Homemade blackout curtains - baby room

The nights are getting shorter and slowly light is creeping in our baby room earlier and earlier. To help our baby boy sleep a little bit longer (past 5:30 in the morning :-)) we had to make his room dark.
After a few days of research I choose to add up black out fabric to existing curtains. Also cost effective!

Handmade taggy & car seat toys

We are doing the baby shopping on the budget. So far we have managed to get everything what we wanted on e-bay, in sales or just I have handmade it. Last thing what we didn't want to buy were toys. For newborn - very unnecessary, but they will be needed when our baby boy will be older. For a start I have handmade a few simple taggy toys + some hanging toys for our car seat.

Homemade baby cloud quilt - the simple way

I really do not like to be bored, but after a week on my maternity leave (39 week pregnant) I am slowly running out of things to be cleaned! I am used to do 2 jobs and over 60 hours a week so no surprise that being "stuck" at home is not very exciting. Also the no GYM state is not helping. So I went through my stash of fabrics and decided that it is the time to have a go at baby quilt. No better time than heavily pregnant and bored!
As this is my first attempt at anything like this it wasn't without mistakes. Look what I ended up with!

BumGenius nappy - velcro to snap converting

I have bought some used BumGenius nappies from the E-bay. You can get a real bargains this way. They were about £3 per nappy with 2 boosters compared to about £16 per nappy when new!
I really like the look of these nappies. They also have very good reviews. Only thing is the Velcro. The usage will show on it first. I don't like the Velcro anyway so I did some Internet research and decided that the cheapest and the best way for us will be just convert it to snaps.
I am using KAM snaps anyway on number of homemade baby staff.

Homemade pushchair pocket - recycled bag

I really like all little gadgets and helpers in everyday life. I am guilty as charged to want to have it all. So when I spotted this cute little bag for a pushchair handle in T.K.Maxx I was seriously tempted to buy it. Only two things were against. Firstly the cost of £14.99 and secondary the fact that for the next 6 months I will be getting only the maternity pay of £138.18!
The pocket was really nice, but also small. Hmm.... my husband as he knows me had a one look at the pocket then second at me... " I am sure that you can make this with your sewing machine"!!!

Homemade washable baby wipes - recycled fabric

We will be using a washable "cloth" nappies for our baby boy. I think it is much nicer to "wear" cloth than paper, also the cost is the big positive too. I am sensitive to "chemicals" and cosmetics so we can't really use normal baby wipes. I have been looking at water wipes, but in the end we will try to use the cloth wipes first.

Homemade baby hat - recycled fabric

One of my maternity tops didn't survive my fruit snack. :-( The stains are all over the front and they do not want to shift even after a triple washing. So goodbye top. 

Then I had a little bright idea moment! I have seen somewhere on the web homemade baby hats made of recycled jersey fabric. This top is a jersey (t-shirt material). 

Look what I have made!

 

Homemade cot storage pockets

We will have the cot in our bedroom for at least first 6 months. It will be easier and quicker to do the night feeds & nappy changes. Our bedroom is good size double, but with the cot next to me it will be a tight squeeze. Also I will need some nappies, muslin, cotton, nappy bags... very near. I don't plan to actually get up :-).
So where to put them?
I thought about it and then I spotted very handy cot storage pockets in the shop. Problem was that it cost £45!!! It didn't look very complicated so I tried to make it myself.

Handmade baby changing mats

I had a little burst of energy this weekend! I have used it and made 2 handmade baby changing mats.
I will leave one in the living room so we do not need to go upstairs. Other will live in the car for changing on the go. :-)

Handmade baby changing travel mats

DIY/ Homemade baby bib

I have made a start on baby bibs this Sunday. I have used nice soft flannel fabric for it. It is actually second hand king size bedding set ( only washed not used ). Cost me £7.50 for metres and metres of it! On one side is white + dark blue stars and other dark blue + white stars.

 

Where with coat hangers?

Our house is overflown with coat hangers. I will banish some to the attic and there suddenly is a sea of them again. I think that they are actually breeding here. Our wardrobes are overfull, washing basket has always some and I am not even talking about the underneath of wardrobes! They are hidden everywhere! To resolve our problem with them I have sew a little bag (meaning big one) for them and designated it to our utility room (meaning utility cupboard/ that little space in front of condensator) as we are here in England calling room even a 1m x 1m area of corridor.
So what do you think?

Let it hang

That is exactly what I did! This is just a little DIY. :-)))

When we were thinking about "logistics" of having baby there was the question of laundry. We will try to use a cloth nappies so we bought nice nappy bucket, but for a rest of the clothes we didn't need to think long. I still had this Primark fabric laundry bag from before my husband. (I know I keep everything). I am glad that I kept it as it will be perfect for lots of tiny little baby clothes + muslins.
It just needed to go somewhere.
In the end I have just sew to it little tags and with a help of wall hooks put it on the side of our baby changing dresser. Perfect. When we will be changing baby the laundry bag will be right there.

 

Personalised towel on budged

After finishing our nursery chair I was left with a bit of offcuts of fabric. I had a idea how to recognise our baby's towel! I just put a piece of offcuts on the each end of the towel and voila! Personalised towel without any cost.

Nursing chair - revamp

I have finally finished our nursing chair! It took me quite a long time as stupid me didn't buy enough of the fabric!
Also I have been very, very careful with the pattern (the back is just on one side - the pattern is correct).
The old (dirty one) and the shiny grey chevron one.

Nursing chair before

Updated nursing chair

Nursery - decorative cloud

I have been "playing" with my sewing machine again. I am guilty as charged these days about it. I hope my husband Rob will not feel left out. I am usually camping in the dining room where all the mess can be contained. :-)

I thought that I will make our new nursery more colourful. There are lots of nice decorations on Pinterest and one caught my eye.
Cloud with colourful raindrops.

I have in the end made it in about 2 evenings.

Nursery continues

Slowly but surely we are doing up our nursery.
This is our progress. (sorry about dark photos - blame it on energy saving bulbs)

Sewing and sewing

Another little tick on "to do for baby" list done.
I have sewed a cot bed skirt. Just a simple 3 piece of white fabric covering the bottom half of the cot. It looks so neater now. What do you think?

Chest of drawers & cot & bumper done!

This weekend we have picked up our new (second hand) chest of drawers for nursery. I have immediately started with sanding it down. I didn't want to have the very "orange" pine varnish on. Of course all done by hand. My husband helped me to take the handles off.

Also done this yellow chevron cot bumper.

Curtain shortering / dining room

What a beautiful weather here in Surrey! Almost pity that I have to spend it in the office. :-)
This week I have finally shortened our dining room curtains. I have bought them from Ikea. They are beautiful turquoise velvet ones. They come as 3m long! So I have dusted my sewing machine and spent 1 evening with them.
When I hang them they were like this.  Not so bad?

 

Home made Pouffe

I have finally finished my pouffe.