This easy to make baby sleep sack to keep baby safe, warm, and snug. Includes a free printable PDF pattern and sewing tutorial.
*I had the privilege of getting to hand-pick this fabric for my sleep sack from the Shannon Fabrics website. It was sent to me free of charge, but my obsessive love for touching it is completely my own opinion. 😉
I am excited to share today’s sewing tutorial with you. Why? Because it includes the first pattern that I ever created, and I am including it as a PDF file for you for free!! Woohoo!
This pattern is for a Baby Sleep Sack. But what is a baby sleep sack? It’s a wearable blanket, of course! You aren’t supposed to lay blankets on top of babies due to suffocation risks, so these wearable blankets keep baby snug and warm, but safe as well! Genius. And since every baby needs one, regardless of gender, so this quick and easy project is perfect for baby shower attendees to give as gifts!
When my son was born a friend made me a brown fleece sleep sack with large owls on it. It was very cute, and it served us well, but when I found out my second baby was going to be a little girl it flitted through my mind that I should make her a more feminine sleep sack. But then I didn’t. And didn’t. And before I knew it her first birthday was creeping up and she was still in her brother’s brown owl sleep sack. So I got my booty in gear and made her a bright, girly owl sleep sack for her first birthday. I love the girly colors, and I love stroking the soft fabric when I am feeding her before bed. I am a texture junkie.
Are you familiar with cuddle fabric? Some call it minky. Regardless of what you call it, it ROCKS. This fabulous print is the Robert Kaufman Night Owls cuddle fabric that is manufactured by Shannon Fabrics. Shannon Fabrics has an amazing selection of prints, colors, and textures of cuddle fabrics, so be sure to check them out! Cuddle fabric is soft, it is silky, and it is just so dang fun to touch. I love it.
Now let’s get down to business!
Here are the supplies you will need in order to make your sleep sack:
* Baby Sleep Sack PDF Pattern
* Cuddle Fabric (I’m not sure exactly how much I used, but one yard should be plenty.)
* coordinating thread
* a coordinating color of zipper (I believe I used a 20-inch zipper.)
* sewing machine, pins, scissors, etc.
This tutorial is crazy simple other than the zipper, which is only slightly tricky, so let’s get going!
* Start with the pattern. Have you ever used a PDF pattern before? It’s super easy, and I’m excited to share my first original one with you! Simply print out the pattern on regular paper, cut it out and tape it together. Viola! A pattern! Nifty, eh?
To create this pattern I used the old sack and then I made it longer and I expanded the neck hole and the armpit holes quite a bit. I always wished they were bigger in our old sack, so this was the magical moment to make changes.
* Next you are going to cut your fabric. I discovered that cutting cuddle fabric is a tad messy. It makes a little bit of a mess initially, but then it doesn’t fray after that. Strange. But worth it!
Fold your fabric in half and lay out the pattern as shown. The straight side of your pattern is along the fold of the fabric. Now cut out the pattern piece twice.
* Next you will seal the armpits and neck hole of your sleep sack by sewing a zig zag stitch along the cut edges. No need to bother hemming it unless you really want to. I believe in simplifying my life whenever possible.
* Time to deal with the zipper. This is my least favorite part. I folded the fabric and laid my zipper on top of my front piece and cut the length of it. Then I pinned it along the opening, as shown in the picture, and sewed it onto my fabric using my zipper foot.
Ok, those directions were sort of lame. Sorry. But you can see your machine’s manual for details on your zipper foot, and zippers always have instructions on their packaging as well.
* Now zip your zipper closed, lay your two pieces on top of one another right sides together, pin, and stitch around the sides of the bag and on the shoulders.
* You are DONE! Easy peasy, right?! Now go stick it on your little one and cuddle away!
Isn’t she angelic??
My 18-month-old nephew still wears his sleep sack. We call it his “Man Gown” and tease my sister about it. Check out this picture I got from him wearing it. So ashamed……so ashamed….. Heehee!
Happy Sewing!
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If you enjoyed this baby sleep sack tutorial then stick around and check out these other sewing tutorials:
20 Handmade Gifts to Sew for Kids
Ruffled Toddler Apron Tutorial
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I’m surprised you didn’t include a photo of my boy in his “man gown.” Love you! You are so talented!
Oh my goodness! GP! Totally adding that in! 🙂
great pattern!!!! I have so many friends who are having babies… this would make a great gift!
