I had a Moses basket from when my 3 yr old was a newborn which had been really handy as a light & portable alternative to clunky, space hogging bassinets & cradles. I've planned to reuse it in a few weeks, but felt it needed some sprucing up. It was a basic, no-frills one for about $35, but the bedding that came with it was pretty cheap, thin and well, kind of blah:
I have been AMAZED at how pricey a lot of Moses baskets are when they are all about the same basket-wise. The difference between my $35 & the $140 ones? The bedding. And some have way cute bedding, but seriously who wants to pay that kind of $$ for something that will be outgrown in a few, short months?!? So, here's a quickie tutorial on how to make your own super cute, custom bedding for a fraction of the cost!You need:
- 1 3/4 yds of fabric (got mine with coupons @ Joann's for under $7)
- Crib size (36"x45") quilting batting
- 1 yd of 1/4in elastic
- 3 3/4yds of ribbon/bias tape for the ties (I used grosgrain ribbon - $1 for a big spool)
- Thread
- Paper to make pattern (I use the Ikea kid's easel paper: cheap & much more sturdy than tissue)
Start off by making the fitted sheet pattern - it's super easy. Take out the basket's oval pad and trace around it. Add 3" all the way around & cut out.
Now make bumper side pattern by measuring one side of the basket. Start at the middle of the top of the head end of the basket and pull your measuring tape along one side to the middle of the foot end of the basket. Mine is the standard size, but is a bit higher in the front than the back, so I also measured the height to see how much it sloped down and where. Mark paper with dimensions (height, length, slope) and use yard stick to draw out lines. Add 1 in seam allowance and then cut out. My dimensions were 37" long, 8" high at head end, 6" high at foot end.
Cut out pieces. You'll need to cut 2 side pieces each of the batting and the outer fabric and cut it so the bottom of the pattern is along the fold of the fabric. Open pieces, matching head & foot ends with right sides of outer fabric together and layer batting over each side & pin those sides together:
You may want to try it out in the basket just to make sure you have the length right before the you stitch up the sides. If it seems the right length, stitch sides together, so you have a giant oval.
Then fold wrong sides together so the open ends are at the top.
Fold layers inward 1" inch and pin together for your top seam.
Measure your ribbon/bias tape to make the ties. Cut 6 pieces that are each 22" long and fold each in half. Take each ribbon and sandwich the folded end into the bumper about 1/2" down & space each equally around the bumper (1 at each end and 2 on either side). Top stitch about 1/4" from edge all the way around the bumper top, so it looks like this:
I choose to make a few seams down each side so that the batting won't get bunched up after repeated washings:
Now your bumper is done and can be tied onto your basket. To make the fitted sheet, sew on elastic around each curved end on the wrong side of fabric, about 1" from the raw edge, pulling the elastic taut while you stitch so it will "bunch up"& cut off excess elastic at end.
You can either leave it as is or to make it look more finished, fold the raw edge over the elastic and along the sides and then stitch to make a finished hem. Place on mattress pad and ta-da! Your new, stylish Moses basket is ready!
