DIY Baby Craft Ideas: Things I’m going to make!

Guess WHAT?

Yep, all this baby craft stuff means one thing… we’re having a baby!

As I write this, I’m just over 4 months pregnant, so I’ve been Googling and bookmarking secretly for my ultimate list of baby crafts.

This is indeed, a very ambitious list, but I really hope I get to make all the cute things here. I’ll be very happy with myself if I can make this stuff between now and when the baby is 6 months old. We will see…

Seeing the photos lined up like this helps me to plan one fabrics I need – I highly recommend making visual list like this for both planning and motivation.

Don’t worry, I have lots of non baby projects planned too, so Sew in Love isn’t suddenly going to turn into a baby blog!

What’s on the list?

From top left to right, here’s what I have planned for our little quarter Japanese, quarter Indonesian, half Australian baby arriving in September 2015:

1. Gauze Swaddle Blankets

These are supposed to be super handy, from swaddling, to burping, to nursing. I’m planning to use the printed double gauze I bought in Japan. Double gauze is woven with two layers of threads, making it slightly more sturdy and soft than standard gauze.

2. Minky Blankets

I just want to make this because it looks really easy, and I love the look of minky fabric. Those polka dots are irresistible.

3. Swaddle Wrap

Do these look familiar? Yep, I made this swaddle wrap recently for a friend. She said it was one of the most useful baby gifts she received, so I think I should make myself one too. I still have the sewing pattern stashed in the cupboard somewhere…

4. Crochet Blanket

I am new to crochet, but ever since my sister-in-law told me that crochet is faster than knitting (but it takes up more yarn), I’ve wanted to learn. There’s a ton of tutorials on YouTube which are really easy to understand, even if you’re a total newbie like me.

5. Prefold Nappies

We are going to try cloth diapering, so prefolds are essential. I think it might also be a great way to use up random old t-shirts and scraps of fabric? Lots of people say prefolds make great burping cloths too!

6. Nappy Cover

These look really difficult to make, so I’m not sure yet whether I will attempt them. There’s either velcro or lots of snap buttons involved – might be something I ask my Mum to make!

7. Wet Bags

I’ve never worked with PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) before, but this project doesn’t look too difficult. I think it’s all about using the right machine needle and using clips instead of pins to hold the fabric in place. Pins will result in lots of big holes in the PUL fabric.

8. Bibs

Another great project to use up those random bits of fabric in the stash.

9. Changing Mat

I want to try making larger mats which can be used as play mats as well as a changing pad. I saw versions using PUL on one side and minky on the other, with a piece of batting in the middle. Might need to make a few of these!

10. Drool Pads

These go on the shoulder straps of baby carriers, preventing baby drool from going all over the strap! We’ve decided to try our first few months with baby with no pram, so we’ll be investing in a pretty good (i.e. ergonomic) carrier instead. Yes, that might sound pretty crazy, but we live in the middle of San Francisco and walk everywhere. Our apartment has no room for an infant pram, and we don’t own a car. So the plan is to wait until the baby is big enough to go in a nice and compact umbrella stroller.

11. Ring Sling

I thought it would be nice to have a less cumbersome option for carrying baby around the house, such as a ring sling. I like the ones with the big pockets, so you can stash your keys, wallet and phone in there for quick errands.

12. Baby Sheets

I’m going very Japanese with our baby, and have ordered a baby futon from Japan. Dave and I already sleep on a futon on the floor, so the baby will be next to us in its own mini futon. We were planning on getting a conventional crib when my Mum pointed out that she never used one. A futon makes more sense to our lifestyle, so I’ll need to sew some sheets!

13. Knit Cardigan

I have a lot of baby yarn leftover from a knitting project I abandoned two years ago. The pink and blue yarn which were supposed to be for a pouf is going to be turned into numerous baby things over the next year, including this easy knit cardigan.

14. Crochet Hat

Again, more little projects to use up leftover yarn. A baby hat takes up such a small amount of yarn, I’ve started pinning patterns like this newborn hat.

15. EC Split Pants

I’ve just finished reading Diaper Free Baby, which is essentially is what we all did before corporations discovered how profitable disposable nappies are. I highly recommend checking out this book if you’re curious at all about EC (Elimination Communication). Gosh, all this talk about EC, no prams and baby futons make me sound like such a hippy! I blame San Francisco.

16. Gauze Mittens

So cute! And a nice little project to ensure I don’t waste any of the double gauze fabric I bought in Japan 🙂

 

Photo credits: All photos are from Amazon.com, unless linked in the list above.