During our stay in Brazil this summer, the Bean's great-grandmother gave him a fleece pyjama onesie. The cuddliest of the cuddly, but unfortunately we only took a proper look at it once we got home and discovered it was far too small. And we were, by this point, much too far away to return it. Aargh.
I thought about giving it away, but on an idle Sunday afternoon while the Bean was sleeping, I decided to give it the chop and upcycle it. The result was a lovely, practical, and perfectly-sized cardie for a toddler. Added bonus: this is so simple to do!
I'm so thrilled with it. Though it might seem a shame to cut up something new and unworn, at least this way the Bean gets to wear his Bisa's present. And of course, I'm now rummaging through his stack of old baby onesies to see if I can make him any more!
I thought about giving it away, but on an idle Sunday afternoon while the Bean was sleeping, I decided to give it the chop and upcycle it. The result was a lovely, practical, and perfectly-sized cardie for a toddler. Added bonus: this is so simple to do!
I'm so thrilled with it. Though it might seem a shame to cut up something new and unworn, at least this way the Bean gets to wear his Bisa's present. And of course, I'm now rummaging through his stack of old baby onesies to see if I can make him any more!
You will need:
A onesie that no longer fits (the one I used was a 12m size, to fit my 18-24m size toddler. It was fairly wide and long in the body, but short in the legs)
scissors
pins
needle & thread or hemming tape
A onesie that no longer fits (the one I used was a 12m size, to fit my 18-24m size toddler. It was fairly wide and long in the body, but short in the legs)
scissors
pins
needle & thread or hemming tape
Instructions:
1. Cut off the sleeves to make a t-shape.
2. Cut off the legs, just above the crotch.
2. Cut off the legs, just above the crotch.
3. At the bottom, pin up about a 1 cm hem on the inside.
4. Roll up each sleeve twice on the outside, in such a way that the part nearest the armpit is a little narrower than the part on top of the shoulder.
5. Sew up the hem, or use hemming tape to secure it.
6. Secure the sleeves with 4-5 single stitches to the inside.
7. Done! Go find a willing model.
And willing my model was - he wore it over his PJs in the evening after a bath, and then refused to take it off to go to bed. Which is just as well, given that he always kicks off his blanket...
At the moment it's still too warm for him to wear it during the day, but I see this coming in very handy as the weather turns cold - it's simply perfect for when you want something soft and warm to potter about in at home but a long-sleeved jumper is just too cumbersome. Especially if you're a toddle in perpetual motion.
At the moment it's still too warm for him to wear it during the day, but I see this coming in very handy as the weather turns cold - it's simply perfect for when you want something soft and warm to potter about in at home but a long-sleeved jumper is just too cumbersome. Especially if you're a toddle in perpetual motion.
Like this Thrifty Toddler post? Have a look at the Thrifty Little Baby series!
