Reusing old items and turning them into entirely new ones is a brilliant idea for those trying to save some cash. One of the ways parents can reuse their little one’s clothes is by making them into a quilt. Quilts are thick and heavy blankets used to stay warm; usually, quilts have three layers of clothing in them, unlike blankets with only one layer. However, parents who have little to no experience in the basics of making clothes can have a hard time doing this project. Just follow this tutorial and try your best to know how to make a quilt out of baby clothes.
Steps in Making the Quilt
Once you’ve decided to do this project, there are several steps to take. Read on to know the easiest way to make a quilt out of baby clothes.
Preparation for Making the Quilt
- Choosing clothes to use
The first thing that you have to do on how to make a quilt out of baby clothes is to pick which clothes you will use. You can start using the clean items; aside from the baby clothes, you can also use baby bibs, socks, caps, blankets, curtains, nursery items, linens, and even Halloween costumes. - Choose the quilt size
The next step is to decide on the size of your quilt; if you have any spare clothes you can have a bigger-size quilt, but it depends on you if you want a big quilt or a smaller one. - Quilt backing
When you finished gathering and choosing all the clothes that you will use for your quilt, lay them out, and you should see a dominant or your favorite color that will be used for the backing of your quilt. Using a fleece or flannel is recommended for you to use. Next is you add 6″-8″ unto your figure on every side to make sure that you will have sufficient fabric to use when turning over the quilt for the edging. However, if you will be using a different edging, you could get it by with less fabric. - Cutting the clothing
Before you cut the clothes, you should iron them without stretching it for a precise cut. Take a scissor and cut out the flat area on the clothing that you want to use on your quilt. Next, place an iron fusing over the piece. Press it for a few seconds and lay that piece on a cutting board, using a rotary cutter cut the pieces into square or rectangular shapes. Sort the pieces into the same sizes and arrange them, forming a pleasing pattern. Then, sew the pieces into a vertical or horizontal row, the quilt’s width using a ½” seam allowance. Iron all the seams open and after all of the rows have been finished, sew it all together and iron all the seams open, now you have finished the top part of your quilt - Appliqué
This step can be optional if you want to put in a name on the quilt. To do this, you can either appliqué all the letters directly on top of the quilt or appliquéing the name on a piece of material and merging that piece in when you are making your rows.
Quilting Process
- Quilting the blanket
Now that you are done preparing in making the quilt, it is time to undergo quilting your baby’s clothes. Place the quilt top on your backing, making sure that the seams that you have iron open earlier are laying open. Place some safety pins about 4-6 inches apart from each other all over your quilt also, make sure that you have pinned it through the backing. Now, quilt by tying or using a machine. This step will keep the quilt top and quilt backing together. - Embellishments
You’re now one step closer in learning how to make a quilt out of baby clothes. Add some of the special items you have gathered, like hats, socks, and bibs. Attach these to the quilt either by hand or using a machine. - Edging
Trim in the backing to 1 ¼” from your quilt edge and fold once upward to the quilt, and the following fold will be over the front, making the quilt edge. Sew in the edging down using a straight stitch or a decorative stitch and miter the corners. Alternatively, you can cut off the backing, even using the top of your quilt edge. By using this method, you can sew on a different edging like a satin blanket edging. These are nice to use on baby clothes blankets that are about 40″ x40″ or smaller because the amount of satin edging that comes with it is in a package. - Quilt label
The last thing that you need to know on how to make a quilt out of baby clothes is making a quilt label. But like appliquéing, this can also be an optional step; basically, the quilt label contains information about your quilts like the date it was made or something important for you. Simply choose a spot on the backside of your quilt to where you want to place the label and do this either by hand or using a machine.
Wrap up
Getting rid of things that are once special to you might be hard to do, for these things carry special memories that you never want to forget. By learning how to make a quilt out of baby clothes, you can use the old things that are no longer used in something that could be useful. Don’t forget to take a picture of your upcycled project once they’re done! Find out more about baby clothes.