, it wasn’t that they didn’t hold up – but newborns = unknown stains on everything… and some things are just best to start over with!)
We’re using nursery flannel (a cotton flannel) on these burp cloths for extra absorption, plus an interfacing layer which will help them keep their shape through repeat washings and add extra absorbency. Don’t use Minky, fleece, lightweight cotton, or muslin on these – it will just make a mess when stuff gets on them!
SUPPLIES
How much fabric you need varies based on how many homemade burp cloths you’re planning to make. The approx. price per below assumes $10 per yard for fabric and fusible fleece, but in my experience, you can get that price down a lot by shopping fabric sales or purchasing pre-packaged fat quarter bundles, like the ones linked below.
- 3 Burp Cloths: 2 Fat Quarters + 1/4Y Fusible Fleece (~$5 per)
- 6 Burp Cloths: 2 Half Yards + 1/2Y Fusible Fleece (~$2.50 per)
- 12 Burp Cloths: 2 Yards + 1Y Fusible Fleece (~$2.50 per)
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You’ll also need a sewing machine, iron, and thread (I just used some white I had on hand).
Purchase the Watercolor Dots and Watercolor Rainbows nursery fleece we used at Joann’s.
INSTRUCTIONS
Before we dive into these instructions, let me state for the record that I am not a great, or even good, seamstress. This is a super simple project that anyone can execute on!
My tiny helper who loves to make presents for baby sister and “measure measure measure!”
1. Cut 2 pieces of fabric to 8″W x 18″H (1 per if using two fabrics, or 2 per if using a single fabric for both sides). Half yardage or yardage will make this easy. If you’re using fat quarters, cut each to only 7.25″W to enable you to fit three in a FQ.
2. Cut a piece of fusible interfacing to 8″W x 18″H.
3. Iron the fusible interfacing to the reverse of one piece of flannel, locking the two together.
4. Put the fabrics right-side together and pin.
5. Using pins, mark a 2-3″ opening on one side. This will be left unsewn, to turn the fabric out through.
6. Stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance around the edges, leaving the space between the pins unsewn.
7. Clip off any excess (beyond the 1/4″). Be sure to snip your corners to help the fabric lay flat when inverted. Note: I left a little extra where the unsewn space was. I’ve found this makes it easier to get a clean press when you go to sew it shut later.
7. Remove the pins and turn the fabric right-side out. Press flat with an iron.
8. On the right sides of the fabric, sew a seam 1/4″ from the edge of the fabric, all the way around. This will lock the opening shut and ensure your burp cloth holds its shape through repeat washes.
Easy enough, right? Make sure you pin this post so you can come back to it when you’re ready to sew!
Follow along with more of our baby gift ideas, registry must-haves, and DIY projects, including:
- The Best Restoration Hardware Nursery Dupes
- Headband Storage for a Baby Girl
- The 6 Baby Items We Couldn’t Live Without
- Evie’s Neutral Nursery Reveal
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