How To Make Baby Bibs With Free Pattern

I am always looking for easy ways to reduce my scrap fabric mountain. And I love easy sewing projects that anyone can make. So today here is a really quick and easy tutorial for a brilliant way to use up some more of your fabric scraps. Plus these make brilliant gifts, are brilliant things to sell at craft fairs, and you can even upcycle some old towels if you are making them for yourself. Win win win! Here is how to make baby bibs, and it includes a free baby bib pattern!

How To Make Baby Bibs

I really do not know why I haven’t included these on the blog before. I learnt how to make bibs when I first started sewing, and I made quite a few for Elizabeth.

It was so easy to match the first dresses I made for her, and I used the fabric remnants left over, which was a brilliant way to get them used up. Once I learnt how to make baby bibs and burp cloths we had them in so many coordinating colours and patterns.

Elizabeth wore a bib when eating right up until she was about 18 months old. They are SO useful for slipping in your bag when out and about.

Once you’ve read this easy bib tutorial and find out how easy it is how to make a baby bib you will soon be making bibs in all sorts of funky colours and even special ones for Christmas. They make a perfect (and easy) baby shower gift or new baby present for a friend who has just had a baby too!

Furthermore, they are incredibly easy to make and don’t require much in the way of materials. If you are a quilter then you definitely will have all the scraps needed for these. DIY baby bibs can be whipped up in about 10 minutes. And I’ve even included a free sewing pattern with this step by step tutorial, so even a beginner will be able to create one for themselves.

So – do you want to know how to sew a baby bib? Then read on.

For Making A Bib You Will Need

• Some fabric – good quilting or poplin cotton is perfect – I had scraps of this unicorn fabric 
• Some fleece or terry towelling to back the bibs. You can also upcycle an old tea-towel or hand towel.
• Some Kam-snaps, or sew in velcro.
• My baby bandana bib pattern template
• Scissors, a ruler, pins,,an iron, a sewing machine and coordinating cotton thread.

How To Make A Bib

For each bib you need to cut one piece of top fabric and one backing piece of fleece, terry cloth or towelling. Cut each piece on the fold using my free pattern.

To build up the layers ready to sew, place a piece of fleece down first, then put the topping fabric right side down on top. This means that the fabric pieces have their right sides together. Pin the layer pieces together. You can see in the image below I’ve marked on one side where you need to leave a gap of about 1.5-2 inches (4-5cm) in your sewing these layers together. (marked with pins)

Sewing using a 3/8 inch seam allowance (1 cm) and backstitching at the start and end of your sewing, sew all the way around the triangle, pivoting at the corners and leaving the 2 inch or so gap in one side.

Trim diagonally near the corners. I also like to trim my seam allowances down a little everywhere except where the turning opening is. 

Turn the whole thing inside out so that the right side of the fabrics are now on the outside. Push out the corners using a pencil or point turner. And give the whole thing a press.

Then, take it back to the sewing machine and topstitch a 1/8inch or 4-5mm seam allowance all the way around the triangle. This closes the opening gap left by turning the bib the right way out, and gives the finished bib a more professional finish.

Finally, add a kam snap fastening or piece of sew-in velcro to either end of the longest side of the triangle. This is used to fasten the bib.

If the resulting bib is too large and you need to use it on a smaller baby, you can also add a second set of fastenings a little way in on the longest edge .

The Finished Bib

As usual, I like to batch cut and make several of these at the same time for speed. You will soon have a whole load of these to keep, gift or sell!

Now you know how to make a bib, you can make these in a variety of colours. And should you want the bandana bib to be bigger, you just need to size up the bib pattern, making a larger length to each side of the triangle. You can make them for older children or even use them as bandanas for dogs! 

Do you think that now I have shown you how to make these easy baby bibs that you will give them a go? I would love to see your creations. Comment below or do come and find me on social media and tag me in your makes.

Loved this post on how to make dribble bibs? Why not check out my other post on DIY projects that you can make at home to save money? I do hope to share some other free baby sewing patterns soon too, so stay tuned. 

And why not subscribe to my blog so that you hear about my latest content as soon as it goes live? I have loads of other free patterns on my site.

Finally,  please do pin this post for later