So cute!! My little guy was in his sleep sac until he was 3. He loved it!
Great tutorial and pictures! Do you think I could do this with snaps? I don’t have the first clue how to do a zipper! (Hangs head in shame)
Thanx! 🙂
Thanks! I’m sure snaps would work! I just prefer zippers b/c they are faster when my kids are trying to squirm away from me. 🙂
1- would you mind if I site/share this pattern on my blog…. with full credits to you of course and a link back?
2- Is this pattern as long as your nephews? I’m trying to making one specifically to keep my 11 month from climbing out the crib… So I don’t want it to be long enough that she can walk around and climb out 😉 Or is this pattern a little shorter, she is sleeping right now… I guess I could just measure her and make seam allowances?
Hi Kylee!
1- My sharing policy is that I LOVE for people to share one picture and a link back. Please do not share the whole tutorial or the PDF pattern. But you are welcome to post your pictures and link back to my post so people will come here if they would like the pattern! 🙂
2- No, it is not as long as his. My 11 month fit into it fine, but she is petite. You may want to lengthen it a bit. Just measure your little one and adjust it accordingly. Good luck! 🙂
xo
you could make the reg size and then stitch across the bottom up a few inches to take up the slack.. to shorten it…just dont cut the fabric off…(turn inside out to sew ).then as baby grows takeout the seam and add another a bit lower.. and continue to use it for several growth spurts.. and not have to make multiples
Love this! I’ve been looking for a pattern for ages! I notice you haven’t lined it with anything – this is the bit I’ve not been able to get my head around really… What do you think about lining them, especially for the colder months?
Thanks
I have never seen a lined one, so I didn’t really consider it! I’m sure you could add one, but I don’t feel it’s necessary if you use a think fleece or minky fabric. This one is WARM!
I lined with a soft cotton, looks pretty and then the seams are finished as I turned it.
My granddaughter is having twin boys and we live in a cold climate. Massachusetts. How can I insert sleeves?
She has 2 boys already. 3 and 1. She is going to be one busy lady. Thank you
WOW! She IS going to be busy! You will need to look up a tutorial on adding sleeves or making a long-sleeved shirt. I can’t help you much. Sleeves are something I avoid while sewing because I can’t quite seem to master them! However, my daughter used this over long sleeve fleece footie jammies during our cold Colorado winters and was fine, so if you can’t figure it out I still think it’s worth having/making!
Do a raglan sleeve if possible. There is a pj top I saw on a website — duh, can’t tell you which one right now……. It would be very easy to incorporate into this pattern, you would simply change the shape of the arm hole.
I was also thinking that velcro “buttons” might work well with this sleep sack idea …… they are available with an adhesive backing (useless in my experience) or without (my preference). They are simply sewn on with an “X” and they come apart easily but not so easily that the infant/child can do it. I can sew zippers without much frustration, yet I find myself always looking for an alternative to sewing one. I still have a “complex” about them despite having sewn for 60 years!
Karen
Great ideas! Thank you for your input! 🙂
Hi Sarah – this is gorgeous and would make a great gift for my new niece, however I’m getting an error message when I try to open the PDF. Have any other readers had this issue?
Oh no! I have not heard of anyone else having this problem…. :/ Why don’t you email me at craftquickies@gmail.com and I will just email you the PDF file directly? 🙂
Is the bottom open? Or is it closed off as if in a sleeping bag?
It’s closed to keep little toesies warm! 🙂
I’m so making this today .. Do u know from what size to what size this would fit my son is 3 months and its starting to get cold and really need something like this I don’t really care how it fit at the bottom but I wil like the arm and neck hole to fit well so he can’t wiggle out if it … I wonder if I can make it adjustable mmmmm… Any tip will be greatful as I’m a new sewer.. Btw awesome blog
I have used it on her from infancy to now, which is 18 months. I think it would be ok! I had another one and the arm and neck holes were smaller, which was great for a teeny tiny baby, but then it became a fight to get my kids into it, so I got rid of that one and enlarged the openings on this pattern for growth convenience. I can’t think of a way to make it adjustable, unless you want to try making a casing around the arm and using elastic. If you are new to sewing I could probably just follow the pattern, though. Good luck! 🙂
Ok perfect got the fabric and will start this today I’m excited what I might do to make it adjustable is but snaps on the shoulder .. We will see how it work
My son wears the ponseti brace to sleep and these are so helpful not to get his shoes caught up in a blanket, he has to wear the brace until at least 3, so being able to adapt and make the sack bigger is a great help, there aren’t very many for the tall toddlers. he is 19 months and is 3 feet tall-longer with the brace on!
