Sunday, July 24, 2011

Mini Crib Sheet Tutorial

I got a great hand me down mini crib from my cousin. We're painting it lime green for Ally's room. To go with the mini crib, I needed sheets. All the sheets I found online were around $20-$30 for ONE! I'm not about to pay that for ONE sheet! So I searched around the internet and found a few tutorials. I didn't really like any of them, so my sister and I figured out how to make one ourselves. AND I was able to make 4 for under $25! I could have done it cheaper but I really liked these fabrics and had to have them. :) This tutorial has elastic ALL THE WAY around the underside, not just on the corners. I found out that this sheet will also fit my pack and play! Double happiness!

To make a mini crib sheet (38"x24"x6" deep) you'll need (if yours is a different size, scroll down for how to get the measurements you need):
1.5 yd fabric
matching thread
54" of 1/4" elastic

Directions:
1. Wash and dry your fabrics. I used flannel for this one but plan to make a new that are just cotton.

2. Cut your fabric to be 38"x52"

3. Fold over into 4's so that the open corners are all together.
4. Pin a 7" square of paper to the corner to give you a cutting line.
5. Remove the 7" square of fabric.
6. Match up the edges of the corner you just removed and pin. Do this on all 4 corners.
7. Stitch closed with a 1/4" seam (or there abouts, I used my sewing foot to get a straight line. Again, do this on all 4 corners.

8. At this point, if you want to, you can zig zag or serge all the way around to give a nice finished edge. I don't have a serger and really didn't want to take the time to zig zag. We'll see how well these sheets wash and if they fray.
9. Fold over 3/4" and iron all the way around. I pinned it too because I'm ultra anal about having things straight.
10. Iron all the way around so you have a nice straight edge to stitch against.

11. Stitch a casing using 1/2" seam allowance. I used my quilting thingie (I know it's got a proper name but I don't know it) to get a consistent 1/2". Don't forget to leave a space to thread the elastic. I like to do this at the beginning so I don't forget down the line.
12. Thread your 1/4" elastic thru it being sure to pin it at the far end so it doesn't slip into the casing. Yes, I know this from experience. LOL.
13. Tie a knot or stitch the ends of the elastic together and slide it back into the casing a bit.

14. Sew the opening shut and stand back to admire your brand new sheet. :)



Note: this is for MY specific mattress. If your mattress is a different size you're going to have to adjust the measurements. See below.

Here's how I did it.
1.I took the length of my fabric and subtracted the length of my mattress, then subtracted the depth of my mattress x 2, then subtracted the seam allowance x 2.

2. I then took the width of my fabric and subtracted the width of the mattress, then subtracted the depth of my mattress x 2, then subtracted the same seam allowance x 2 from step 1.

3. You want to make sure that you have the same size on each piece to cut out so you may have to do a little "wiggle room" math and trim it down a bit to get it figured out

4. To figure out the square you need to remove, add the depth of the fabric and 1 of the seam allowances. If you use the seam allowance x 2 you will have too small of a sheet. Again, experience here.

So, for mine-
mattress length is 38", 38+6+6+1+1=52" which is the length of fabric I started with
mattress width is 24", 24+6+6+1+1= 38" which is the width of fabric I started with
mattress depth is 6", 6+1=7" which is the side length of the square I removed.

Any questions or corrections please email me! Thanks for checking out my tutorial. :)

19 comments:

Holly Young said...

I admire people who can sew :) great job!

Sarah McK said...

THANK YOU for posting this tutorial! It's the only clear one for a mini crib on the web that I could find. I have made full sized crib sheets and should REALLY be able to do the math to adjust to a little crib, but at this point in my pregnancy I am too muddled to figure out anything. Your tutorial saved me from a very long, frustrating Saturday!

Missy M said...

SHUT UP?!?!?!!! You seriously just made this so much easier for me! God bless pinterest for letting me find this! Can't wait to take a look at your other tutes! :)

Seaexplore said...

Lol. You're welcome Missy. How'd they turn out? :)

GLinda said...

Wow! Wish I had found this when my son was in a mini crib. Would have made it so much easier!

Dee said...

What length of elastic did you use. I am making these for my Grandson's mini crib and the mattress is not at my home for proper fitting. Will be sewing these sheets and sending to my daughter. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Dee

Seaexplore said...

Dee- I think I used all 54"of the elastic with 1" at the end overlap. This is for a mini crib sheet. For a regular sheet, I'd maybe use 72"? Good luck! If you share pictures, can you share the link so I can see? :)

JoJo said...

Just made a crib sheet last night! So much cuter and cheaper than any mini sheets I could find online! Thanks!

Hannah Caudle said...

I've sewn a TON of crib sheets and I have found through trial and error that the measurements 69 inches in length x 45" in width with 8 inch squares for the corners is perfect for the standard crib. Use 64-65 inches of elastic for perfect fit. Kudos everyone!

Alyssa said...

Awesome! This helped greatly with getting the size right fit a mini crib. You could do a French seam on the corners if you're worried about fraying.

Unknown said...

This is a life saver! Finding mini crib bedding is such a headache!!! My mattress is the same length and and width but the depth is only 3 inches would that mean I cut the squares 4inches?

Seaexplore said...

Gabrielle- you will need to change all of my 6's in the measurements I gave to 3`s. That will get you the right size for everything. :) be sure to let me know how it works out. I'd make one from some scrap that you can cut up and not worry about wasting. :)

Nancy said...

I am making mini crib sheets for one of my great grandsons. I love the way that you make the process easy and clear. The only thing that I did differently is to use french seams on each of the corners and I did turn the casing twice to cover the raw edges. I want to check mout your other links.

Peter Ndagi said...

hope the information can also work for a Travel Crib. Awesome!

Unknown said...

Hello my matress depth is 3 in . How many inches are my squares suppose to be? Thank you

Unknown said...

Hello did u get the proper measurements for a 3in depth? Thanks

Unknown said...

To get the 7” squares I cut out, I used the mattress height which was 6” and added 1”. So, if it's a 3” mattress, you’d want the squares to be 4”. Use an old sheet or chunk of fabric yu don't care about so you can adjust the size of everything before cutting into the good fabric.

Unknown said...

Peter- were you able to make this work for your travel crib? I use this size for my pack and play. It's a little loose but works. :)

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