nursery projects {DIY crib skirt}

In the nursery this time around I decided that I didn't want a bedding set with bumpers, which means only buying a crib skirt and sheets {I've been planning to make a quilt myself all along}.  Have you ever shopped for a la carte baby bedding at box stores?  Yeah, they have notsomuch.  I looked around a bit and was really disappointed in the options.  They were all very princess-y and not at all what I was envisioning.

After this disappointment I went to my go-to second option - Etsy!  Of course I found wonderfully beautiful custom options - with prices to match.  Most of the crib skirt + sheet sets were going for around $160 or so, which is more than I was hoping to spend for 2 items.  Plus, I was pretty sure I could make it myself.  So...that's what I did!

Thanks to Drew watching Asher all day {thank you, thank you Drew!} I was able to get out on Saturday to shop for some bedding fabrics and work on dressing up miss bug's crib.

With the pink ruffle curtains making such a big statement in the room I wanted something darker to center the space and give it a little depth.  I also wanted something modern and geometric to contrast the super girl-y ruffle explosion over on the windows.  ha!  I decided on this navy blue and white chevron fabric.  While I was fabric shopping I saw the pink trim and thought it would be the perfect accent to tie the room together.  In my {very humble} opinion it really makes the skirt.  :-)  

I kind of followed a tutorial online, but mostly ended up winging it myself based on my crib dimensions.

Honestly, it was super simple.  I didn't take photos as I was going, but here are the basic steps.  If anyone wants more details, just ask!

{1} measure your crib side lengths + the length of the drop from the crib platform to the floor

{2} add 2" per side of length for hemming

{3} add 2" on the bottom width for hemming + 4" on the top width for hemming and adjustability space

For example, my front crib length was 51" and a 16" drop, so I cut my panel 55" long and 22" wide.

I made my crib skirt in 3 different pieces.  I'd highly recommend doing it this way.  My crib had some bars that attach the mattress platform to the crib sides and they would have been really hard to work around if the skirt was all one piece.

{4} iron the cut fabric smooth, then do a double fold over to capture the fraying, cut edges within a closed hem {I did it this way because I don't own a serger}

{5} do a straight stitch along the edges to hem it all nicely

I made my skirt adjustable because I hate having a dragging crib skirt as the mattress is lowered.  This was simple enough too.  Since my crib has a wire platform, I sewed ribbons to the top edge of each piece so I can tie them to whatever height is best.

{6} cut 2 pieces of ribbon, 8" long each

I did 6 sets of 2 for my long front and 4 sets for the short sides

{7} using a zig zag stitch attach the ribbons securely to the top of the panel.  It looks ugly, but no one will see it anyway

Now for the final steps - adding the ribbon trim:

{8} place the ribbon trim along the bottom edge + pin it in place

{9} straight stitch along the trim, making several back stitches at the beginning and end

That's it!

I also bought some coordinating fabric to make a crib sheet, but I haven't gotten around to making it yet.  I used one of Asher's solid navy sheets in the meantime and I really like the way it looks.

It's so fun and satisfying to see things go from a piled heap of fabric to something pretty and useful!  Not to mention the money savings - my total for the skirt {fabric, trim, thread} was $40.  Since I loved these fabrics I thought it was well worth it!  :-)