DIY Apron for Kids

My boys love to help me bake, sometimes they will even help me make dinner, but not as often.

Baking with kids 'helping' usually means there will be some sort of mess.

To at least keep them a little cleaner I decided they needed some aprons. 

(These will also be used if they want to paint), I love things that are versatile! 

These aprons are made with 1 fat quarter and a little extra fabric around the outside edge.

After making this one for my middle child I realized that we could have just used ribbon around the edges instead...oh well.

At the beginning of the summer we were at the store and I let my boys choose one fat quarter of fabric each to make their apron with. I loved watching them look through the designs and colors until they found just the right one.

My middle son choose this 'bug' fabric and I had the green leaf fabric already on hand.

Now before we get to the tutorial I just want to let you know that I did not really measure anything or take a lot of time perfecting things because I had my son helping me the whole time. Heaven knows if I tried to take too much time to make it 'just right' then I would have lost his interest very quickly.

So, to start I opened the fabric and measured 12" across and cut there.

I was too lazy to wash it or iron it before we got started, so you'll just have to stare at those fold lines...sorry!

See? 12" across.

I then folded the fabric in half length-wise

I folded back the corners (almost like a paper airplane) and I cut the fabric at the line.

I did it this way because it was honestly just easier and faster and it still gave us the basic shape of the apron. 

I then cut a strip of the green fabric almost the same length as the apron.

Again, if you want to just use ribbon instead that would make it even faster.

Just take the ribbon of choice and fold it over from the front to the back of the fabric (covering the raw edge), and sew.

I went with this method, and I have to admit that I did lose my son's interest a few times.

I tucked a very small edge of the green fabric in at the front and at the back and pinned it in place.

See how the white bug fabric is inside the green?

I then sewed along the top of the green using a zig-zag stitch.

I then did the same for the sides of the apron.

And along the top.

Here's a back view of the apron so you can see how the fabric folds over from the front.

All pinned and ready to sew!

I just did a zig-zag stitch again around the whole thing and the main part of the apron was finished.

For the neck strap and the pieces to tie at the back I just used the same green fabric.

Again, this would be perfect for some ribbon if you wanted to go that route...

I placed the fabric right-side down (so the design side is down towards the table), and I folded the edges back up until they met in the middle and flattened it out.

I then used a zig-zag stitch and went right down the middle to close it up.

See?

I then attached a piece at each side of the apron so we can tie it closed when my son is wearing it.

For the neck strap I did the same thing with the green fabric and attached it at the top two corners of the apron.

Ta-da!

Here's a back view for you.

I'm so glad that we kind of hurried through this project (and I was able to hold back my OCD-ness of perfecting everything) because it was fun to be able to have my son help me create this instead of just making it for him.

I think we need to hurry and bake something so he can wear this and give it a test run!

Let me know if you have any questions!