How to cover a CRIB ~ or ~In about five weeks time........

......we're going to be Grandparents. When we were told I did the usual knitting and crocheting of matinee jackets, then I decided to take on the task of recovering our crib, I think it was third hand when we received it in 1981, and the poor boys had the basket bit covered in couple of sheets! I was told to pass it on when finished with, I hadn't anybody to pass it to so we kept it, well I am passing it on Now! We have decided to make it into the family crib!

I searched all over the Internet on how to do this but got nowhere fast and out of sheer frustration I decided to take photographs (if I remembered) as I went. This is the result, but I have to admit I did wing it a few times, but it seems to have worked.

Mark the centre of the ends of the crib and lay it on its side on the paper and draw around the shape of the crib, at this point it may be easier if two people are doing one to draw and one to roll from point to point. Also draw round the base. Remember the patterns are accurate to the crib so cut the material much larger, I cut mine about two half inches larger all round and it ended up quite accurate. This is the first bit I winged, because I went on the old adage of I can make smaller but not larger!

I cut four pieces of material, and four pieces of two ounce wadding, there is nothing to stop you using four ounce wadding.

Pin and tack lines

Machine the lines

Cut a single piece of material larger than the base and pin

Machine the base

Trim excess

Bind all the rough edges. I used a silky bias binding. Part one completed. You can stop here if you wish

Part Two if you wish to carry on.................

Fit the piece that has just been completed back into the crib. Purchase press-studs that are on a tape. (Usually used for quilt covers etc. I ones I used are quite close together and small and are usually used for clothing, should be able to get from all good haberdasheries). The closer together of the studs the better as this makes for a neater finish. (See top picture.) At this point study the crib carefully as to where the placement of the press-studs should go.

Next the measure the crib around the top edge and add another one and half times so two and half times of material is needed. Try and make this one piece of material otherwise you will have two seams (I used French seams for neatness where possible. The seam to join together is at the back uner hood. Fold down and press two centimetres I know it is a no, no, but I work in both centimetres and inches together, it works for me but then I am winging it!


Add lace, this is optional.


Machine and press

Machine tape or bias binding to the top, this should measure the same length as material then there is no worries about joining.

With thick cotton (knitting cotton I used) Measure twice the length and about twelve inches more thread through the eye of a thick needle/bodkin and knot twice and put a safety pin between the two knots. Thread the cotton through the tape. Attach the safety pin to the material then as you are pulling the thread doesn't disappear inside and you don't have to start over. Pull gently to gather the material then pin to the inner of the crib, when satisfied with the gather.

Machine the bias to the top edge (the cotton will be trapped inside just trim ends and forget about it!) Stitch the other side of the press-studs to match the inner part of the crib. This is where care to be taken as they need to match the two side accurately.

End of part two.

Because our crib has a Hood, start part three

This is where I really winged it, it worked and it looks like a mob-cap. (If you look closely you will see I forgot to take a photo) Cut a large semi-circular template and cut the material much larger. Preferably try and cut the hood on a selvage edge.

Measure and press about one and half to two inches

Machine the trimming at the ironed crease line

Machine some more press-studs, keep measuring the hood to the crib to position the press-studs but do not take them to the edges.

Remember to push the trimming out the way when attaching the press-studs

Stitch some gathering stitches around the round part of the material and gather and fit to the hood part of the crib.

When the measuring and the positioning of the hood looks correct.

Attach bias bind machine the gathering stitches inside and forget them.

This is what the hood should look like

Now decide where to want the hood to start and finish. Lay the hood flat on top of the skirt so there is a biased edge under and bias edge on the top, it should look like this. When the hood is attached to the skirt there should be the hood bias showing on the outside and the skirt bias showing on the inside.

Flat machine the two pieces together. End of Part three.

Part four the Mattress Cover

Cut two pieces material the shape of the base

Measure the depth of the foam. (Remember if using foam for the mattress it must be fire retardant - so if you need to buy a new piece of foam as we did tell the person cutting the foam what it is for)

Cut a strip of material and machine to the oval pieces of material and cover the foam

SOAKER (optional)

Cut another two pieces of the base and one piece of wadding. quilt and edge with bias binding.

There was a photograph of this but it disappeared whilst typing this then when I tried to put it back and move it it just would go anywhere! You can just about see the soaker in the top picture though.

If you would like to have a go and there is anything you don't understand please get in touch.