Nursery decor and DIY

srheflin91

Quickly put, I've been put on bedrest because of high BP until my little girl arrives. I'm usually a pretty hyperactive person that doesn't like sitting still, so my MIL suggested I do some crafts, crocheting or sewing of some sort to keep myself busy for the last few weeks. I'm not very good at those type of things, but figured I might give sewing a try.

We still haven't bought/found curtains for little Emma's room that we like, so I thought maybe I could make a set. However, I only have a general idea on what to do to make them(especially since I have to hand sew, because I am honestly TERRIFIED of using a sewing machine, as silly as it sounds. I've never used one!)

I found some various fabrics I like with some really cute patterns that match her colours(green/purple/pink with minty green walls) What is the best material in your opinion to use ladies?

Also I know this won't take me but a day or two to make, so what other items(besides clothing, I really don't want to make that much of a mess of fabric, lol) would you suggest me attempting to make?

Thank you all in advance!

kateraid

Check out Pinterest. There are a lot of great ideas on there including NO SEW curtains!

ellewoodsSC

I am a little confused as to your sewing skills level, so additional recommendations are based on the assumption that you are a complete novice.  Don't be afraid to use the sewing machine, especially if you can have someone on hand to show you how to do the threading and adjust the settings because you can learn all the basics in a few hours.   

Other easy projects:

coordinating room pillow for chair or glider

decorative burp cloths or wipes 

 

more adventurous projects:

a quilt or stroller blanket

taggies lovie

large hooded towels

fabric storage bins and baskets

 

ETA fabric selection for curtains:  

Depends on the look you are going for.  If you want a sheer, gauzy type look, choose lightweight cottons, silk, muslin.  

If you want room darkening curtains, choose a heavier cotton or drapery fabric available in the home and upholstery section and line with light blocking layer 

 

srheflin91

ellewoodsSC:

I am a little confused as to your sewing skills level...

 

I can sew by hand well enough to say, make a pillow, or darn some clothing, but I've never in my life used a sewing machine, hence its intimidation factor. We do have one in the house (it is my MILs), but no I have never used one, and am afraid to quite frankly.

 We have some wooden blinds on the windows, so having a heavier material to darken isn't necessary. I was considering a scarf, but thought it would be nice to add a personal touch for her is all. I've actually never heard of Pintrest, so thank you I will check it out!

runlong3

Oh geez, I would never attempt to make curtains sewn by hand. That would be a ton of work. Especially if you're looking at floor length curtains -- that's close to 250" of sewing per panel. No thank you. Also, I made the curtains for my nursery and because you're working with so much fabric, you're usually on the floor crawling around having to pin things or line things up - not exactly bedrest friendly.

I think small items, like clothing or toys or pillows would be perfect to work on and would go well with hand sewing. 

Honestly though, I would have your MIL show you how to use her machine as something to do. It is really really not terrifying and it would open up a lot more projects to you. If I could teach my DH how to do it at 10pm and he figured it out... it can't be that bad.   

srheflin91

Thank you so much for the opinions and ideas everyone! I'm going to try a couple of the ideas out, and see how it goes.