As a mom to a newborn, I changed the sheets of my son's crib almost every day. As he got older, it was every few days. Now that he's almost 18 months old, I typically change them once a week. Suffice to say, good crib sheets are a necessity. While scrambling to get everything ready for baby, I was gifted several sheets from my local Buy Nothing group. I love my Buy Nothing and am very grateful to the ladies who gifted those sheets to me. However, it's a struggle to actually get them onto the mattress and I wanted some sheets that I wouldn't have to fight. Enter the sewing machine.
I've now made 2 sheets following the steps below and they not only fit the crib perfectly, they're easy to get on over the mattress pad (another necessity along with a mattress protector). I would definitely recommend offering to make some sheets as a gift for new moms or even as a birthday present for younger kiddos. Just be sure the recipient gets to help pick out the fabric!
Click here to skip to the video tutorial!
Q: How long does it take to make a crib sheet?
A: In total, it took me about an hour to make each crib sheet, even with a small helper! The most time-consuming piece is ironing the casing for the elastic.
Q: How difficult is this project?
A: This is a great beginner project as there are very few cuts and you only need to stitch in a straight line. It also uses woven fabric (recommended) which is best if you're learning to sew.
Q: What materials do I need to make a crib sheet?
A: To make a crib sheet, you will need:
2 yards of 45 in wide fabric (see notes below)
2 yards of elastic (I recommend 1/2 in, 3/8 in, or 3/4 in wide)
Thread
Measuring tape and/or ruler(s)
Fabric scissors
Tailor's chalk or a pencil or a pen
Straight pins
Safety pin or bodkin, for weaving in the elastic
Hem gauge (optional - a ruler will suffice)
Rotary cutter and cutting mat (optional - scissors alone is fine)
Fabric weights (optional but helpful)
Pinking shears (optional)
Notes & Tips
(Fabric & Materials) For this project, I recommend using a natural fiber that breathes well and, importantly, WASHES well. Crib sheets are going to go through the wash a LOT so the fabric needs to hold up well to both the washing machine and the dryer. 100% cotton is a great choice for wash-ability, breathability, and cost. The quilter's section at any fabric store will have plenty of choices for print cottons that are all 45 inches wide.
For colder months, cotton flannel or even fleece fabrics can be good choices. If you're making sheets for babies under 1 year old, hold the fabric so it covers your face completely. If you can't breath easily through it, don't buy it.
Other natural fibers like linen, viscose, lyocell, or rayon can also make good sheets. Be wary of anything silky or flowy, however, as it will be difficult to sew for beginners. While you can use knit fabrics, I wouldn't recommend it as they are typically line dry only and who has time for that when washing the kids' stuff.
(How much Fabric to Buy) The piece of fabric cut for the crib sheet will need to be 45 inches by 68 inches. Accounting for trimming up the ends, buy 2 yards.
A note here that you might also want to make a matching flat sheet and/or pillow case for older children. For a flat sheet, another 2 yards should suffice, simply cut to size and do a folded hem all around the outside. For a pillowcase (a future project for this blog but don't count on any specific timeline), you'll need another 3/4 yard.
A Bit of Math
The tutorial below assumes you are using a standard sized crib mattress (27.5 in x 51 in x 6 in). If you've bought your mattress at IKEA, it will measure 27.5 in x 52 in with varying depths. Or perhaps you need more sheets for your Pack 'n Play, bassinet, or mini-crib. Let's walk through the math so you can figure out how big to cut your crib sheet.
Working off of the standard crib mattress size, diagram above, we know that our final project will need to measure wide enough to accommodate the 28 inch width of the mattress (rounded from 27.5), plus the 6 inch depth on either side, plus a little bit underneath the mattress where it wraps around. Our sheet will be made up of a rectangle with square cutouts in each corner where we'll add the seams which make the corners.
Since our fabric is 45 inches wide (standard width), we can subtract 45 - 28 = 17 inches of fabric remaining to cover the depth and wraparound. Divide by 2 and we have 8.5 inches remaining on either side of the mattress. This is perfect as we'll have about 2.5 inches of "overhang" under the mattress to work with when we add the elastic channel.
This 8.5 inches is important since it determines the size of our cutout squares (MUST be a square or the edges won't match up for the seams).
Moving on to the length. We now know that our cutout squares will be 8.5 inches. Since there are two total, that's 17 inches. Add the length of the mattress, and we have 17 + 51 = 68 inches total.
You might be asking - do we need to account for seam allowance? Nope! The cutouts will be sewn with a narrow hem but will actually ADD to total mattress area size of the sheet since the seams will make the cutouts larger. The channel for the elastic underneath will be relatively narrow as well and while it would be great to add a bit more overhang to accommodate for this, we're limited by the fabric width.
How to Sew Crib Sheets
(Step 0 - prep the fabric)
I cannot stress enough how this fabric is going to get run into the ground. Pre-wash and dry your fabric using the regular cycles, then iron it.
(Step 1 - cut out the rectangle)
Fold your fabric in half long ways (hotdog style) and smooth it out. Trim up the first edge so it's square to the long edge and even all the way across.
From your newly squared edge, measure across 68 inches, marking smaller intervals to get the full length measured properly (I measured 30 inches, marked, then measured 38 inches and marked). Cut across, making sure the edge is square to the long side.
(Step 2 - cut out corner squares)
With your fabric still folded, mark an 8.5 inch square in the corner that does NOT have the folded edge. Cut it out, cutting through both layers of fabric. Repeat at the other short edge.
(Step 3 - French seam the corners)
Unfold your fabric. In one of the corners where you cut out the square, match the WRONG sides of the fabric together along where you just cut. This will make a diagonal line. Pin. Stitch with a 1/4 inch seam. Trim the seam, using pinking shears if you have them. Be careful not to cut into the seam!
Turn the seam over so the RIGHT sides of the fabric are together. Press. Flatten the seam and pin. The first part of the seam should be completely encased. Stitch with a 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch seam, making sure the first seam is enclosed.
Repeat for all of the corners (4 total).
(Step 4 - make the elastic channel)
Working with the wrong side of the fabric facing up, create a double fold hem all around the outside of the crib sheet by first pressing in 1/4 inch, then folding over again and pressing 5/8 inch to make the channel. Pin or clip as you go.
Mark a "no sew" zone for a few inches of the channel (I like to use a set of two pins right next to each other) so you remember to leave a bit open.
Stitch close to the inner folded edge, remembering to NOT stitch shut your no sew zone!
(Step 5 - add the elastic)
Cut a 2 yard length of elastic. Pin one end towards the middle of your no sew zone so it stays put. Put your safety pin through the other end of the elastic and use that to guide the elastic all the way around the channel, adjusting the fabric as you go. Once you've gone all the way around, clip the elastic ends together with the safety pin and re-distribute the fabric so it's evenly scrunched.
Pull a bit of elastic out of the channel so you can easily manipulate the ends. Overlap the elastic ends by 2 or 3 inches, then stitch around them. You can either use a straight stitch and make a box (what I did), or just go down the middle with a wide zig-zag stitch.
Pull the elastic back into the channel so it's under the fabric. Lay the fabric flat on the machine and pull the elastic so that the fabric is totally flat. Stitch the channel closed.
Done! Time to make the bed or wrap your gift!
How to Sew Crib Sheets - Video Tutorial
More of a video person? Check out the video below!
Did you make crib sheets with this tutorial? Share it with me @craftematics on your favorite social media!
