Car Seat Blanket

Today I will show you how to make a blanket for your car seat, so it can't fall off. Since it's winter, I thought it was a good idea to share, especially since I recently made one for my sisters baby. Also, I'm not sure why all of the pictures are square, so to see them fully and clearer, go to my Facebook page

To start, buy one yard of two different flannel fabrics. If you want, you can buy two yards of one fabric instead, but then it will look the same on both sides. I think 2 different ones looks cuter. You will also need thread that matches the fabrics, an iron, and all of your sewing essentials such as fabric scissors, sewing machine, a bobbin that matches your thread, a seam picker, pins, tape measurer etc.. 

To start, take one of your fabrics and fold one corner up, so that it makes a triangle shape and cut, so that when you unfold it, it is a perfect square. Now, fold it into fourths, and curve out the one edge across from the fold (NOT THE FOLDED SIDE!) Also, if you want to sort of go in on the sides, do that too, because it makes it so it doesn't wrap around the baby until a little lower on its arms. It should look something like this.

Once you've found the shape you like, cut it out, and unfold it. Now lay out your opposite fabric right side up, and put your shaped fabric right side down ontop, so the good sides are touching eachother. Now pin the two fabrics together and cut the same shape out onto the other fabric on the bottom. Since they are already pinned, now you can just take it to the sewing machine! Sew all around the thing, except for one of the corners. We will need to flip it right side out, and we will finish off that corner as a little hood. Sew around and don't forget to backstitch at the beginning and end. Now, cut off the extra fabric on the outside of the seam so that when you flip it inside out, it won't be chunky in some places. Flip it right side out through that open corner, and fold the whole thing in half (more like a triangle, rather than a rectangle) so that the open corner is folded in half. Now sew a straight line across the open corner to make a hood. I recommend pinning that before you sew, so that you can see if it looks the way you want it. Also, make sure that the fabric that the baby will sit on is facing out when you sew. Backstitch at the beginning and end. Then, cut off the extra fabric on top.

Now, iron it at this step. If there is still an opening at the top, fold the material inside the blanket and iron to keep it in place. Once you've ironed all around, you will go back to your sewing machine and sew a decorative stitch around the perimeter of the blanket. This will keep the fabric straight and make it look nicer. If the open corner is still open, after you ironed, be sure to sew the decorative stitch over it to keep it shut.. Now you will need to get your baby's car seat. Place the blanket in the car seat and make sure the hat is in the right spot. Since my baby is a newborn, his hood is too big, but its better to leave room for growth. Now take a pencil and draw where the seat belt in the car seat is. There should be two long lines for the chest seat belt, and one small line for the buckle between the legs. Now sew around those lines. After that, take scissors and cut out the fabric inside the sewn areas. Lastly, sew on the edge of the openings with a zig zag stitch to hold it in place and prevent fraying.

That is all! I hope you loved this tutorial!!! I hope you can keep all of the babies you know warm this winter by making them some car seat blankets! And let's not forget the bigger baby in the small baby car seat! You could make one his size too, just with more fabric!