Baby making (the craft/diy thread)

lovesclimbing

Sewing? Embroidery? Fiber arts? Painting? Paper arts? Drawing? Carpentry? Pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks?

Share what you're making for your new little one! 

lovesclimbing

I'm a sewer. I haven't decided what I'll make specifically for this one. My life is crazy this summer, and I'm not home much, so no sewing machine. 

I sewed fitted cloth diapers last time, which I will use again for this baby. This time, I want to experiment with wool covers. They're so expensive though, so I plan to find cheap wool sweaters at thrift stores and make some out of that.

I made myself a nursing cover (the strap around the neck and stiff front to hold it up kind), which I LOVE! It's huge. Way bigger than even the "big" ones that are sold commercially, which is awesome. Super simple, and if anyone wants to see the blog pattern I followed, I'd be happy to share the link (not my blog.) I also sewed one of those nursing cover/car seat covers, but didn't end up using it much at all. 

I've also sewn my daughter a dress, and plan to do more clothes sewing for my children. 

I began sewing myself a maternity top last pregnancy, and I plan to finish it this time. I also have picked up another maternity pattern that I'm looking forward to using. 

I started a baby wearing cover modeled after the Mamalila covers, because those looked like the best styles I could find. I want to work on it because this baby is a winter baby and get it finished! It's hard because I haven't made my own pattern before. 

I think that's about it for now! I will probably make some little mittens (as well as some for my daughter), and possibly some fleece overalls or some type of bunting for the baby. I already have a pattern for that. 

shrub

Nothing crazy but I'll be crocheting a few blankets for this babe. I may also be making mermaid blankets for my girls as a gift for when the baby comes. 

maggiemadeit

I love to knit. For my daughter I made a blanket that we used a ton, and a beautiful lace dress that she was too large to ever wear. 

I ahve been browsig ravelry pretty hard, but I think I will wait until we know the sex to decide on anything. 

mamakate1616

I’d love to be crafty but I just don’t have skills. I’ll probably buy some stuff on Etsy. Lol 

meggyme

@maggiemadeit I like to knit too. I'll probably end up making a few little hats, since those are my go-to and baby hats knit up super quick. Every winter I make hats and sometimes mittens for my DD and niece. My bff is having a baby in Feb, so I'll probably make hats for both of her kids this year.

momofmanyinthemitten

I sewed (extra padded) drooler bibs for my other babies because they were all big droolers. I also made post partum cloth pads for myself. I bleed for the full 6 weeks after and using plastic pads gets so gross. 

brookepdavis

I sewed blackout curtains for DD's room, a crib rail cover, and a crib skirt. I also made a ribbon mobile for over her crib. We designed the nursery to be gender neutral so we're going to keep it the same for the next baby. I will need to do some crafting for DD's big girl room though. I probably need to get started soon since crawling around on the floor making blackout curtains during the 3rd trimester was awful. Other than curtains I'm not sure what else I'm going to do for DD's room. We haven't made any progress on design so far. 

HoneyBear40

I crocheted 2 blankets for DD and a carseat cover but she was born in July and the cover was a little warm and then wasn't really easy to use once we got to colder months. I'm excited to use the cover in March - cause let's face it there could still be snow on the ground in March/April in Wisconsin  
I'm planning on making 2 blankets for this kiddo as well.

southerngirlinwi

@HoneyBear40 I need all your tips for surviving Wisconsin winters pregnant/with a little one!

HoneyBear40

@southerngirlinwi My first pregnancy I was in first trimester during the winter so we'll be going through that part together lol. I think WI survival is very much just survival and you add a little one to bundle

booksiscute

Ohhhh I am excited about this! I've been getting crafty urges for baby stuff! I want to sew and knit some things for them, I already love knitting toys but baby clothes are so fun to knit and fast to finish. I will be watching this thread and will share pics when I actually make something.

lovesclimbing

@southerngirlinwi, @HoneyBear40, we could always start a Cold Weather Mom's thread or something like that. I'm in Alaska, so this ought to be interesting!

