Weekend Project #2: Re-Purposed Crib Bumper, It's a Nap Mat!

After seeing this post this weekend, I had this sudden urge to turn a crib bumper into a nap mat for my kiddo.  First, it's a great way to re-purpose or re-use a crib bumper and I'm all about that.  Second, it's a cute idea for a small, portable nap mat--just grab your toddler plus a cozy blanket and head off to a friend's house.

I actually didn't use my current bumper for this mat because my 18-month-old son uses it to snuggle up against in his crib.  The one I have is thin enough that if he stands on it, it just collapses, which prevents him from being able to use it to boost himself out of his crib--thank God! 

So, I headed off to target--my go-to place for such items on sale.  And, low and behold, they have a ton of dwell studio bumpers 75% off right now.  I bought this one(link) for $8.74.

What I did...

1. Cut off extra bumper.  Since I don't plan on ever using this as a real bumper, I cut off portion of the bumper so that the finished mat was a better size for my kiddo.  First, I cut the bumper in half.  Then, I cut off approximately 23.5 in off each half, which fits my 32 in kiddo perfectly with plenty of room to grow.  The amount you cut off will vary depending on the height of your kiddo

*Don't worry about the ties not lining up exactly.  As long as the non-cut ends line up and all of the ties are close enough to tie together, the bumper will fit together as a mat when you're finished. 

2. Cut off 1.5 in of the batting in order to be able to easily make a 1/4 in seam along the ends.  I'm a novice seamstress at best; so, I just folded in the fabric 1/2 in and made a straight 1/4 in seam across the cut ends.  You could also remove the piping from the scrap ends and sew that in to create a more custom look.  For me, that was going to be too much work.

3.  After the end-seams were all sewn up,  I cut the extra ties from the scrap bumper.  Then, I lined up both halves and found the middle of each half in order to sew in additional ties.  The additional ties are necessary in order to make a mat; if not, the two parts pull apart too easily.

4. I just used a seam ripper to rip out a couple of stitches; then, I inserted the ties and hand sewed them in.  I made very small stitches that they can barely be seen without looking up close.

5. After I sewed in all four of the additional ties (two for each side), I tied them all together.  Voila, I had a mat!  The funny thing is...as soon as I put it on the floor my kiddo ran up to lay on it! I think I have a winner.

6. (in progress) You can fold the two halves of your new mat easily together and roll-up the mat sleeping bag style.  I'm in the progress of sewing together the scrap fabric from the scrap ends in order to make a velcro tie that my kiddo can use to roll and unroll his new nap mat. (I will edit this post when I'm finished).

So, what do you think?  Have you re-purposed your crip bumper in another way?  If not, try this! It was quick and easy, even for a girl with no sewing skills whatsoever. 

Also, I want to apologize in advance for my poor photos--I'm sad to say that I'm currently working with just a point and shoot and I need to get better at taking pictures of each step! I'm planning to make another mat for a friend and I will make an effort to take more pics.

P.S. I linked to this post on Today's Creative Blog.