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Sewing Instructions for Children's Aprons

A child who refuses to wear a bib will still love putting on an apron, especially an apron that hangs from the shoulders instead of from the neck. This apron is wide enough to protect the sides of the garment and high enough to protect the clothing above the waist. Your child will especially love an apron that matches yours, so use your child's measurements to make an apron that fits him exactly and make a matching one for yourself.

Things You'll Need

Tape measure
Fabric
Iron
Sewing machine or needle
Thread
1-inch-wide ribbon

Instructions

- 1
  Measure your child from under her arm to her knee to calculate the length of the apron. Add 3 inches to this measurement for hems. Measure around your child, just below her arms, from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. Add 3 inches to this measurement for hems.
- 2
  Iron down 1/2 inch at the top of the apron and iron up 1/2 inch from the bottom of the apron. Then iron a 1-inch hem at the top and bottom of the apron for hems.
- 3
  Machine or hand sew the hems in place.
- 4
  Hem the sides of the apron in the same way.
- 5
  Cut two pieces of ribbon equal to the chest measurement. Fold in 1/2 inch on each end of the ribbon. Fold so the raw edge on both ends of the ribbon are folded to the same side of the ribbon. Iron these folds in place.
- 6
  Sew one end of a ribbon to the top corner of the back of the apron, so the ribbon sticks straight up above the top of the apron and side of the ribbon with the raw edge is touching the back of the apron. Do the same on the other corner with the other ribbon.
- 7
  Lay the apron out flat on a table with the right side of the fabric down and the ribbons pointing straight up. Fold the top of the apron into thirds. Pick up each ribbon and fold it down toward the table, placing the loose end of the ribbon inside the fold in the fabric. Pin the loose ends of the ribbons to top of the back side of the layer of fabric that is touching the table. When the apron is folded in this way, the ribbons will form shoulder straps for the apron. Be sure they are not twisted, just folded over. If you unfold the apron, you will see that one ribbon goes from the left corner to a point two-thirds of way along the top and the other ribbon goes from the right corner, crosses the first ribbon and is pinned on at a point two-thirds of the way along the top.
- 8
  Sew the other ends of the ribbon in place.
- 9
  Try the apron on your child and mark the best position for the waist ties along the sides of the apron. Cut two 2-foot pieces of ribbon for waist ties and sew them on in the same way you attached the other ribbon. Cut the loose ends of the ribbon at an angle to prevent unraveling.
- 10
  Put on the apron by putting having your child put his head and arms through the ribbon loops and tying the waist ties in back. The shoulder straps will cross in the back.

Sewing