Burp Cloth Bundles: A Tutorial

Just in case you'd like to make a pile of easy-peasy burp cloths to have on hand for baby gifts, I threw together a tutorial for you. I haven't shown the most fun part, and that is choosing the flannel (on sale this month at JoAnn for $2.49, which is regularly $5.99!).

This stuff is a dream to sew on; they call it "snuggle flannel" and finishes off so well. It's worth the wait for it to go on sale to stock up!

For a pattern, get a piece of freezer paper, tissue paper, or a piece of parchment to cut a rectangle 11 x 17" and use a cup, glass or a measuring cup to get a nice, rounded corner on each side.

Not only does it make these look professional, it makes the sewing go much faster when you don't have to stop to turn corners. Zzzzzippp....around the edge you go!

If you wanted to, you could cut six patterns so you could pin and cut a whole set out at once. Then store the pattern to use again next time!

Cut your pattern out....

You'll need to choose your flannel. For about six burp cloths, you will need one yard of a print, and one yard of a small pattern or solid to coordinate. The choice shown above is NOT a good one, because there is too much white and stains will show too well. I will use this one instead to make a rice bag.

This is the way to cut them out and pin them together: with right sides together. Mark a spot on each to leave an opening. I do that with a pin placed a different direction from the others (as shown in top center of photo).

Load a couple bobbins or ten and get going!

Sew one right after another, without stopping to snip threads and let the "chain" of burp cloths rest on your lap.

If you don't want to do that, just stop and start and cut and snip threads as you go, I won't tell anyone, and anyway, this ain't no NASCAR race!

Once every burp cloth has been sewn, taking care on each to leave an opening in order to turn right side out again, get your very favorite jammies on, get comfy in your chair and find something good to watch and start unpinning. Once they're all unpinned, snip threads and ....

Trim all seams.

Turn them all right side out, smooth them with your hand, making sure rounded corners aren't puckered and are sitting nicely.

I tried to do a close shot to show you my decorative stitch that goes around the edge of each. Here it's shown running over top of the place where I sewed the burp cloth shut.

Little gardening froggie burp cloths all ready to go to some sweet little baby girl!

( When you're all done, don't forget to clean your machine out good, underneath in the bobbin case will be all sorts of flannel fuzz....blow it out!)

I can't resist doing a few pastels, too!

As you can see, I've done quite a pile, really enjoyed catching up on some sewing.

Throughout the week, I've made steady progress (assembly line style) on replenishing my supply of handy baby gifts. You won't believe it, but I've given away three sets of these in the last couple of weeks!

(My girl stock was getting low, there's been a run on girls lately!)

So I thought I'd show you what the fun bundles look like, all ready to attach a gift card and a note and perhaps a sweet little gift chosen just for the new baby...

These should be enough to stock me up for another year.

This brown strawberry print for little girls was my favorite, and I'd love to find more, I bought all that my JoAnn had! This set went in the mail to Kansas a couple days ago to my daughter's sister and brother-in-law for their new baby girl.

I have another set ready to go out to my god-daughter this week for her baby boy coming in March.

I know of a certain little guy that's due in June that just might get these....

or maybe these...

I enjoy finding cute prints for the "top" and a coordinating print, usually polka dots or gingham that will coordinate for the back.

I make sets of six.

I fold three right side up and three back side up, so the bottom of the bundle looks like the picture below.

The tulling "ribbon" is also found at JoAnn, up in the bins near the register in my store. The reason I spend the money on this tulling is because it helps avoid gift wrapping ... these are too cute to cover up anyway and it's complete and ready to give just with this "ribbon".

To make the whole job more efficient this is how I do it:
I cut them all out.
I iron all of them.
I pin them all of them together while I sit and watch something.
I sew them all, in a chain, one set after the other.
Cut them all apart.
Snip threads.
Trim the seams.
Turn to the right side.
Pin all the openings with a pin.
Sew all of the openings shut, again in a chain.
Top stitch all of the burp cloths using accent color thread on the top.
(And I use a fancier stitch for the top-stitching, but you don't have to!)
Iron again if needed, it usually isn't.
Bundle into packs of six, three right side, three wrong side.
Tie them into bundles using whatever you have!
They're ready to give!!!!

"Don't stop 'til you get enough...don't stop 'til you get enough....don't stop til you get enough...."
--The King of Pop



Email me if you have any questions, these are the simplest and most enjoyable things to make and I love having them on hand, it solves the "what should I get the new baby" question.

Such cozy work, too!