How to Make an Adorable Baby Bonnet

How we love this nostalgic look for sweet little faces. Our friend and patternmaker Monica Bacon of Oh Me Oh My Sewing dreamed up the cutest rimmed bonnet using our Petal Signature Cotton™. With your pick of these small-scale, ditzy (non-directional) designs and even more in the Marketplace, you’ll have a future heirloom in the making.

Small scale, non-directional designs are perfect for baby bonnets.
We’ve rounded up a collection of designs to help get you started.

How to Make a Baby Bonnet

DIY Baby Bonnet Materials

There are three different bonnet variations included in Oh Me Oh My Sewing’s pattern. Below you can find an example for each variation. For this tutorial we’ll be making the brimmed bonnet version.

Before you get started, be sure to prewash your fabric.

Cut Out Your Pattern Pieces

1. Print out your preferred bonnet variation and tape the PDF pattern pieces together. Cut out your paper pattern pieces.

2. Lay your pattern pieces on top of your fabric and cut out all of your required pattern pieces for your preferred bonnet variation.

Create the Bonnet Brim

3. Iron your brim interfacing to the back of your brim and brim lining pieces.

4. Sew the brim to the brim lining along the curved edge with 1⁄4″ seam allowance. Their right sides should be facing each other.

5. Turn the brim right side out and give it a good ironing. Snip off any seam allowance that is sticking out.

Pro tip: A tailor’s ham is extra helpful during this step!

Sew the Bonnet Side and Center Pieces Together

6. Pin the curved part of the bonnet side pieces to your bonnet center piece. Match up the notches to guide you in lining up the pieces correctly.

The single notches on the bonnet side should be pinned to the single notches on the bonnet center. The double notches should be pinned to the double notches.

7. Sew the bonnet side pieces and center piece together with a 1⁄2″ seam allowance.

8. To reduce bulk, trim your seam allowance with pinking shears making sure you don’t cut all the way to your seam.

9. Iron your seam allowances open.

Pro tip: With the bonnet turned right side out, use the tip of the iron to press your seams open.

Attach the Bonnet Brim

10. Sandwich the bonnet brim between your bonnet lining and outer bonnet so that the right sides are touching. The tips of the brim should line up with the corners of the bonnet. If they don’t match up you might just have your bonnet upside down! Try turning it around.

12. Sew the front (where the brim is) with a 1⁄4″ seam allowance.

13. Turn the bonnet right-side-out and iron the brim-bonnet seam.

14. Sew along the remaining raw edge 1⁄4″ away from the edge.

Make the Ties and Bias Tape

15. Iron your bonnet bias tape and ties in half. Then, iron the edges back 1⁄4″. Iron 1⁄4″ up on one of the ends of each of your ties.

16. Sew along the folded edges of your ties and the ends of your ties.

Attach the Ties and Bias Tape

17. Turn your bonnet inside out. Pin the unfinished side of your ties to the corners of your bonnet.

18. Sew your neckline bias tape onto your bonnet with a 1⁄4″ seam
allowance. Leave about 3/8″ of extra bias tape on each end. The right side of the bias tape should be facing the lining side of the bonnet.

19. Turn your bonnet right-side-out and iron the excess bias tape toward the front. Iron the ties down.

20. Fold the bias tape up and over so it just covers your sewn line. Sew it down along the edge of the bias tape. This will enclose the excess bias tape at the ends. Make sure you don’t sew on your ties.

21. Sew the ties in place at the bottom corner of your bias tape.

Tie the ends in a knot (optional) and get ready for maximum cuteness!

How to Use Fill-a-Yard to Make Four Double-Sided Bonnets

Why stop at just one handmade bonnet? Spoonflower team member Suz used the Fill-A-Yard® 2 Yard Cheater Quilt template in Organic Cotton Sateen to create four lined 12-18 month bonnets featuring coordinating prints. Simply create a collection of designs and then fill six squares (3 x 3) with the same design to get started. Repeat with your remaining seven sections. Not ready to make four bonnets? Try the Split Yard Horizontal template to create one bonnet with a contrasting liner.

Find even more DIY projects for baby here!