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Fitted changing pad cover

[1] The changing pad covers that I bought were drab and utilitarian. Did you know we carry Minky [2]? Wonderful, soft, heavenly Minky? Well, we do. In all sorts of colors. It was the perfect solution for my sorry diaper changing station. And this is a quick and easy (and adaptable) project. I have seen various methods around the Web and have put together my own tutorial.

Supplies

(Click fabrics for direct links for purchase at Warehouse Fabrics Inc.)

[3]
Minky Cuddle Dimple - Chocolate

[4]
Quarter-inch elastic
1 yard of Minky. To see all of our color options, click here. [2]

You’ll need about 10-15 inches of quarter-inch elastic.

The pattern

See below for details on how to create your pattern for whatever size/type of mat you have.

The process

[5] Please click on the photo for a better view. Sorry it’s so hard to see. I have traced the end of my changing pad onto a piece of paper. My tracing looks pretty crummy. That’s OK.

Get a ruler and straighten up your lines. Then add a half inch seam allowance around the edges and top. Add 3 inches to the bottom line, where your cover will wrap around your mat.

[6] Here is my final piece. It doesn’t hurt to fold it in half and even out both sides so they are the same. You can see that mine’s sort of lopsided. This isn’t a project where absolute perfection is needed.
[7] Make your top pattern piece, which will be a big rectangle. Measure the length of your pad. Mine was 32″. Add two 1/2″ seam allowances, one on either side — so add 1″.
[8] Measure your pad’s width. Include the sides of the pad. So up the side, across the top and down the other side = 26″ for me. add 3″ on each side for where it wraps around the bottom, so 26″ + 3″ + 3″ = 32″.

 

So make a rectangle 32″x33″.

[9] Cut out your fabric. You need one of the big rectangles and two of the end pieces.
[10] Make sure your rectangle is oriented correctly. You want the end piece up right now — for me it’s a 32″ wide side. Fold it in half and mark the center with a pin.

Do the same with one of your side pieces.

[11] Line up your center points, right sides together. The uneven side of your side piece is lined up with the edge of your rectangle, which seems really odd here, but just trust me on this.

Take note of the lower left corner of that funny side piece and the upper left corner of that triangle piece …

[12] Take those two corners and pin them together. Remember there is a big curve here as the cover goes over the bumps and corners of the pad, so it is a bit odd how it lines up.
[13] Just keep pinning. See how that corner is forming?
[14] Once you sew (1/2″ seam allowances) along where all those pins are, you’ll get this 3-dimensional corner.
[15] You’ve probably noticed by now that Minky is pretty messy. At this point, I recommend that you finish all of your edges with a serger. If you don’t have a serger, zigzag them.
[16] Try the cover on the pad. Looks pretty good already, but we need to make it nice and snug.
[17] Turn the cover inside-out and put it on the changing pad. Take out the slack at each corner by pinning it.
[18] Sew a line along where you pinned.
[19] You can see where I sewed. Now cut off the corners and finish the edge. I just serged mine right off.
[20] Now add elastic. Take your piece of elastic and divide it into four equal pieces. Mine were 2.5″, but I wish they were more like 3″. Pin the center of the elastic to the center of the corner, along the edge and on the wrong side.
[21] Stretch it up as far as it will go and pin. Then start zigzagging it to the edge of the corner. When you get to the center pin, start pulling the other half toward you as tight as you can. By pulling the elastic tight and sewing it to the fabric, when you let go, it will gather the fabric up.
[22] If your changing pad has straps, you need to make a buttonhole to accommodate them. Put the cover on and mark where the strap is.
[23] Make sure you measure the width of not only the strap but the buckle, which has to fit through the buttonholes. If you need help making buttonholes [24], see our tutorial here.

If you’d like to see more of my nursery made with Warehouse Fabrics Inc. products, visit this post [25]. I also have posts on the valance [26] and the curtains [27].

Other views

(Click for bigger views)

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