A milestone has been achieved when your little one starts eating solid food. But the drool fest that these chompers produce is unbelievable, and spit-ups are unstoppable. As an “always-prepare- mom”, bibs are your best friend in keeping your baby’s clothes clean, and the laundry at bay. But, having an endless supply of adorable cotton-fabric bibs is not enough, especially if your little one spits up most of the time. You need an absorbent baby bib. Learning how to make absorbent baby bibs is not just easy, but inexpensive at the same time. It will save you those extra bucks, and you can make the design and pattern that you want for your baby. Read on as we walk you through this easy DIY project on how to make absorbent baby bibs.
Supplies Needed
Cotton fabric isn’t really the most absorbent, as what most parents think. The bibs that always worked best are the ones made with jersey knit type fabric.
The DIY bib you will try to do below is extra absorbent because the front is made with jersey knit, the middle is microfiber terry cloth, and the back is cotton. The jersey is fast to absorb, while the thick terry cloth soaks up an extra amount of liquid, and the cotton on the back keeps the baby’s clothes dry. However, the cotton will eventually absorb the liquid and soak the baby.
Before we go to the steps on how to make absorbent baby bibs, here are some supplies you need to prepare.
- Jersey Knit fabric for the front
- Terry cloth for the middle of the bib
- Cotton fabric for the back
- Snaps & snap pliers
- Basic sewing supplies (like a sewing machine, scissors, pins, rotary cutter, cutting mat, etc.)
Easy Steps on How to Make Absorbent Baby Bibs
To begin your easy DIY project, here are the simple steps on how to make absorbent baby bibs:
- Look for a bib that you like and use it to create a template. Trace the shape of the bib onto a piece of cardstock paper. When cutting the template out, fold the cardstock in half. Cut it like you would cut a heart to ensure that the template is symmetrical. This will solve a lot of problems if the bib has the same size and has the same curves on both sides.
- Cut all of the three layers of your bib using the template. You can do this in a number of ways. Use the template first and cut the cotton backing and use the cotton backing as a template to cut other layers. It’s easier this way as you could pin the backing to the other fabric. Hold the template flat on top and use the rotary cutter. Go slowly and carefully around the perimeter of the template. Then, stack the terry clothe and jersey knit fabric together (both face up). Pin the cotton backing on top face down. Make sure there are no ripples or creases when pinning the cotton backing down. Use the pinned cotton backing and cut out the terry cloth and knit. You can trim the terry cloth and knit more accurately after you have sewn the three layers together. Cutting roughly will give you extra room if some of the fabrics will shift. Remember, you are working on different types of fabric, so take your time and go slowly.
- Sew around the perimeter of the bib, starting at the top of the bib’s neck. Until you are satisfied with the curves, go slow, and take your time. You can sew one or two stitches around sharp curves, raise the presser foot a bit, and rotate the bib slightly. Sew one or two stitches. Raise the presser foot, and rotate a bit more. This will make a nice and even round curve.
- Trim to your stitching closely. The bib will be bolstered once you flip it right side out. I don’t think you are compromising quality by trimming so closely to the stitching since it will be reinforced on the other side. Leave a little extra knit near the top on the left. This is where the opening for turning the bib right side out. You will eventually tuck that fabric in by sewing it shut.
- Turn the bib right side out through the small hole left at the top. This may get a little finicky, and it may seem that the hole is too small, but it will work. Gently tug and pull the whole bib through the small hole that you left. It is recommended to leave the hole at the tops of the bib’s neck as knit fabrics are unforgiving.
- When the bib is right side out. Tuck in the fabric where you left the hole, and slowly sew around the bib’s perimeter. This will close up the hole and give the bib a nice finished look.
- Add the snaps to your bib. When adding snaps, you can use velcro if you have available at hand. If you are not into velcro, you can always use the traditional plastic snaps using a snap press.
Conclusion
An absorbent baby bib is perfect if you have a little drooler that spits up quite often. This will keep your baby’s clothes clean and reduce the amount of laundry. Learning these steps on how to make absorbent baby bibs is quite easy. Plus, it will save you a lot of money from buying some expensive ones. We hope that this DIY project lets you enjoy the process of making your very own absorbent baby bibs. Know more about bibs.