How to Sew a Playpen Sheet

I promise this is a seriously simple tutorial! If you know anything about me you know that I LOVE our playpen. In our home, our playpen has become such an integral part of our daily life. And not only do I love it, but all 3 of my children LOVED their time in it too. Time in the playpen is like a sacred time during the day. The time when she gets to explore her toys without distraction. It’s her private space, she can sprawl out or lean against the rail, and she can examine the lint in her toes. It really is one of her favorite times of the day and mine too because I know she is safe and secure. A playpen sheet is essential to maintaining your playpen.

So I’ve talked about how to clean your playpen and in that post, I mentioned how I warped the mattress in a cleaning accident. It hasn’t been the same since so it needed to be covered. I looked into purchasing a sheet for the playpen but I felt my options were limited and not really a value for my money.

We decided making one would be the best option. I selected a ribbed Minky fleece in a dusty pink color since it’s winter and I wanted her to feel cozy but I plan to switch to a cotton sheet when it becomes Spring and a Muslin in the Summer. Stay tuned for those posts!

SAFETY NOTE: THIS PLAYPEN SHEET IS FOR PLAYTIME ONLY AND NOT INTENDED FOR USE WHILE SLEEPING.

MATERIALS:

• 1.5 Yards Fabric
• Fabric Scissors or Rotary Cutter
• Measuring Tape
• Sewing Machine
• Optional: Serger or Overlock Machine

DIRECTIONS:

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Determine the size of your playpen mattress.

• Remove the mattress from the playpen and lay it on the floor.
• Using your measuring tape, measure the length and width of the mattress.
• Write both those numbers down. My Length was 38 inches and my width was 27 inches.
• Add 10 inches to each number and we now have the size the cut of fabric needs to be. I need a piece of fabric that is 48 inches long and 37 inches wide.

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2 of 5

Cutting the fabric fabric

• Lay your washed and ironed fabric out on a hard flat surface.
• Measure out your width and mark your cut line with a water-soluble pen or marker.
• Next, measure out the length and mark. Continue down the fabric.
• Cut your fabric on the dotted line using fabric scissors or a rotary blade.
• Remember I needed a rectangle that is 48 inches long and 37 inches wide.

• After the rectangle has been cut, next cut out a 5-inch square from each corner of the fabric.

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3 of 5

Sew it up

• Finish your edges by serging or using a zigzag stitch all the way around. This is to help with fraying and make your playpen sheet machine washable – which it totally needs to be. Duh.

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4 of 5

Fold your flaps up before sewing shut

With the right side of the fabric facing upward, fold up the flaps along the length and pin.

Sew along the width of the folded ‘rectangles’, remembering to backstitch to secure the seams.

See the image below and sew on the blue lines.

• Next, Fold up the flaps along the width and pin.
• Sew along the blue lines to create a pocket.

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5 of 5

Finish it up

Unfold your sheet. Use a lint roller to remove any loose threads that may pose a choking hazard for your baby. Slip the sheet over the mattress and slide back into the playpen.

Now just feel so proud of yourself. You just saved some money and made a one-of-a-kind sheet! Woo-hoo! This is what it’s all about! I would love to know what kind of fun prints or types of fabrics you chose to use. Share it with me in the comments below!

So now it’s your turn! If you try this, tag me at @goldengluegun

For more sewing inspiration – check back soon, I’ve got so many fun sewing projects coming your way!