Oh perfect! The pattern would be SUPER easy to adapt for a longer child!
Does anyone else think it is hilarious that the precious sleeping baby girl has 6+ binkies?!
Hahahahahaha. It’s true. I always throw a million binkies in with my babies so that when they wake up they will be able to find one quickly without screaming for me. Self preservation…. 😉
Hi!
They are VERY common in France, we call them “gigoteuse” or “turbulette”. They are often lined and come in various sizes.
🙂
I love it! I’m going to start calling it that! 😉
Just made this tonite! My machine gave me fits with the fabric/zig zag/tension
But once i got it going, it FLEW by. Getting more material to make a second (and probably third)
AWESOME pattern!
Yay!!! THanks, Jessica!
Um, my daughter will be three in two weeks and won’t sleep without her sleep sack. As you can imagine, she’s really pushing it in terms of fitting in the sack! This might be a perfect solution for us. Or I guess I could get her out of the crib into a big girl bed with normal covers…. Nah!
This will be perfect! Just measure her and allow at least 6″ in length for wiggle room and add length to the pattern.
Do you think I could do this with Velcro instead?
Probably, but it would be very easy for an older baby to escape from.
Making this for my grandson tomorrow. Great tutorial thanks!
Yay! You are welcome!
Thank you! I’ve been looking for a pattern like this so no I can get sewing!
How about using a draw string?
You could, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Are you thinking at the top or bottom? I don’t love the idea of loose strings and tightening possibility around baby’s neck. It’s simpler to keep a drawstring out of it I think….
I just wanted to comment on the tons of binkies!!!! My middle daughter still held onto the plastic about three per little hand after we cut the binky sucky part off!!! There were always about 10 in her crib!!!! She’s 10 now. Thanks that brought back some great memories 🙂
That’s awesome! 🙂
hey sarah! I’m interested in making this but exactly what size would this make?
Probably 6-18 or 24 months, depending on how long your kid is. You could make it longer for a tall kid!
This looks great, thanks very much for sharing a pattern!
So I am in the process of making my first one right now. I know someone else said their machine was giving issues with tension for the zig-zag. I am also having a problem. The zig-zag made it wavey. I know we probably all have different machines but mine is a singer simple and if anyone has one and can tell me what tension they used I would appreciate it!
I’m sorry, I have a kenmore! :/ You could always just use a straight stitch if it comes down to the wire.
I have a question about the zipper after you cut the opening for the zipper did you just lay the zipper on the wrong side and sew. When I did that I had the cut edge exposed. Should i have laid the zipper on the front then sewed and turn in or turned the cut edge in and then laid the zipper on that and sewed it on?
My cut edge was totally exposed. That’s what I love about minky, which I state somewhere in the post – it doesn’t fray, so I didn’t have to hem it, which is why I used it. I’m lazy that way. Mine has been washed 100x or so and still looks great!
Sarah, thanks for getting back to me. Mine wasn’t Minky but flannel so I am hoping for the best when she washes it. I already washed it once we will see what happens.
Oh yeah, I’m not sure about that. Fingers crossed!!
Thank you so much for this pattern! My first one is currently keeping my little munchkin cosy 🙂
The outer and lining is cotton flannelette fabric, padded with two layers of bamboo wadding. I would leave a photo but I don’t know how!!
Yay!
Wonderful! My 4 month old just outgrew his 3-6 months one and I dont want to purchase another one now and just realize he will outgrow it before winter time and then I will have to buy another one.
What size would you kind of think this will fit? I am trying to make it big enough for him to not outgrow it soon.
Thank you.
Probably 12 months. 🙂 At least for my kids! If you are tall folks you may want to cut the fabric a bit longer.
Thank you! I will give it a bit more leg room just in case. I am not tall at all but seems like he got his great-grandfather’s genes.
I have made a similar sleep sac but faced the neck and sleeves. Your way is so much easier!! I am about to make one for my 2 year old granddaughter. I am thinking about putting velcro across the bottom seam so in the morning she can rip it open and be able to still wear it, yet still be able to walk in it. It will be like a robe then. She may have to lift it to walk because it is long but at least she could get around.
