A Great Outdoor Baby Blanket will keep baby entertained while you garden. The snaps allow you to swap in new toys when baby gets bored, while the vinyl backing means baby will stay dry, even if the grass is damp.
Tips:
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This is part three in my upcycled tablecloth series, so I’ll be using the remnants from my previous projects. I have a large, long rectangle that I’m going to turn into a square by cutting it in half and layering the pieces right sides together, and sewing a 1/2 inch seam to attach them. If you are starting with a new tablecloth, there’s no need for a center seam. You can make your blanket as large or as small as you’d like. Mine is about one square yard.
How to:
made with
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You’ll need to cut 8 segments of ribbon that are about 14 inches long. You don’t want to cut them too long, because then they could pose a strangulation hazard. Select ribbon that is one to two inches wide. (Don’t use wired ribbon, because that could work itself free and poke baby.)
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Now you need to pin the ribbon to the printed side of the tablecloth. Extend the ribbon slightly past the edge so you’ll be able to see it when you’re sewing. Add two ribbons to each side, spaced evenly.
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Lay your tablecloth piece face up. Make sure all the ribbons are pointing inward towards the center.
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Cut your fleece to the same size as your tablecloth piece, then lay it on top. Pin together at the sides, making sure that the ribbons remain pointing toward the middle.
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Then sew the fabrics together with a half-inch seam. Whenever you come to a ribbon, backstitch for durability. Remember to leave a hole at least three inches wide for turning. Remove the pins.
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My tablecloth came with curved edges, so I’m going to trim the corner of my fleece to match. If your tablecloth came with straight corners, you can skip this step.
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Turn the blanket right side out. Turn in the edges by the hole and pin shut. Sew shut with a quarter inch seam, then continue topstitching all the way around to give the blanket a nice edge.
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Pay attention to the ribbons as you sew. Make sure they are out of the way of your needle.
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Remove the corner pins. Then use a lighter to carefully singe the ends of your ribbons to prevent fraying.
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Finally, we’ll add the snaps to the ribbon. I’m using very small sew-on snaps, the kind you see on Barbie clothes. Fold down the top edge of the ribbon a half inch. Sew on one half of the snap. Be sure to sew it very securely!
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Then sew on the other half of the snap, about 5 inches up from the blanket. This creates a large loop to attach toys.
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Add the toys and your’e finished. To clean, remove the toys and wash on the gentle cycle. Lay flat or hang to dry.
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Finished?
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I love this idea and am going to make it for a friend. More than anything I wanted to know the name of the song you played for the video. It is beautiful!
Shan, the song is by Allison Weiss. If you google her, you can download a lot of free songs from her blog.
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Does the table cloth stay water resistant even after a few washings? Do you think tablecloth vinyl by the yard from the fabric store would work the same?
ESheen, I would recommend washing on the gentle cycle and hanging up to dry (I put mine over the shower curtain rod). Yes, I think by-the-yard flannel-backed vinyl would work just fine :) Don’t forget to check out my other projects you can make with a tablecloth!
Thanks! Can’t wait to make some!
Brilliant! I love this idea. I always leave a couple toys behind and now I’m not worrying about that. My little girlies just love this.
Thanks a ton!
Marsha, David, Kara and Maggie