8 Things to Sew for Babies
My niece is having a baby! She’s the first of all our nieces and nephews to have a baby and we’re all very excited. It’s been a little while since I’ve had a baby in the family to sew for, although I do get to sew baby shower gifts pretty often So I thought this would be a great time to round up my go-to gifts to sew for babies!
I posted all these ideas in a fun YouTube video last week, (plus a bonus one I hope to make a pattern for soon!) so you can click here to view that, or I’ll put it at the bottom of this post also. But if you prefer reading over watching, here we go!
8 Baby Sewing Ideas
I have video tutorials and printable PDF version of ALL of the ideas I’m about to share, so click here to shop my baby sewing patterns and click here to view my baby sewing playlist on YouTube!
Bibs
Of course, bibs will always be my number one go-to when sewing for babies. In fact, I try to have a few on hand for the next baby that comes along. I love giving a few handmade things along with something from the mom’s baby registry and bibs are the perfect little something add on gift.
I also love to hack my basic bib pattern into a quilty version, which adds a little more sweetness!
Burp Cloths
My first baby was colicky and suffice it to say, I had a LOT of burp cloths. I had a few favorites, though! I loved the basic flannel ones the most, so I copied those for this pattern. They’re still my favorite to make and gift. They’re the most absorbent, too.
Ribbon Tag Baby Blankets
My history with this blanket goes deep. I made one for my second baby and have probably made 60 more since then! They are the BEST. Babies love the little tags. My favorite part is always choosing cute coordinating flannels and then finding the fun ribbons to put all the way around the edges. You really can’t go wrong with this one.
Baby Quilts
A baby quilt is definitely a bit more time consuming, but it’s also a lot more special. It’s also a fun and relaxing way to quilt, since it’s small, making it a ton easier and quicker than a full size quilt. I have a few freebies for quilt ideas, including the gingham squares quilt, which is my favorite for quick baby quilts.
I do think if you’re going to sew a quilt for a baby, it’s very important you sew it in fabrics and colors that the new mom is going to love. If the mom decorates in soft tones and neutrals and you make her baby a quilt in hot pinks and greens, that quilt might not get used. Just something to keep in mind!
Sensory Baby Block Toy
Okay, by now I think I’ve said several of these are my favorite, so with this one I’ll say it’s the most FUN. I first started making these as baby gifts a few years ago and seeing them be such a hits with the babies has been so sweet. They’re scrap friendly and just plain fun to plan and put together.
Sock Monkey
Okay, hear me out. I went to a baby shower years ago and someone brought the absolute cutest sock monkey she’d made of a big, stripy socks. I went home and learned to make sock monkeys immediately and they really make the cutest for-fun baby gifts. Note that I would use the safety animal eyes rather than button eyes if sewing it for a baby, due to the choking risk! I never made an official pattern for this, but you can watch my tutorial in one of my oldest YouTube videos and see my kiddos all cute and tiny, haha.
Rag Dolls
Doll sewing gives my soul joy, which is evidenced by the now very large collection of rag doll sewing patterns in my shop! A few that would be absolutely perfect for babies, are any of the Phoebe Rag Dolls, especially with the cute sleep sack, and the grandparent dolls. The grandparent dolls can be made to look like anyone! I made my husband in his Army clothes with the grandparent doll pattern, haha!
Others have sent me pictures of the grandparent dolls that they’ve made for their grandchildren, and one of you sent me a picture of the doll she made to look like her state trooper husband. SO CUTE!
I hope this has given you some great baby sewing ideas and that you’ll share your go-to handmade baby gifts with me in the comments!
Cheers and Happy Sewing :)
Nikki
8 great sewing ideas for baby gifts, with video tutorials and pdf patterns for every one!