DIY Crib Rail Cover

My toddler loves to use his crib rail as a teething post. Around Christmastime, it got pretty bad and ended up looking like he'd sanded it down (well, that is kind of what he did!). I'm not showing you a picture of what it looked like, because, well, I'm embarrassed!

But! I did fix the problem. I took my crafty self downstairs to my sewing room and created this:


Do you want to learn how to make a super cute and inexpensive crib rail cover? Read on!
*Disclaimer: I did not plan to make this a tutorial, so there are no step by step pictures. I'll try to be better next time. Let me know if you have any questions! Read through the steps before you begin.

You will need:
Top fabric (see step one for amount)
Bottom fabric
Batting
Ribbon
Thread
Sewing machine
Pins

1. Measure the area you want to cover on your crib. I covered the width, making a smaller cover, you may choose to do the longer side. Let's say the length of the area is 26", for example.
2. Find fabric: I used scraps from Colin's baby quilt and pieced them together to get to my length of 26". You'll need about 12" in width of your fabric. So, if you are using a whole piece of cloth, cut a 26" x 12" rectangle.
   
3. Backing: This part won't show, so it doesn't have to be cute! Find a piece of fabric from your stash that is the same size as the top - 26" x 12".
4. Batting: Batting is the inner layer that use when quilting. I had a bunch of small pieces that I save from larger projects, just for purposes like this. If you don't have any, you can find various types of batting at your local fabric store or quilt shop. I used warm and natural batting. Cut a piece identical to the other two pieces of fabric.
5. Quilting: You may or may not choose to do this step. I think it looks nicer and adds more durability. Take the top of your crib rail cover and pin the batting to the wrong side. Choose a coordinating color thread for your machine and quilt the two pieces together. I used a fabric chalk and drew vertical lines about every 3 inches. Then, I top stitched (or quilted) the lines. Easy.
   
6. Layering: Place the top fabric piece (with batting attached) right side up on your table. Place the backing right side down on top of it (so the right sides are facing each other). Pin around the edges.
7. Using your sewing machine, sew around the fabric sandwich (1/4" sew allowance), leaving a 5" gap on one of the edges (preferably in the middle of the edge). Clip your corners and turn inside out. Press.
8. Topstitch around the entire cover , making sure to fold under the gap and stitch it closed in the process. I used a 1/8" allowance here.
   
9. Take your ribbon and place it on the top of your cover. I used four pieces and measured where the grooves were on my crib. You may not have grooves, so you can pick your placement. Make sure the ribbon is long enough to sew on the cover, plus extra length to use to tie it on the crib. I used two longer pieces of thick white ribbon for each end, and scraps of brown ribbon in the middle.
10. Pin the ribbon pieces right on the cover. Sew down each side, allowing for 1/8" seam allowance.
11. All done! Tie it on your babies crib and say goodbye to yucky crib rails!

You may need to personalize this for your crib. Each crib is made differently, so read through the steps, then evaluate your crib rail to see what you need to do. Have fun!

Green Tomatillo Chicken Update!
Remember - Honey, What's for Dinner? I told you I would let you know how it turned out. It was great. Doug said, "Add it to the rotation!". Colin wasn't too fond of it. I'm thinking maybe the green salsa had a different flavor he wasn't used to. We'll try it again, though.