Handmade Giving - The Best Friend Sleeping Bag and Other Gifts for Kids

Today we are excited to share with you our favorite projects to make for the kids in your life! We've got a brand new tutorial that we know kids are going to flip for! Let's get started with the project, but be sure to read all the way through for a full round up of some great gift ideas.

The Best Friend Sleeping Bag

The Best Friend Sleeping Bag is for your kids' best toy friend. Who doesn't like to feel warm and cozy, especially this time of year! Your kids will love zipping their toys up into their sleeping bag for a good nights sleep or to snuggle in for movie night. We've adapted our Zipper Pouch Pattern for this tutorial, so dig that pattern out, or find it in the store or online.

Supplies:

1 Fat Quarter for the outside of the sleeping bag

1 Fat Quarter for the lining of the sleeping bag

1/8 yard (or scraps) for the binding

18"x22" piece of batting

18" zipper

Thread

When choosing a thread color, keep in mind that you will be quilting the sleeping bag exterior, top stitching the zipper, and machine stitching the binding in place. It may be that you want to have 2-3 colors handy depending on the step.

This project is a great way to use up scrap batting, if you don't have a large enough piece it is easy to zig-zag batting together. No scraps? No problem! If you are planning to make multiple sleeping bags for gifts (and we highly recommend that you do. This is one of those great assembly line projects that doesn't take much longer to make two or three than it does to make one.) it may be most economical to purchase a craft size package of batting which will make four sleeping bags. We preferred wool batting for a fluffier sleeping bag, but cotton definitely works too. If you just want to make one sleeping bag a 1/2 yard of batting from the bolt will be perfect.

Iron the fat quarter intended for the exterior of the bag. Layer with the batting and quilt as desired. This is such a small place that just a few lines of stitching is all it really needs, but it's a great chance to experiment with a fun quilting design!

Cut the quilted fat quarter down to two pieces that are each 17-1/2" x 10-1/2". Cut the lining fabric to the same dimensions. Follow step 1 through step 7 of the Zipper Pouch Pattern to install the zipper and top stitch it in place. On step 7, only pin or clip around just 3 sides of the pouch, leaving the separated zipper side open.

Sew around the three pinned sides. Since we are leaving one side completely open there is no need to leave the opening in the bottom of the lining like would normally happen on a zipper pouch.

Clip the corners and turn the bag right side out, tucking the lining into the exterior of the sleeping bag. Trim the edges that you haven't sewn yet to even up the fabrics as necessary. Cut just to the metal stopper of the zipper. If you have to trim deeper into the bag to even out your fabric be very careful not to zip the zipper until you finish the bag as the zipper stop will be gone and the zipper pull can come completely off. Once we complete the binding it will act as the new zipper stop.

Cut the binding fabric into a 2-1/2" strip by width of fabric. Fold one short raw edge over a 1/2" and press. Fold the binding strip in half the long way, wrong sides together and press.

Match up the folded edge to the raw edge of the interior fabric and clip in place, allowing the binding to extend past the edge of the sleeping bag by about 1/8". When you've reached the end of the bag, trim the binding off, leaving enough excess to press the raw edges in and extend past the bag 1/8" as you did on the opposite side.

Sew the binding in place using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press the binding towards the raw edge and fold over. Clip in place well. Top stitch in place on the exterior side of the bag (you may want to switch to thread that matches the binding fabric). Top stitch along the short edges of the binding as well to close off the ends (this is the 1/8" overhang).

Tuck in a favorite toy and zip up!