Officially the first thing I ever made was a pillow, but in my overall goal of WHY I wanted to sew, pillows played a very small role. The second thing I learned to sew, but STILL sew to this day are burp cloths. I had a 3 month old baby and knew that I had a huge need for them. I knew also that I was not the only mom who had a need for burp cloths. It is a little funny to think about but burp cloths were what helped develop my plan for Baby Cloth. I wanted to make baby gifts that every mom needed but would enjoy using more than what you could just buy at the store. The first burp cloths I made used the reusable diaper cloths from Gerber (click here). They worked okay but certainly were not the aesthetic I desired. I then tried terry cloth because that is what tutorials said to do, which worked well however that is not a very soft material to wipe your little one’s face with. Then I found Dana from https://www.madeeveryday.com and she recommended using a soft chenille fabric so I went to my local Joann’s and found some; I was sold! The first items in my Etsy shop were burp cloths and six years later they are a top seller. I made myself tons and when I was pregnant with the twins made even more. We use them from newborn to toddler stage because they are also great for wiping noses! What is better is that they hold up that long, multiple washes, no issues.
If you’d like to purchase a burp cloth set from my website, I would love that. But if you are a beginner sewer looking to make your own beautiful baby gifts I have a step by step tutorial below.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 1/2 yard of a cotton or flannel print
- 1/2 yard of a soft, absorbent chenille (joann's website)
- Fabric scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
- Ironing board and iron
Step 1: cut out a rectangle that is 10” wide by 17” long from your print and your absorbent fabric. This gives you a nice large burp cloth when you are finished!
Step 2: pin the two fabrics right sides together leaving an opening large enough for your hand to fit in
Step 3: sew around the edges of your fabric with a 1/4” seam allowance
Step 4: trim the corners of your project and flip right side out
Step 5: Press your burp cloth (you could skip this step but I find they look much nicer and are easier to tip stitch
Step 6: top stitch around your edges about 1/2” away from fabric. Ensure that when you get to the opening you have both layers of fabric being sewn.
Enjoy giving these beautiful burp cloths and your next baby shower!
