When Songbird was born I carried a huge diaper bag and all the essentials… all the time. But by the time #2 came around, I wised up and leaned out my travel stash. In doing so, I was able to tote just a large-ish purse and kept back-up clothes/diapers/wipes in the car. One super simple, but essential piece of baby gear that made this lightness possible is a diaper strap. Pop over to Project Nursery where I’m sharing how you can sew one up in a jiffy for yourself or friend.
My parents have the great fortune of spending many weeks a year traveling together. Whether they are sailing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, enjoying a food tour in some new city for the weekend, or simply catching a flight to come visit their awesome grandkids, those two are always on the move.
Up until Mother’s Day (when I gifted her these great new trays), my mom had been using one of those little paper hats that they put on hotel cups to put her jewelry and things in at the end of the day. Resourceful, but chincy.
If you’re jet-setting this summer, sew yourself a little travel tray—the perfect spot to keep your keys, rings, phone and glasses together in one spot. Simple to sew, the tray unsnaps to fold flat in your suitcase for no-bulk packing too. And… even if you don’t sew, you can still make one! Scroll to the end of these directions for that info.
Materials:
– Two fabric pieces measuring 8.5″ x 11″ each. You’ll want the interior fabric to be a solid light color, so that it’s easy to see your items within.
– low loft batting
– snaps (I like the ones that install with a hammer, rather than the sew on type)
1. Use a letter sized paper to cut two pieces of fabric and your low loft batting to 8.5″ x 11″ each.
2. Stack the three pieces with batting on the bottom and the two fabrics with right sides together on top.
3. Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew together all three pieces. Be sure and put the batting on the top, otherwise it could snag on the jagged feed dogs of the machine.
4. Sew most of the way around, leaving a space of a few inches for turning.
5. Turn the fabrics right side out and the batting will tuck inside. Top stitch 1/8″ around the entire piece to close it up.
6. On each side, sew a straight line 1.5″ from the edge.
7. Inside the interior rectangle, sew lines every 1/2″ for a quilted effect.
8. From the corner, measure in 1″ and install your snaps.
9. Finished! Snap the corners together and you’ve got yourself a nifty padded tray. The finished useable inside space measures 6″ x 8.5″. I found this ideal for a small cellphone, a pair of sunglasses and some jewelry, but you can easily customize the size by adjusting the beginning dimensions.
I mentioned earlier that you can make one of these without sewing! Instead of cotton fabric, cut out a square of marine grade vinyl. Attach snaps in the same location, 1″ off the corners.
If you’re not the traveling type, these make excellent gifts for those in your life that are. My mom raves about it’s usefulness and I’m so glad she’s no longer hoarding hotel cup covers!
You don’t want to miss my newest post on Project Nursery. If you have two pieces of fabric, a zipper and filler then you’re only 30 minutes away from sewing the cutest kids bean bag chair ever! No advanced sewing skills required. Click HERE to get the instructions.
Traveling with kids can be a challenge, but making them a cushioned lap tray can help! It’s a place to eat, play, and color that’s both comfortable and functional.
Supplies:
– 16″ pizza pan. I like this one from Walmart because it’s smooth without a thick rim.
– 18″ fabric of choice (minimum 40″ width)
– low loft batting
– 2″ wide sew-on velcro
– 2″ wide industrial strength adhesive velcro.
1. Start by tracing the pizza pan on the fabric. Cut out two of these circles.
2. Stack 4 layers of low loft batting together. Place pizza pan on top and cut around the edge.
3. Cut two strips of the soft fuzzy side of your sew-on velcro, each 9″ long. Measure 4″ in from the outside edge of one fabric circle. Center, pin and top-stitch to secure.
4. With right sides together, align the two fabric circles.
Then stack the cut batting underneath. Pin all layers together.
5. With the batting facing up, sew almost all the way around the edge, using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Leave a hole of about 6″ so you can pull the cushion right-side out.
6. Pull the cushion right-side out! Batting should fold to the inside.
7. If you’re good at closing seams by hand, rock on witchya bad self. If not, then you’re like me— just pin and top-stitch it closed.
8. Cut two strips of the scratchy side of your adhesive velcro, each 9″ long. Measure 4″ in from the edge of the tray and stick the adhesive velcro on so it lines up with the cushion velcro.
9. Velcro the cushion to the pan and you’re set. Since I used leftover fabric, each tray cost me just $15! Another cool thing is that since the cushion is removable, it’s also washable.
Sticking adhesive magetic buttons to the bottom of a cheap plate helps keep meal time spills at a minimum. I found these awesome divided plates at Walmart for $1—they’re BPA-free too!
Magnetic buttons on the bottom of tupperware containers keep markers or small toys from sliding around, too.
The 16″ surface is large enough to fit a letter-sized coloring page. Magnetic toys of all shapes and sizes are perfect for playtime – fridge letters, magnetic dress up dolls, and building toys all work great!
While they are ideal for long road trips, I’m keeping these handy in the back seat for every day use, too.
I'm Hayley. Wife and mother by day, DIY enthusiast by night. Fueled by sweet tea and jelly beans, I own power tools and know how to use them. Consider yourself warned.