I am consistently disappointed in the cold weather maternity options out there. I googled and googled, and so far as I can tell, maternity snow pants simply don't exist. Last pregnancy, I wore a pair my formerly overweight aunt gave me that she didn't need after she lost weight. Fit fine in the belly, but awfully baggy and weird everywhere else. 

kristimh80

I'll probably be making a cute little sign or decor with my Cricut. Made a boho chic one for my niece's 16th and made me think how would be cute for baby stuff.

BuckeyeNut05

Hats off to all the sewers, I totally suck at that!  I used to be a product manager for power tools, so I am much more of a DIY-er. I plan on updating the room, and building on of these with an unfinished IKEA dresser (slightly salty that they don't sell the one in the picture anymore but I'll make it work).  

brookepdavis

I just realized this thread is called "baby making" 

kristimh80

@BuckeyeNut05 Oh I love those shelfs! I wish I could sew too. my mom is an avid sewer but I knew I could never sit still long enough! Wish I was as handy as you!

@brookepdavis LOL 

momofmanyinthemitten

@lovesclimbing- I upcycled wool sweaters as wool covers and loved them. I just used a free pattern from online  as a guide.

meggyme

Sorry, this pic is huge...

hummingbird35

I want to do something like this! I'll put both kids measurements on it. Currently looking for one with a little more personality

lovesclimbing

brookepdavis said:

I just realized this thread is called "baby making" 

Haha, I did that on purpose.  I was trying to make it funny. 

momofmanyinthemitten said:

@lovesclimbing- I upcycled wool sweaters as wool covers and loved them. I just used a free pattern from online  as a guide.

I'd love a recommendation! Can you share the link? I haven't found a pattern yet. I was planning to look up ones on various blogs or trace around my existing Thirsties covers as a guide.

BuckeyeNut05

@kristimh80 if you have a saw and a nailer, you can do so many things!  I promise it's way easier than you'd think!  

@flyingmombula that is so cute!

meggyme

@flyingmombula I made one of these with a friend of mine’s stencil kit. Her shop is Life of a Navy Wife. She can customize anything on it.

indigoheightsblog

wow i am so jealous... so many crafty mamas here!!! i'm a "buy something crafty on etsy" kinda gal  

catlady2015

I made these two blankets a few years ago and have been saving them for when I finally got pregnant. I owe DH a quilt so I need to do that before doing more crafting for this LO.  

shinyobjects

@lovesclimbing said:

I made myself a nursing cover (the strap around the neck and stiff front to hold it up kind), which I LOVE! It's huge. Way bigger than even the "big" ones that are sold commercially, which is awesome. Super simple, and if anyone wants to see the blog pattern I followed, I'd be happy to share the link (not my blog.) 

Yes please! I’d love to check that out!

I do a little bit of a lot of different crafts. I was super into baking and making elaborate cakes for a long time, I used to make sculpey figurines as a kid, and I’ve done a fair amount of embroidery and jewelry making. I went to college for technical theatre, so a lot of set building, costumes, but I always loved making props most because you have to do a lot of out of the box thinking, and it covers a lot of crafts-painting, building, sewing, hodgepodge...
My dream job right now is if I could figure out a way to make a living bedazzling things. I covered a pair of converse sneakers in rhinestones for my wedding (pic below)-it was tedious but I found it very enjoyable. But as DH says, it took so long I could never make enough selling them. (Pic doesn’t show it well-they are SO sparkly! And I wear them all the time and they still look great.) Ah well.

Is anyone else watching “Making It”? I love it so far, but it just makes me want to get back into hardcore crafting/miss that time in my life.

lovesclimbing

@distractedbyshinyobjects Here you go! 

https://acraftedpassion.com/how-to-make-a-nursing-cover/

I will say there are a couple things that are unclear, and one thing flat out wrong in that though. Make sure you hem the sides first and then the top and bottom. If you do the top before the sides, you'll be closing up the hole to thread the boning through when you do the sides. There's no need to top stitch around the whole thing unless you really want to. It's just extra stitching, and I didn't bother. Just the hem is just fine. Also, round off the ends of the boning. I also wrapped the ends of the boning in fabric on the second one I made. The first one, I didn't think to and the sharp corners of the plastic began poking holes in the fabric and poking my neck after just a few months of use. 

