Hello friends! Cassie here.
Last month I shared some of my favorite baby items to give and receive and promised a tutorial for one of my go-to handmade gifts. Here it is: an easy, practical burp cloth you can make yourself. These are soft, super absorbent, and last far longer than most store-bought versions.
Burp cloths are something every parent can never have too many of. There are many ways to make them, but I’ll describe the method I prefer. If you’d rather buy than sew, there are many independent shops that make quality customizable burp cloths.
The most important choice is the backing fabric. I’ve tried flannel and terry cloth, but chenille is my favorite. It’s soft, very absorbent, and its ridged texture makes cutting and sewing easier and gives a nicer finished look.
Materials
- Chenille fabric — I prefer white or a neutral so it pairs well with various front fabrics.
- Fabric for the front — pick a few coordinating prints if you plan to gift a set.
- Pins
- Scissors
- Iron
- Sewing machine
- Thread to match (I often use white when making several at once)
Step One
Cut the front fabric to your desired size. I make mine about 10″ x 18″; the finished cloth will be roughly an inch smaller after sewing. Cut the chenille the same size as the front fabric. I like to cut several at once to save time.
Step Two
Place the two fabric pieces right sides together and pin around the edges. Leave a 3–4 inch opening along one short side; this gap is how you’ll turn the cloth right side out.
Step Three
Start sewing just after the gap you left and stitch around the cloth with a 1/4–1/2 inch seam allowance. Chenille can shift while sewing, so don’t worry if it isn’t perfectly precise; keep the seam straight.
Step Four
Trim the corners to reduce bulk, and trim any excess fabric in the seam allowance if needed.
Step Five
Turn the cloth right side out through the gap. Press the seams flat with an iron, folding the edges of the opening inward so the edge aligns with the rest of the cloth.
Step Six
Pin the opening closed so it sits even with the outer edges of the burp cloth before topstitching.
Step Seven
Topstitch around the entire cloth about 1/8″–1/4″ from the edge, sewing the opening closed as you go. This gives a neat, durable finish and helps the layers lie flat.
That’s it — simple, useful, and quick once you get the hang of it. I like to make sets of three to five coordinating cloths as gifts. For this tutorial I made a set of five with similar colors and several fox prints.
I’ve made dozens of these and improve my speed and finish with each batch. They’re a great way to use up scraps of fabric. If you like unique prints, specialty fabric shops offer independent designer patterns and fat quarters that are perfect for this project; often one fat quarter yields two burp cloth fronts.
I hope you enjoy making these — they make thoughtful, practical gifts.
Cassie
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