Try These Adorable Baby Quilt Ideas
Don’t you just love making baby quilts! As a mom and grandmother, the arrival of a new baby is always exciting. Plus the prospect of making a new baby quilt is welcome any time. The size of a baby quilt generally makes them a quick project. These smaller size quilts are also a perfect opportunity to try something new without committing to a huge, finished piece. I want to share some of my favorite easy baby quilt ideas & projects with you.
The baby quilts I’ve made are not traditional patterns that many may think of. First, whenever possible I limit myself to using only the fabric I have on hand no matter the size or shape. Second, I’ve stayed completely away from the traditional newborn color palettes and reached out for more interesting combinations. These choices have led to some fun and whimsical quilts. See some of my favorite easy baby quilt ideas & projects below.
Hungry Caterpillar Baby Quilt Ideas
As an avid Eric Carle fan, my favorite family gift for children is one of his beautiful collage illustrated books (aff link). His books are adorable, and I especially love the collage illustrations. As quilters, we can appreciate all those vibrant colors splashed across the pages.
My 7- & 9-year-old grandkids were recently playing Legos on their Eric Carle themed Hungry Caterpillar quilts I made when they were born. These quilts were made with fabric designed from the book’s collage artwork.
Of course, I love to see my quilts still being used after so many years. I also quilted similar quilts for ‘the cousins’ so all the kids have their very own. What a wonderful project of love it was to make each one. I made a total of five of them, each just a bit different.
This Hungry Caterpillar fabric (aff link) dates back quite a few years, but there is still some out there to purchase. What a perfect way to introduce children to reading than with adorable, eye-catching art. They hear engaging, rhythmic words and are captivated by the colorful images. Okay, maybe not everyone loves a fabulously illustrated children’s book the way I do, but you can’t ignore all the story character fabrics available to quilt with today!
Simple Baby Quilt Ideas
Baby Quilt Fabrics
There are lots of children novelty quilting fabric (aff link) to choose from too. From forest or farm animals to sea creatures or popular storybook characters, your options are only limited to your imagination.
Consider using this style of fabric as an inspiration to create a quilt for your children’s favorite story (aff link). Simply pulling the book’s colors into an easy patchwork quilt is an fun project. Kids will love reading their much-loved book snuggled in their favorite quilt you made just for them!
Baby Quilt Fabric Panels
Storybook fabric panels (aff link) also make a child’s quilt a very simple project. If you’re little one isn’t ready for paper books yet, consider making a fabric panel book. There are many to choose from for different age groups. Or you can create your own with a simple applique version, too. The possibilities are endless once you let your creativity take charge.
Easy Baby Quilt Fat Quarter Ideas
Baby Quilt Fabric Choices
This is a floral quilt I made for a friend’s new little girl using the Disappearing 9-Patch Pattern. The cute little baby & tulip print was the first piece I chose. Then I gathered a few more fat quarters (aff link) to add some variety, interest and contrast. The purple center square of the Disappearing 9-patch added lots of color in each block. Finding the pretty morning glory print made a perfect border. Then, selecting a deep purple as a border accent for the floral squares really made this quilt stunning. I draped it over the couch for days just to look at it. This was such a fun baby quilt to make.
This baby quilt was made for my great-niece. I wanted to stay with the nursery colors of mint and gold. Now, that had me stumped as it’s not a color combination I had ever worked with. I was amazed that I even had those colors in my fat quarter stash. Once I pulled them together, a beautiful color scheme began to develop. The top went together nicely but I also wanted the backing to be special. With the leftover fabric from the top, I began a log cabin square. More strips were added until it was the right size. I love how it turned out! This is definitely a color palette I’d like to use again.
Baby Quilts Are a Fun Opportunity to Try New Colors
I urge you to try some new color combinations. Start with a small project, even just a few quilted coasters or placemats, to get an idea of what colors work best. Reach out of your comfort zone and try adding a color you’ve never quilted with. It’s such fun to see a new color scheme develop as your blocks are assembled. Enjoy the process and relish the journey as you expand your designs.
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