Make Your Own Pocket Bib

Welcome to the August Carnival of Natural Parenting: Creating With Kids

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how they make messes and masterpieces with children. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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I've really been enjoying sewing a lot lately. I'm getting much more comfortable with my machine, to the point where I'm starting to play with it. Don't we all need a little more play in our lives!?

Since Daniel isn't really big enough yet to do crafts with me, I'm enjoying making things for him for the time being. I stumbled across this tutorial to make a "fold-up-and-snap" bib, and I thought it would be a fun thing to play around with making. I liked the concept of this bib because it combines the two qualities we like about the bibs we already have: it's absorbent and made entirely of cloth, but it has an optional pocket to catch food that is dropped while eating. Daniel doesn't like to wear the bibs that are made of wipe-able materials lately (he's always just pulling on them) but he doesn't seem to mind the cloth ones. I like the cloth bibs better too, because they're soft and they fold up really small to fit well in the diaper bag.

I ended up making one with the fold-and-snap pocket, and then another (slightly quicker) one without it. I have enough materials on hand to make two more, so I think I'm going to experiment with different shapes and sizes, as well as using hook and loop closure in place of the snap at the neck.


This pattern is pretty simple, and I didn't follow the tutorial I was referencing that closely. I guess my tendency to not follow recipes when I'm cooking carries over into the way I sew!

Here's my version of how to make a couple of easy bibs:

Materials (for one bib)
A fat quarter of quilting weight cotton for the front of the bib
A fat quarter of soft, absorbent material for the back (terry cloth, chenille, minky, etc.)
3 snaps
Paper, pencil, ruler, scissors (to make the pattern)

The Steps

1. Make a pattern out of paper. I found the dimensions of the pattern in the tutorial I was referencing to be a little small, so I used two 8.5" X 11" pieces of paper taped together to make a pattern that was a little wider. Basically, you use something large and round (like a bowl) to trace for the top edges, and then something round but smaller (like a glass) to trace for the neck hole:
   
   
   
2. Trace the pattern onto both the front and back fabrics, and cut them out. Don't cut out the neck hole though! Leave that for later.
   
   
   
3. Attach two of the snaps (both parts) to the front of the bib: the top set goes 6" up from the bottom of the bib, and 1" in; the bottom set goes 1" from the bottom and 1" in. (Make sure you attach the front of the snaps to the front of the bib.)
   
   
   
   
4. Pin both sides of the bib together, right sides together (that means wrong sides facing out or inside out, if you're not all about the sewing lingo). Remember to pin around the neck hole, too.
   
   
   
5. Sew all along the outside, and around the neck hole, with a ½" seam allowance. Leave 2-3" open in the middle of the bottom of the bib, so you'll be able to turn it right side out.
   
   
   
6. Cut out the neck hole now, and cut off the extra fabric at the corners at an angle.
7. Trim the rest of the edges, so there's only ¼" seam allowance around the outside.
8. Turn it all right side out, using a pencil (or something like that) to poke the top part of the bib right side out.
9. Add a snap to the neck (or hook and loop).
   
   
   
10. Turn under the raw edges at the bottom and stitch up. Optionally, stitch all the way around the bib again, ¼" from the edge. (I tried this the first time, and I didn't like how it looked, so I pulled it out and just stitched up the hole and called it a day!)

    

    I went with brown thread for the top and white
    in the bobbin, so it would blend well on both sides.

11. Put it on your kid to prevent messes!
    

    

    He might even feel so darn comfy in his new bib,
    that he'll put his feet up on the table at dinner.

The second, simpler (though quite similar) version:

1. Trace your pattern again, onto the front and back fabrics (or, like I did, trace around a bib you already have that you like):
   
   
   
2. Cut out both top and bottom fabric (but again, not the neck holes) and pin together, inside out:
   
   
   
3. Sew around the edges and the neck hole, leaving an opening at the bottom for turning, same as above:
   
   
   

   

   Notice how my desk gets more and more
   cluttered as the project progresses....

4. Cut around the edges and neck hole, same as above.
5. Turn it right side out:
   
   
   
6. Add a snap to the neck.
   
   
   
7. Tuck in the raw edges at the bottom and stitch up.
   

I ended up with two bibs for Daniel from of this fun crafty experiment, and I'll definitely be making more! The earthy red batik has terry cloth on the back, and the watercolor blue one has chenille on the back. Both are 100% cotton.