Finally, the instructions explicitly state the straps should be sewn next to the ends of the boning. This is wrong. I did that and the boning did not stand up. It just flopped down and laid flat on my chest, and I ended up ripping it out and redoing it. If you want the boning to stand out as in the pictures, the straps have to be sewn on top of the ends of the boning, which will require hand sewing. If you look close, you can even see in the pictures that this is how it was done, so I'm not sure why the instructions are wrong. 

mamakate1616

@distractedbyshinyobjects we’ve been watching! It is an odd show but I love it. People can do amazing things and it’s so fun to watch them and how they go about it. Primary reason I keep reading this thread - excited to see what all you ladies come up with! 

shinyobjects

Thanks @lovesclimbing!!

@catlady2015 those are SOO cute!! I've never been a big fan of quilts, but those are kind of changing my mind. I especially adore the owl one!

@meggyme-I saw a shirt that had that a few years back and have always kept it in mind to get whenever I got pregnant. Waiting until end of the first tri and then I'm totally getting one!

mamakate1616

Where are my crochet moms? I’m trying to learn and need some tips. I got a skein of lightweight 3 and am using a 5.5mm hook. (I also got big fat blanket yarn and a bigger hook and having a different problem - fuzz is making it hard for me to see lol)
I feel like my things (chains?) keep pulling too tight and it’s looking a little wonky. How do you keep the loops the right size?

Kenneylynn3

I'm a beginner crochet mom. So I'm sorry I don't really have any tips. I just use a bigger needle and don't pull tightly (or really at all). I start a blanket everytime I get pregnant. Hopefully I finish it this time.

3rdtime_charmed

You may need to work on your “hold”. The hand that isn’t holding your hook has to keep steady tension and there are lots of techniques for this including wrapping the yarn around your pinky and others. There are LOTS of great instructional videos on YouTube. I apparently learned to knit backwards and they do it that way in the UK so my videos all have great accents!

mamaoftwomonkeys

Just bought this for the baby; hopefully I finish it in time!   

lovesclimbing

That is cute! I do cross stitch, too, although I haven't done anything for my children. Right now, I have a landscape in progress hat I may frame when it's done. 

mamaoftwomonkeys

In love with this so far! Thinking of leaving the words on the top off, though. Thoughts?

ashley14598

@mamaoftwomonkeys cute!! I have a Winnie the Pooh I’ve been working for over 10 years lol! My mom cross stitches and it’s beautiful! I know how but I just never make the time. DS currently loves Pooh so maybe I’ll pull it out to finish. Thanks for the inspiration!

applesandbananas23

So, part of me thinks this plan is a little crazy but part of me loves it - - let me know what you all think!

We have a very fluffy/soft rough collie (like lassie only blue Merle colors) and he sheds a lot. Like a lot. When we brush him there is like a whole other dog of just floof. There is an etsy lady who will spin your pets fur into 2 ply yarn. Apparently collie floof is perfect for it because of the length of fur. We have a paper grocery bag full of fluff (about 13 oz) that we are thinking about sending her. I can knit at the most basic level (like... Scarves and I made a hat once, I could probably do a baby blanket also?). If we do this I would want to try a baby hat, or again, maybe a blanket, or a scarf for me or a nursing cover.

Any experienced knitters have ideas about how much yarn I would need? Or hmwhat gage knitting needles to use? Am I totally crazy for considering this? 

lovesclimbing

Hmm, I think I'd be concerned about the potential smell. How clean can they get it, and can they ever really get it clean enough to not have the "wet dog" smell if it got wet?

Honestly, my first inclination is "so weird!" but there isn't really anything wrong with it. 

I would be prepared for the possibility of people asking what your finished product is made of and possibly getting some "weird" responses. I have an ear band made of an unusual fur, and I've gotten questions about it even from strangers on the elevator. 

meggyme

I just finished 2 hats for my BFF’s kids. She has a daughter and is due with a little boy in Feb. The newborn hat came out larger than I was expecting. I might have to compare it to one I have around the house. I’m debating adding ear flaps to the newborn one to keep the little man’s ears warm without pulling the whole hat down.

maggiemadeit

@meggyme I love these! So cute! 

sejica

Finally finished painting this LO room. Its supposed to feel like being underwater below the bookshelf/chair rail (which I also made with my mom's help).