Sleeping bag tutorial!

Wow, this was fun! And, even though it was a little more of an intermediate level project (as far as I'm concerned), it was still a lot easier than I anticipated!
This sleeping bag was made for my daughter, so it's pretty little, but the same tutorial would work for any size! Let's get started!



1) So, obviously the first thing you want to do is pick your fabric and lining. I picked a brown damask fabric (OK, they were old curtains from Walmart...) for the outside, and a pink and white flannel for the lining. 

2) Figure out what size you want your sleeping bag, and cut both your fabrics in that size. For example: my daughter is still pretty small, so I made hers 38"X45", which is 38"X22" finished size when it's folded.

3) If you want to embellish it with polka-dots (or whatever you want! Get creative!), trace a cup or bowl in the size you want your dots onto felt, and cut them out.


4) Lay your cut-outs onto the fabric you've chosen for the outside and pin them where you want them. I recommend only putting them on the front of the bag, so you'd just pin them on the right half of the fabric.



5) Set your machine to zig-zag, and sew all the way around all of the dots.



6) Once you've sewn on all your appliques, place your lining fabric on top of the outside fabric, right sides together, and sew up three of the sides, leaving the top side open.





7) Cut 4 layers of batting (you may use more or less, depending on how puffy you'd like it to be) to the same size of your fabrics. Turn your sleeping bag shell (the fabrics you sewed together) right side in, and stuff your batting in through the open top. Smooth everything down. 


8) On the open side, fold the outside fabric over the lining fabric, with edges tucked under, and pin all the way down.

9) Sew all along the top side.


10) Mark several lines across the width of the bag with a measuring tape and pins, I did three lines on mine, you'll probably want more if it's a bigger bag.


11) Sew along the lines that you've marked, stopping(with a back-stitch) before and after your appliques so you don't sew through them. You may want to change your bobbin thread to match the color of the lining at this point, since it will show on the bottom. I forgot to! Oops! :o)



11) The (almost) finished product! At this point you'll want to choose a closure. I don't know if you can buy a zipper long enough to use on a sleeping bag, so if you want you can use ties, buttons, hooks, whatever you fancy. I actually just used velcro, which was nice and easy!


12) You may sew the velcro right on with your machine (being sure, again, that your bobbin thread matches the color of your outer fabric!), or you may hand stitch it, so you don't create another line on the outside.


13) Ta-da! You're finished! Isn't it cute?? 

The back:

My daughter loves it! I keep coming into her room to find her playing "night-night" with her little monkey. :o)

P.S. I have no idea why I made my toddler a sleeping bag. We never go camping, and at 2 years old, she probably won't be having sleep-overs any time soon. But as they say, cute needs no reason, right?
Have a great day, guys. :o)

Comments

  1. That's great. I think my 3 year old AND my 19 month old would LOVE it.

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  2. I just read/looked at every post of your blog. You are so talented and creative!!! In a month or two, you will be well-knows like My Mama Made It and Happy Together. You have a bright bloggging future!!!!!! I am featuring this post at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com. Grab my "featured" button. You will have many of these within a short time (since I have already seen many of your projects in a couple of places.) I am adding you to the blogs I follow. I look forward to more of your beautiful creations!!!

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  3. This is awesome!!! I bet your daughter loves snuggling up in something that her mommy made just for her.

    I posted a link to your tutorial on Craft Gossip Sewing:
    http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-sew-a-sleeping-bag/2009/08/25/

    --Anne

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  4. very cute sleeping bag! I think I will give it a try as a gift for a friends daughter!

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  5. This is a great project! My kids love to have sleep overs with mom and dad in the living room and something made specifically for them would make that even more fun! This is a great idea!

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  6. I'm planning on making a sleeping bag for my 3 year old. These are just my style instructions which will hopefully help me get around to getting this project started and done! I am also now trying to think of all the random fabric we have around that could possible work. Yours turned out really cute.

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  7. Very cute. Just about to make sleeping bags for my daughter and son for Christmas and came to bloggy world to see if I could find a tutorial. Thanks!

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  8. This is so adorable! I so want to make a Spiderman one for my little boy. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. Stop it, this is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my short life.

    That's okay.

    GO CAMPING! and smile at your prophetic intuition.

    haha, g.r.e.a.t job Disney. greeeat job.

    -roe
    yeshoneychyle.com

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  10. I married in to a camping/hunting family and we currently have 3 little one that go with us, and there is nothing more annoying then their sleeping bags not working for them. I love this. So much that I am Making 3 for Christmas. But we have a question on the batting that you used? everything else was pretty straight forward, but on the type of bat is where we are stumped. Thanks for the help and awesome idea.

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  11. Another thing to add to my list of HAVE to makes!!!! My little princess isn't quite 2 yet,but I'm sure she would love it, and maybe {hopefully} it will inspire a little camping trip!

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  12. I'm so excited to try this in the new year. I tried to "pin" it for pinterest, but it says that it can't b/c it doesn't see any large images on the page??? Just thought I'd let you know, as pinterest is a fabulous way for sharing things just like this. I know several of my friends who will also adore this article!!

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  13. I can tell you why... Because we are taking a 2 & a 3 year old to the Outer Banks for a week and the adults want the beds!!! And a month later we are moving half way across the country and they are losing their beds for at least a week and I want them to think that it is all a great adventure rather than be traumatized!

    ReplyDelete

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