A DIY Baby Nest

Are you familiar with dockatots and baby nests? I had never heard of them until the last few years, but decided to make my own DIY baby nest for this new little bebe. I love the way it came out, and I think it will be a great little portable, cozy spot to set down the babe as we go about our day.
DIY Baby Nest | via Ashlea of This Mamas Dance

I did a little poll to see what other moms thought of it, and the consensus seemed to be that it was great for the newborn stage, as well as for a portable place to lay babe, and even a changing space. One of my girlfriends suggested trying to make the centre mattress portion removable, for easier cleaning- so I sewed a pocket in the centre.DIY Baby Nest | via Ashlea of This Mamas Dance

That is the mattress that slips inside the pocket. It’s more of a thin pad then a mattress… I think I used 4 layers of batting, and then quickly quilted them together. Being able to pop it out will definitely aid in hygiene as well as everything drying quicker. Much like a cloth diaper with a removable insert.DIY Baby Nest | via Ashlea of This Mamas DanceDIY Baby Nest | via Ashlea of This Mamas Dance

I also sewed up two flannel reversible inserts. My hope is that it will help with keeping things tidy. I had some flannel leftover from pj’s from past years- I did one side floral…DIY Baby Nest | via Ashlea of This Mamas Dance

and the other in a white and blue stripe…DIY Baby Nest | via Ashlea of This Mamas Dance

DIY Baby Nest | via Ashlea of This Mamas DanceI sewed this up in an afternoon, with kiddos a foot, and a toddler who watched a lot of Peppa Pig. It took about 4-5 hours to make, while figuring out what on earth I was doing! haha. The hardest part was sewing on the navy bias tape- it was very, very awkward!! You do not want to sew through the layers of fabric, so I had to go very slow. Once I had gotten through that step it was a breeze. I also chose to stick the cording through before I sewed the second side of the bias so I didn’t have to fish it with a safety pin. It was super easy that way.

DIY Baby Nest | via Ashlea of This Mamas Dance

If you’d like to give it a go- I found this video really helpful. These can range in price from $250-$350 here in Canada, so I would say this is definitely a worthwhile DIY project if you don’t have the budget for that- which I just couldn’t justify. It cost me less than $50 in materials, and just a few hours of my time. It’s always a thrill when something turns out just as I hoped!

I have the nest, and now all it needs is a baby. Any day now…

-Miss Ash

 

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