How to Make a Bassinette Skirt

Sometimes, you look at something really beautiful, and think that you simply dont have the talent to make it yourself. Often, though, when you look past the elegance of the item you realize that its actually very simple to create the same thing. Thats the case for a bassinette skirt. Its frilly and beautiful but that doesnt mean its hard to make. Actually, the skirt is so easy its crazy! If you can sew a little - or a lot - you can easily make a beautiful bassinette skirt.

Tulle, lace, satin and similar material works well to make the skirt. There are other fabrics you can use, but whatever you choose, it should be lightweight. Before shopping for fabric, measure around the bassinette, double that measurement, and add a few inches to spare. This will help you determine how much fabric youll need for your particular bassinette.

There are actually two different, basic skirts you can make. For the first one, measure around the bassinette and cut a piece of quarter-inch elastic to that measurement. Now, lay the fabric out on a table. Measure from the bassinette opening, to the floor, and add three inches. Cut the width of the fabric to that measurement. Take the measurement you used for the elastic, double it, and cut the length of the material to be that measurement. Along one long edge of the material, fold it under a half-inch, then once again. Sew along the edge to create the hem for the skirt. At the opposite side, fold under an inch. At the raw area of the edge youve just folded, position the elastic so that it covers the raw edge, and sew. Use a straight stitch to sew, staying in the middle of the elastic, and keeping the elastic on the raw edge. As you sew, tug a little on the elastic, and this will help it gather the fabric. After the elastic is installed, bring the two ends of the fabric together, and position them so that their right sides are facing each other. Sew down the side to finish the skirt. Hang it on the bassinette by simply stretching the elastic over the bed. Save a little on fabric, and forget the elastic, by making a different type of bassinette skirt. For this one, measure around the bassinette, and add two inches. Cut the length of the fabric to be this measurement. Cut the width to go from the bassinette opening to the floor, and add on two inches. At one long end of the material, fold under a half-inch, then once again. Sew it to create the hem. At each short end, fold under a half-inch, then once again. Stitch across these areas. At the remaining long side, fold under a half-inch, then once again. Sew to create a hem. Thread quarter-inch ribbon through the opening at each end of the last hem you made. Attaching a safety pin to the ribbon, then pushing it through, can help you thread the ribbon. After youre finished, tie a knot in each side of the ribbon, right at the hem opening. This will keep the ribbon from sliding back through the hem. Wrap this bassinette skirt around the bed and tie it into a bow. The split between the ends of the skirt allow you to easily store things under the bassinette then cover them. The finished skirt - either one of them - is a beautiful, lacy accent that makes an ordinary bassinette look stunning.