Simple DIY crib bumper

I'm back today to do a quick tutorial on how I made a crib bumper. At first I was afraid it was too big of a task but after reviewing some tutorials online I decided to give it a try. First off, I want to say anyone who can cut straight lines and sew a somewhat straight line can make a crib bumper. It really looks more complicated then it really is. Here are my simple steps.

1. Gather all supplies. (A flat sheet of any color for the trimmings, old crib bumper and a single curtain panel).  Any standard single 84 inch curtains/panel can make one perfect bumper. I didn't realize this until after I started to cut my fabric.

This picture demonstrates that half a crib bumper is almost the exact length of a curtain panel with the grommet cut off on top. All I had to do was cut the grommet off and cut the panel into four even strips. 

Here is the fabric cut into four lengthwise sections. 

Here's another picture of the panel cut into long sections. 

2. Cut the flat sheet of your choice into 3 inch strips to make the trim. I previously used this same flat sheet to make the crib skirt so I already had this on hand. Cut enough to cover your crib bumper.

3. Now cut the strips in half to make them 1.5 inches thick instead. You need the extra trim to make the ties. If you want you can also use 1.5 inch ribbon the color of your choice. 

4. Sew two strips of fabric to two cut panels. So the top and bottom of each panel should be attached to the trim. Also, sew one end shut and the other end half shut only.

One end should look like this. 

5. Now flip the whole thing inside out. Using the old crib bumper, cut off all the ties and stuff it into the new crib bumper. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of this step.


6. Finally, attach ties to your new crib bumper.

My bumper needs to be washed so I didn't bother ironing it. 

Here's the inside. To solve the slouching problem in the middle I used simple needle and thread to sew the bumper inside to the top of the new crib bumper so when its tied up it stays up. 

The only difference with this crib bumper is that it comes in two long pieces instead of one long piece. It doesn't bother me at all because I can't tell. In the future if it does bother me I can sew it shut on one end which should be an easy fix. 

Up next for tomorrow will be the comforter and pillow for Emily's big girl (toddler) daybed. Emily's big girl daybed has arrived so I'll be busy putting it together tonight. 

Teaser of new nursery bedding

Last few days I've been extra busy. I've been working on the nursery. Its sad to admit but Emily's nursery was never complete. I never had the chance to put finishing touches to it. It had basic furniture but nothing fancy. After finding out that we were expecting a baby girl, I knew that I wanted the girls to share a room. I quickly had to come up with a plan to fit both girls in one small room. I'll share those tips as I complete the nursery.

First off my father helped me repaint the nursery. It was a light pale green color before and I got tired of it really fast. We repainted it to a much more neutral blue/gray color from Benjamin Moore called Gray Wisp. I heard it was very close to Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage. So far I'm extremely happy with the color selection.

Second, we reorganized the furniture in the room so it can accommodate Emily's new big girl toddler day bed. Emily's big girl day bed in en route and soon to arrive on Wednesday.

Finally, I've been crushing on crib bedding but wow.. they are extremely expensive. Well, too expensive for someone 20 inches long who doesn't even know how to admire it. So I was set to make  my own crib bedding. I spent roughly under $50 for new floor length crib skirt (diy), new crib fitted sheet, crib bumper (diy), toddler bed comforter (diy), pillows for toddler bed and rocking chair (diy), and new fitted sheet for toddler bed. Not bad considering a crib bumper and fitted sheet alone can cost $50.

Here's a teaser of the diy crib bedding in progress. Excuse the room, its a total mess due to all the painting and furniture being moved around. 

Everything started with a pile of old bedsheets, Emily's old crib bumper, and a new pair of satin Jacklyn Love panels I scored at Homegoods for $15. This was the pile of stuff I started with before. I love the panels because its the perfect shade of pale Robins egg blue. I'll be making Emily's big girl bedding with the rest of the remaining fabric. Wait for my post tomorrow for updates.