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Family Draw Time Art Show — Kate Wicker shares art (and inspiration!) from her family's cherished tradition of family draw time.
• The Rules of Creativity: Learning to Create with the "Non-Creative" — Zoe at Give an Earthly shares how she learned to accept her "non-creative" child and claims that anyone, child or adult, can be creative given the right handling and environment.
• Creating With Kids: 4 Ways That Work For Us — See how Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings nurtures creativity with her kids through craft projects, outdoor creative play, celebrating the creative process, and setting up "little spaces of beauty."
• Creating memories, not things — Mrs. Green from Little Green Blog reflects on life with a ten year old and how 'creating together' has evolved from 'things' to memories.
• The Gift of Creation — It may be hot, but Kellie at Our Mindful Life is already thinking about winter.
• Hidden Talents — Sylvia at MaMammalia describes how providing the opportunity for creativity sometimes means learning to look for hidden talents in unusual places.
• Creating Joy — CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy shares how she and her one year-old son create joy for their community.
• How to do Crafts with Kids — Gaby from Tmuffin guest posts at Natural Parents Network and describes how to keep things simple when doing crafts with kids for magical (easy-to-clean, and tantrum-free) results.
• Sugar & Spice & Baking on the Kitchen Floor — Carrie at Love Notes Mama enjoys making a mess in the kitchen with her daughter.
• Young Scientist Makes Purple Potion — Hannah at Wild Parenting loves being a lab assistant for the young scientist in her life.
• Making a butterfly house — Lauren at Hobo Mama demonstrates the proper way to build a wooden butterfly house with a preschooler.
• Nurturing Creativity — Amyables at Toddler In Tow shares the enjoyment she feels in nurturing the creativity of her children.
• Home School Music - Sparking A New Generation Of Musicians — Based on her musical background, Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey talks about how she creates with and teaches music to her children.
• Creating (im)perfectly Together — Mudpiemama shares some of the highlights of a summer spent building everything from ships to hoops but most of a lesson on letting go of perfection.
• Family Soccer Kick Around — When her children wanted to play soccer, Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children helped organize something that would work for her family.
• Creating Memories Together on Skype — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now tells how you can create memories online with adult children or anyone who lives in another city or country.
• We'll always have Halloween: Creating costumes for kids — Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama is not the craftiest mom on the block, but she does make a mean homemade Halloween costume.
• Let's Make Juice! — Wendylori at High Needs Attachment shares about the benefits of juicing with kids, as well as a quick recipe.
• Everything's Better When It's Homemade — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro praises the art of homemade goods.
• Creating the Opportunity for Art — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction shares how her family has created an environment conducive to art.
• 10 Easy and Functional Crafts Preschoolers Can Do with Minimal Assistance — Dionna at Code Name: Mama offers ten easy crafts preschoolers can do while sitting near parents — but they don't need a lot of parental help. Added bonus: all of these ten ideas double as something functional (gifts, decor, educational).
• Creating with Kids: Singing Together — Ana at Pandamoly details the important role music takes in her household and provides a quick (and easy!) tutorial for creating fun songs to sing together!
• Create This — jessica at instead of institutions considers different aspects of creativity including those without an end product.
• Make Your Own Pocket Bib — A tutorial from Amy at Anktangle on how to make two simple and quick bibs to keep your little one clean at the table.
• Creating Together in the Kitchen — Despite not feeling "crafty," Momma Jorje finds a way to create and connect with her toddler.
• An Artist-Mama's Perspective — In this post, Shannon at The Artful Mama discusses the differences between her choice of artistic outlet and her son's, and how they embrace those differences together.
• Heart of the Home — Jona at Life, Intertwined shares some highlights of cooking with kids.
• Getting creative with kids — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine shares how much she enjoys watching her daughter getting creative.
• Creating with Children - The Nature/Seasonal Table — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama celebrates the rhythm of the natural world with her toddler through the creation of a seasonal nature table.
• How Involving My Kid Saves My Sanity — The Happy Hippie Homemaker explains how involving her toddler in projects allows her to get more done, while providing valuable opportunities to teach and to bond (added bonus: amazing oatmeal raisin cookie recipe!).
• In the Kitchen with Kids — Cooking with Real and Pretend Food — Terri from Child of the Nature Isle engages her kids in the kitchen with culinary creations of both real and pretend food.