How to make a crib bumper tutorial...

To start it would help A LOT if you can get your hands on a used bumper that you can take apart.  I used my old one and started cutting off the old fabric from the batting underneath.

I know you can google the measurements of how much batting to get if you want to start from scratch but this way it also already has the old folds and the right form.

Next you can either use the batting from the bumper or the old material to measure how long and wide to cut your new fabric.

I decided to just use one pattern on each side instead of the multiple like my old one.

Below I just wanted to show how I saved the ruffle from my old bumper since it matched my new fabric.

Below you can see how I have the exact measurement of fabric to cover the batting.  Always leave a 1/4 inch  extra on all sides for seam allowance.

My little helper. :)

Next I attached the ruffle to my flower pattern.

Pin right sides together and sew along edge.

Then I had to make all the ties that attach to the crib.  This part was really tedious.  I measured the length of my old ties and cut out 28 strips of a different pattern.

Fold the strip in half right sides together and sew along the top edge and one side, leaving the bottom edge open to turn it right side out.

It should look like the pic below before you turn it right side out.

Next I took a fat fabric pencil, but you can find anything similar.  Make sure the tip isn't sharp so it doesn't poke a hole in the fabric.  Starting from the corner of the top edge that you sewed shut, start working the pencil into it.  Trying to wiggle it inside and pulling fabric down over it.  Once I got the hang of this it wasn't too bad.

Then you need to iron all the ties flat again once they are all turned right side in.

Next I pinned the ties two each on top and bottom where ever there was a fold line in my old bumper.  And you need to attach these to one of the side of the bumper fabric before attaching the two bumper fabrics together.  At the two ends of the bumper you will only put one tie each on top and bottom .  I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of this.  But its how you attach the two ends to each other and to the crib.  So in other words on the ends if you held them closed to each other you would only see a total of 4 ties not 8.

Next I pinned the other fabric right sides together and sewed them together.  Below is what it looks like opened up.

Then right sides together again and sew the tops together.

So now you have a long tube with ends open.  And for the fun part of turning it right side out.  I just shoved my hand in there and slowly pulled and pushed it along.

Next you have to pull the fabric over the old batting.  This was kind of hard and took some time but its possible :).

Once I got it all the way through I pinned the edges inside each other and sewed along the edge.

It's hard to see below but using three pins I pinned along the old fold of the batting and lined my ties up with this fold.

Then I sewed down this fold.  Kind of tricky shoving the bumper through your machine.

Yay, it's finally done!