Crib Sheet Tutorial: Part 2


Back when Prudent Baby was in it’s umm… infancy, Jaime did an awesome tutorial for a crib sheet that rocked our world. Beautiful designer crib sheets for a fraction of the cost of the pricey sets without all the stuff you don’t end up using like bumpers and comforters!?! Her version used elastic only at the corners and was the perfect quick project, especially and if you have a narrower width fabric – 45/45.” But some of you have asked for a version with elastic all the way around for a more polished look and more snug fit so here it is. Get the fitted crib sheet tutorial: part 2 after the jump.

Don’t you love Gordon’s Sock Croc? He was a gift from The Nesting Spot. There are no crocs in stock (har) but she will make you one if you message her. He is seriously awesome, like 2 feet long.

I fell in love with this gorgeous organic cotton from Cloud 9 and had to incorporate some into Gordon’s nursery. It’s extra wide (approx 48″ after washing) so it’s perfect for this project. You will need 2 yards.

To get the exact dimensions for your sheet, measure the height, width and length of your mattress. Mine was 28″Wx52″Lx7″H. Add the height(x2) + the width + seam allowance (6″, or whatever you have left) = 48″. Then add the height(x2) + the length + seam allowance (6″, or whatever you have left) = 72″. If you have an inch or 2 less on either side, don’t sweat it, it should still work. Sine you probably need a wider fabric than standard for this, this would be a great time to re-purpose some vintage sheets that you’ve been saving.

At each corner, cut a square the size of your corner plus half of your total seam allowance. In this case, 10″.

Fold your corner so the edges align right-side-facing.

Serge down the length of each edge to make your corner. If you don’t have a serger, you can straight stitch 3/8″ in and then zig-zag along the very edge for a mock-overlock.

Fold over your edge 1/4″ and iron.

Fold over your edge again 1/2″ and straight stitch all the way around along the inside edge to create a pocket for your elastic, leaving a small opening with back stitching at the beginning and end.

Use a safety pin to guide your elastic (3/8″) through the casing. I used a little more than 5′ but it’s best to try it on the crib for size if you have access to it.

Stitch the elastic together securely using forward and back stitches.

Sew up your little pocket.


Easy peasy, right? You can see below that there is a little bit of slack so you will probably be able to use a little less fabric but how nice not to have to wrestle with a sheet to get it on the bed. I hate that.

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42 Comments

Renee Weber

I absolutely love these sheet tutorials. My son has an IKEA toddler bed with a non-standard mattress (bigger than a crib, smaller than a twin) and the only sheets they sell for it are boring old white. Perfect timing too as we just moved and he's getting his own room for the very first time! I'm having a lot of fun decorating it, and now I can incorporate some funky bedding too.

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Barbara L Anderson

I unfortunately found this out this week, and notice it is now 2017 and they still only sell WHITE! I want to make my own and am trying to figure out how to do it. I wish there weren’t so many ads – I’ll have to try to print the whole thing and cut them all out so I have just the sheet info….I will think long and hard about ever buying anything else from IKEA…

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Amanda @ PandiolaLane

So funny that you posted this today! I JUST made one of these yesterday (Snow day project!!) and decided to put elastic all the way around. It turned out great and is a perfect fit! I want to keep making adorable sheets for my baby girl! How sheets is too many for one baby…hmmmm.

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Jocelyn

Ooh, how fun to see the sock croc! Thanks so much! Oh and even if something is not currently listed I can always make it for someone, provided I can find the socks! He looks really great with those sheets. I can't wait to see the rest of the room. And maybe you can share how what you did to combine the two girls into one room!

I just made my daughter a flannel sheet the other night. I used the same measurements that Jaime did but I sewed it to have elastic going all the way around like you. It was my first time to use my new serger. Very exciting. I always hate laying my daughter down on a cold sheet in the winter. So now it is nice and soft and warm and pretty too. The only fannel sheets I ever see are online and are usually plain.

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Allie

Did the sheets fit okay with the old measurements and the elastic all the way around? I’m just afraid its going to come out too small if I use the old measurements, but I didn’t buy extra wide fabric…

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Anne

Thank you! I needed to make a cover for our new changing table pad (my child is a giant, so my husband built an extra long one for him). I've been procrastinating b/c I didn't want to do the math and now you've done it for me! Woot – now I can get started!

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bj2

Thank you for all the great tutorials and sharing, too! Does anyone know where to get fabric to make our own King size bed sheets? I would love to make my own the "right" size to actually fit when two people are "in" the bed!! Not pretty when you make it up!!

Thanks for your help.

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Pamela Hunter

I understand about the fitted bed sheets. My mattress is not as tall as most of the newer fitted sheets. So I have a lot of extra material that won’t stay tucked in all the way down the sides of my mattress. I’ve tried the sheet garters. they work at the corners, but all the way dawn the sides the sheet comes out. Does anyone know how I could fix this? I have too many sheet sets to just start over making new ones.

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Melissa

Love this! I love sheets being a tad bigger. I actually ripped a sheet in half once tryin to pull it over one end of the mattress after it was on the other end. There were some choice words used…good thing the little miss was still in my tummy. It was muffled:)

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Jenn

I love this!!! But there is one thing I totally don't get, but I'm brand-new sewing so maybe it's obvious to everyone else…how do I figure out what size to cut the corner? The tutorial just says "cut a square the size of your corner plus…"

Thanks!

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Holly

Been looking at your previous tutorial for months now (I bookmarked it) and now you have this tutorial. I must try to make a sheet!

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Debbie

In order to make large sheets, you need to buy quilt backing fabrics, often referred to as ‘wide’ because they come in 108″, 120″, etc. The widths vary by manufacturer…

My favorite online fabric vendor is http://www.thousandsofbolts.com – she has the best prices I’ve seen anywhere, but doesn’t carry Amy Butler or Michael Miller. She carries the standard quilting manufacturers like benartex, quilters choice, etc.

You can compare her prices to anyone else’s and they can’t be beat. BUT, you can’t do returns… So be sure to be flexible or buy a small quantity first. You don’t want to get stuck with 5 yards of fabric you don’t like the shade of! Still, with her prices it’s impossible to go wrong…

Happy sewing!

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Judy

Love this tutorial.. thank you.. Just one clarification for me. When you are talking about cutting a square in the corner, you say:

“At each corner, cut a square the size of your corner plus half of your total seam allowance. In this case, 10″.

Is this square the size of the HEIGHT plus half your total? I’m not sure what you mean when you say, “cut a square the size of your corner”.

Thanks

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Gretchen

Did you ever get an answer to this? I have the same question! PLease let me know 🙂

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Alicia

It means the height of your mattress plus half your seam allowance. In her case, it was 7″H plus 3″ for half the 6″ seam allowance = 10″.

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Holly

Awesomeness! I made a crib sheet for a friend using this tutorial, and she loved it so much she put it on her soon-to-be-born son’s crib and posted the picture on Facebook. I think from now on, I just might make and give handmade crib sheets as baby gifts. Everyone else gives clothes and blankets, but who gives a custom crib sheet? 🙂

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Liz

Where do you find fabric post shrunk to 48″? I am looking for organic like your cloud 9 but all the cloud 9 fabric I can find is 44/45″ which seems too small to do the elastic this way….which I much prefer.

Thanks!!!!

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