Good idea!
I would suggest a separating zipper and install it with the zipper bottom end at the top of the sack. My son is on an apnea monitor and zippers are a problem otherwise (the wires have to come out somewhere). This is the way commercial sleep sacks are made. Love the pattern, thank you for posting it.
That’s a great idea even for kids without sleep apnea – harder for the kid to unzip when they are older! 😉 The ones we bought had regular zippers, but it was a while ago. They must have upgraded the design since then!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I’ve cut one out already but have to shop for the zipper. It will take no time at all and will be adorable for my new grand-daughter, due in January! 🙂
Yay!
Can you tell me roughly the total length. My husband printed it out for me and it looks way too big. The pattern size ends up about 35″ or around 90cm. Is that correact? Thank you for the free pattern. Can’t wait to get started.
Well, it is three 8.5″ x 11″ sheets, so yes. I always swaddled my infants and switched to these when they were a bit older and didn’t like the swaddle anymore. I made them long on purpose so they could wear them until they were almost 2 on cold nights b/c then they couldn’t kick off the warm blankets. If you want it shorter then just cut off some of the bottom length.
Can you tell me roughly the total length. My husband printed it out for me and it looks way too big. The pattern size ends up about 35″ or around 90cm. Is that correact? Thank you for the free pattern. Can’t wait to get started.
Well, it is three 8.5″ x 11″ sheets, so yes. I always swaddled my infants and switched to these when they were a bit older and didn’t like the swaddle anymore. I made them long on purpose so they could wear them until they were almost 2 on cold nights b/c then they couldn’t kick off the warm blankets. If you want it shorter then just cut off some of the bottom length.
We used the HALO sleep sacks on both of our twins, and loved them. They now make these in toddlers sizes (there are openings below for the feet so your little one can walk in them!). This would be a good option in response to the question regarding prevention of your baby from hurting him/herself if they try to walk in their sleep sacks.
Wow beautiful. Thank you for the pattern and tutorial.
Hi sarah, I recently I have tried making this.. It’s a great pattern but I have never worked with a zipper…. and thinking about just doing it with snaps/poppers.
Where would be the best place to put them? Side front, top? And how would I go about this? When I am cutting the pattern out shall I just give my self a bigger seam/hem allowance? If so how much?
any help/advice would be great 🙂 X
I’d probably do along the front instead of the zipper, so just follow the pattern but don’t add the zipper. I suppose you will need a little more fabric in that area then, so just make it a bit wider. I’m sorry – that’s not much help. I’m not good with zippers either, honestly, but this one was pretty easy.
I made this last night for a friend who is having a baby and it turned out wonderful! I have had this pinned for so long and finally gave it a shot. So easy and ends up looking great! This was my first time doing a zipper and it was a breeze! Thank you!
I love this! My kids and their friends are starting to have babies and this is such a quick but lovely gift. I ‘m going to put snaps on the shoulders and leave front and back full . This way they can load them like a pillow into a pillow case. Thanks for the great pattern.
I have a question about the zipper part. Could you further explain on how you sewed it onto the front panel again? I am a person who needs extremely detailed directions and the tutorial was not giving me the detail I need. Thanks! I have made 4 sleep sacks from a different pattern but have never thought of putting the zipper down the front. I put them on the side seam. Thanks again for your help on explaining this to me.
I’m really sorry, but I don’t know how to be more specific than that about the zipper. I’m a beginning seamstress myself and have trouble with zippers. I’m sure there are lots of tutorials about putting on zippers if you Google it. Sorry!
Couple questions, I am newish to sewing.
1. What exactly is cuddle fabric? Is 100% polyester good for this?
2. Is it necessary to have a zipper foot? My machine doesn’t have one.
Thank you!!
Cuddle fabric comes from a certain brand: https://www.shannonfabrics.com/
However, it’s more commonly called “minky” fabric and can be found at any fabric store.
I wouldn’t think polyester would be very cozy, so I wouldn’t use it, personally.
I don’t have a zipper foot either. 🙂
Very beautiful I love it. I’m doing one myself . Thank you
Great pattern! I will be making a few for my new grandson.
By the way, how many soothers does your little girl have, in her crib? I see 6. Lol
Hahaha! YES! Sooo many pacifiers!! She used to wake up and SCREAM if she couldn’t find one, so I just started throwing in a whole bunch so she could always find one. LOL.