How to Sew a Better Burp Cloth

Less is more, unless we’re talking about burp cloths, in which case more is always more. I don’t know about you, but my tiny babies were big in the spit up department, and my smallish burp cloths did little to keep my shirt clean on more than one occasion. I needed something larger but not so big that it wouldn’t fit in my diaper bag or be mistaken for a blankie. This DIY burp cloth design is the perfect marriage of form and function—it truly is a better burp cloth. Check out the easy tutorial below!

Materials: patterned fabric (1/4 yard), terry cloth fabric (1/4 yard), thread, scissors, ruler, iron, sewing machine. I recommend absorbent patterned fabrics, like flannel or cotton. For the purposes of this tutorial, I chose a solid green fabric for my “pattern.”

Fold your patterned fabric in half and cut to an 8″ x 12.5″ rectangle with the fold along one of the 8″ sides.

With the FOLD to the left, measure 8″ along the top edge and 3.5″ along the right edge. Align a ruler along that diagonal and cut.

You should now have a piece of fabric with the dimensions shown below. If you’re making more than one burp cloth, it’s easiest to create a reusable template in this shape from cardstock or cardboard.

Fold your terry cloth fabric in half. Place the patterned fabric (or your cardstock template) on top. Cut the terry cloth to match.

Open the two fabrics up and place them right sides together.

Pin the fabrics together. Using a 1/2″ seam allowance, sew around the burp cloth, leaving a 3″ gap for turning.

Before you turn the burp cloth, snip off the fabric close to the corners. This will help you turn them more easily.

Turn your burp cloth right side out and press the edges flat.

Use a 1/4″ seam allowance to top-stitch around the entire edge—this will close the gap and create a nice finished look.

As you can see, this DIY burp cloth is generously sized, all the better for catching and wiping up the inevitable. The angled edge keeps it less bulky, while still covering all the spit up hotspots.

More is more when we’re talking about quantity, too. Sew a set of coordinating burp cloths, and you’ll never run out of fashionable coverage.