World's Best Burp Cloth Tutorial

Print and cut out the burp cloth pattern.

Fold a piece of flannel so that it is wide enough for your desired burp cloth to fit. Trace out half of the burp cloth along the fold and pin. Cut out the fabric. When you unfold the fabric it should be shaped like a peanut. The cloth is contoured to sit nicely on the shoulder.

Cut another flannel piece for the backing identical to the first.

Repeat once more to cut a piece from low-loft batting. I prefer natural cotton batting because it's most absorbent.

You can sew your burp cloth together now, or you can embellish it a bit. I'll show two different options for embellishing the cloth.

Cut a piece of washable ribbon slightly longer than the width of the burp cloth. Pin the ribbon in place.

Sew the ribbon in place close to the top and bottom edge of the ribbon.

Since we want the ribbon to align on the back side of the burp cloth, you'll need to layer the front and back together, and position the ribbon so that it overlaps the ribbon on the previous piece. Sew the ribbon in place as you did the first.

Now we can assemble the layers. Place the front and back flannel piece right-sides together. Make sure that the ribbons are aligned.

Lay the batting on top. Pin the layers together. We will be leaving an opening along the middle of one side for turning. Sew the layers together with a 1/2-inch seam.

Trim the excess ribbon in the seam allowance. Notch the curves so the fabric will lay flatter, being careful not to snip your stitches. Turn right side out through the opening.

Press the burp cloth, being careful not to scorch the ribbon. Turn under the raw edges of the opening and press. Topstitch around the perimeter of the burp cloth using a straight or decorative stitch with a 1-inch seam.

Now I'll show you how you can add decorative trim to a burp cloth. I'm using wide ric-rac. Place a flannel piece face-up on the batting piece.

Pin the trim around the inside edge of the fabric. Remember that a portion of the trim will be caught within the seam allowance, so adjust the placement of your trim as needed. Make sure the pins stick out so that they are easily visible for removal while sewing. Leave a couple of inches of loose trim in the middle where the hole for turning will be.

Lay the second flannel piece facedown on top of the first. Pin through all layers.

Sew the layers together with a 1/2-inch seam, remembering to leave the hole in the middle for turning. Notch the curves, then turn right side out. Press the burp cloth, then fold in the raw edges of the hole. Tuck the loose ends of the ric-rac inside the hole, adjusting them so they overlap neatly.

Topstitch around the perimeter of the bib with a 1-inch seam.

These burp cloths are soft, absorbent, and absolutely adorable!