DIY Teething Crib Rail Cover!

Now that my daughter has 3 teeth with a 4th on the way there is nothing she likes to do more than explore what her teeth can do. From gnawing on her teething toys to crunching her Puffs, this little lady’s new favorite thing to do chew on her crib rail. Oh noo! I love her crib and the fact that it can be used all the way up to a full size bed is fantastic. That’s why I want to preserve it and came up with the idea to make a teething crib rail cover!

If you are facing the same issue, making this piece will be sure to help preserve your little ones crib for years of use down the road. And as an added plus, it’s really easy!

Here are a few things you will need to get started:

* Fabric
* Batting
* Ribbon

Make sure to measure the length of the crib from where you want the material to start to where you want it to end. Add an extra inch to this measurement for when you make the hem.

Then measure from the base to the top of the rail (in the middle) and double the measurement so that it will cover the whole rail. Be sure to add another inch here as well for when you make the hem.

Once you have your measurement then you will know how much batting you will need. For this, just take the original measurement without the added inch on both sides. Otherwise, when you fold the fabric over for the hem, it will be bulky and not look as neat. I only used one layer of batting. If you think your child needs an extra layer, double up.

Now that you have your measurements it’s time to head to the fabric store (unless you have something handy that you want to use). When I went to the store I took my daughter with me. I showed her a bunch of fabrics that I thought would work well with her room, and let her pick out the one she wanted. She made no hesitations about it, THIS was THE fabric! There were screams of delight, lots of pointing and grabbing for the fabric. It was adorable! In fact, all while I was making this for her she couldn’t be apart from the fabric and me, it was really cute. Ahh… I was quite the happy mommy!

Now that you have your fabric, lay it out on a nice flat surface to measure and cut what you need. Remember to cut out two identical pieces of fabric with your extra inch on the length and width for hemming.

Once your fabric is cut, it’s time for the batting. Measure out and cut your original measurements without the extra inch and set all remaining pieces of your material aside. This will be all you need.

Next, lay one piece of fabric so the print is facing down. Then lay your batting on top of it, centering it in the middle of the fabric leaving a ½” on all sides for the hem.

Once that is done it’s time to decide where you want the ribbons to go. I measured mine out so that they were every couple of rails. My daughter has a sloped crib rail and therefore I felt I needed more to keep the shape and have a better fit. If you have a straight rail, feel free to not use as many.

Cut your ribbon in 9” pieces. This will be sure to give you a nice tie with a bow. If you want a smaller bow than what you see here, cut your ribbon in 8” pieces. Remember, you will need a ribbon on both sides of the length of the material to make the bow.

Pin your ribbon in place to the batting and the fabric. After I did this I brought it into my daughter’s room and tried it on her crib rail. I checked for any last tweaks and then I was ready to put the 2nd piece of fabric (print side up) on top. (Note: Before leaving the room, make sure all your pins are accounted for!)

Then, fold over your hem and neatly pin the fabric together. Take out your ribbon pins as you go and pin them through all the layers. Make sure you didn’t leave any pins inside the fabric. Safety first!

Now you are ready to sew all this together! I sewed a ¼ seam all the way around to make it nice and tiny. I didn’t want a big distracting seam.

The last step is to fold the end of the ribbon over about a 1/4" and then once more to make a hem. I hand stitched all the ribbons and it didn't take very long.

And there you have it; you have protected your little ones crib while making it look even cuter! How great is that!