When a new baby is on the way it's nice to get creative and make something for them. We've had a flurry of friends having babies recently so I've been busy busy making things for them, scouring the internet for the cutest ideas! 

Here are some of my favourite things to sew for babies:

A playmat

One of the first things I made when we were expecting our first child (some... cough... 24 years ago) was a play mat, we found it really useful and it got passed down for all our kids. It was rolled on, dribbled on, sicked on, bunged in the washing machine. hid underneath, slept on, slept under, picnicked on out in the garden - really well used!  With this in mind I made a patchwork play mat for our friends new baby recently, it was a great way to use some of my fabric stash too. They even sent me a photo of it in use - how lovely is that! 

Bibs

If you have a very sicky or dribbly baby you'll know just how many bibs you can get through in a day! If they do end up wearing a bib almost all the time it's nice to have nice ones. I remember thinking how pointless it was having sweet little outfits for our daughter to wear, she had a bib covering them ALL THE TIME as an absolute necessity. At least if the bib is cute you can feel a bit better about it! 

The Willow Market have an easy to follow pattern for a traditional little bib. Kelli experimented with different fabrics and came up with a very absorbent option. 

If you prefer a bandana style bib then White & Bright have a lovely pattern and tutorial. 

Dummy/Pacifier/Soother Clip

Whether you call them dummies, soothers or pacifiers those little blighters can get lost SO easily. A simple clip can be a lifesaver, we used one of these all the time for our oldest and youngest, both of whom LURVED their dummies for a while. The DIY Mummy has a great tutorial on how to make them. 

Storage Solutions

There's no getting away from it, babies seem to need a lot of stuff! A divide and conquer approach is helpful so these nesting baskets from Made by Chrissie D are ideal. 

Changing Mat

Vicky Myers Creations has a great tutorial to make a baby changing mat in just 30 minutes. It's got pockets for nappies and wipes and folds up into a cute looking pouch. Very clever.

Nursery Rug

Sew Can Do has a great step by step tutorial to make this sweet little Narwhal Rug, It's super cute and it's soft for popping baby on, or for mum/dad when they inevitably end up sitting or kneeling by the cot. But more than that, it's practical (aka designed by an experienced mum) - the cover comes off so it's washable. 

Nappy/Diaper Pouch

I think a little pouch for a couple of nappies (diapers) and a pack of wipes, to keep in your changing bag is such a useful idea. I must do, as I made one for a friend a couple of years ago! (I also adapted the pattern and made a long thin version for knitting needles) The pattern I used then is from Crazy Little Projects.

Noodlehead has a slightly different diaper pouch design that I really like too. Another one with loads of great clear photos in the tutorial.

Scratch Mitts

Whether you need them as scratch mitts or mittens to keep babies hands warm, this pattern from Treasures Under the Willow Tree is so well thought out. No tight elastic, but a style that will stay put. 

Soft Shoes

Any parent knows that baby shoes that stay on is like the holy grail of babies. That's Sew Nina have a pattern and some advice on how to adjust it to make different sizes that looks really good. I struggled a little to find the link to the pattern to start with - it's the title of the post just above the 2nd photos where it says "thatssewnina Cloth Baby Shoe Tutorial". That's a clickable link that opens a PDF. 

Tagged Blankets

Tagged blankets are a really popular baby make. Mama Writes Reviews has a great tutorial on how she made a pretty one for a friends new baby.  This one is a little larger than others I've seen, making it useful to double up as a pushchair/stroller blanket too.

The only thing I do differently when I make tagged blankets is to sew the loops up. I read somewhere once about a baby getting their finger caught up in a loop. It's probably being overcautious, you can make them any way you prefer of course. 

Snuggle Quilt

 Made by Chrissie D has a great pattern to make a hand tied snuggle quilt, Chris has done all the maths for you and provides patterns to make it in 3 sizes which makes it very versatile. The step by step instructions are really clear too, with lots of photos. 

Soft Foam Baby Blocks

These are such a versatile toy to make for a baby, they are great for developing building skills when they are little and then for throwing and catching games when they get a little bit bigger. Wren Handmade has a simple tutorial and some great photos of her baby blocks in use.

Travel High Chair

I think this is just brilliant and SO wish I had thought of this when our kids were small. A fabric "highchair" that you can pop in your bag and take anywhere, The tutorial is from This Mama Makes Stuff. There is a warning at the end, this is not a 5 point harness and babies should not be left in something like this unsupervised, even so it's got to be better than trying to eat with your little one on your lap! 

Embroider a Hooded Towel

If you are short of time you could try embroidering a ready made hooded baby towel like I’ve done here:

Have you ever sewn something special for a new baby?

Julie