Friday, June 29, 2012

Skirting It

I love the crib we got.  I love how it looks and the additional functionality of the drawer below it helps too with storing extra sheets, etc.  I also love how it requires minimal skirting.




Since this crib only requires a skirt for the few months that the mattress will be raised, I knew I could get away with something basic.  There were many, many beautiful handmade skirts on Etsy that I drooled over (like this and this), but I couldn't justify that for a few short months.  I was then going to get just a basic white one, but even those were pricey (for what I was going to be using it for).  So I decided to brave it and make my own.


Keep in mind, I can't sew in the least and really am freaked out by fabric in general (how do you measure it again?  how much do I need?  what's a hem?).  I remembered tutorials like Sherry's and Kim's - so I decided I could just use material to make my own.  I went the flap route, where the skirt is basically just a facade.


I found some pretty fabric at Hobby Lobby (40% off) for a total of $17.  I think I got three yards?  Either way, I only used half of it.  Again, no idea how to estimate fabric amounts...  It was patterny and the right colors and more or less matches my sheets, so I went with it.


I know it's nothing novel, but here's my tutorial:



  • Lay out fabric on the floor because you don't have a proper workspace
  • Attempt to crawl around on the floor, 9 months pregnant, and cut in a straight line
  • Close the blinds because you look like a freak
  • Use a metal measuring tape on fabric, since you don't actually have a tape measure appropriate for fabric, or a yardstick
  • Add a good 8 inches to your measurements "just in case"
  • Repeatedly hold your piece up to the crib in lieu of actually measuring again - repeatedly iron edges smaller and smaller
  • Make a hem that looks like this:




  • Use hem tape, naturally, since you don't own a needle or thread
  • Spend roughly 2 hours getting the front panel done
  • Watch as ankles grow enormous as you stand over the ironing board
  • Eventually get the front piece right and move on to the sides - they take a little less time since you sorta learned from your mistakes.  Only estimate an extra 4 inches of "give" this time, only remeasure a dozen times instead of fifty 
  • Fasten your pieces the good old fashioned way - velcro!  (sorry - "hook and loop"....)





  • Hold your breath as you put it on the crib, all optimism of a good fit out the window
  • It fits!  It looks normal!  It only took two three hours and some serious grunting




Hooray!  It may not be perfect, and I'm sure someone who can really sew would be horrified at my work.  But honestly, I will only use these for a few months and it covers the underside and it's good enough for me!





I was lucky the crib was so forgiving, what with those big corners I could hide my mistakes behind and whatnot.



Also, I love the sheets.  I know they will just get pooped, peed, and spit up upon (maybe other bodily fluids too?  Who knows?!) but they are bright and happy and add some pizzazz to my simplistic crib.  Baby can now sleep in style :)



3 comments:

  1. Love your crib skirt!! Super cute :) I read a tip about crib sheets and baby messes- if you make layers (so, waterproof liner, crib sheet, waterproof liner, crib sheet) then when baby makes a mess in there, you just pull off a layer and tada- you're all set. Then you can wash the dirty layer and not worry about your mattress getting yucky :)

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  2. Your tutorial is hilarious! Love it. And I do know how to sew (well, sort of) and I totally took this approach to the crib skirt too - crib skirts are a pain! Love the fabric and love the crib sheet! Dying to see the whole nursery, but i'll work on my patience :)

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  3. You are too hard on yourself. It looks great and it's perfect for your crib. I love the colors you are using, too.

    Also, the drawer under the crib? Awesome and so handy. I think that would be super nice. I'm actually inspired to use the area under our crib for storage, now.

    Also, my two cents about the sheets on the bed. I got a 2-pack of flannel, waterproof pads as a gift. They are crib sized and just lay on top of the sheet. They are awesome! I just change them out every few nights (or sooner if he leaks/spits up/etc.). Then, I don't have to change the sheets all the time (or in the middle of the night). It's super duper handy for us.

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