How to Make a Burp Cloth with a Towel or Fabric

The other evening, I was trying to pull double duty. I held the baby on one hip while tossing vegetables in the skillet. My husband walked into the kitchen to see if I needed some help, and then it happened. The most enormous, grossest projectile spit shot from the baby’s mouth to the wooden floor… in the next room!

If you’re a new mom, you may have experienced this scenario. You’ve probably even discovered your favorite kind of burp cloth for cleaning up the worst messes. A pre-fold diaper works great as a burp cloth because it is super absorbent.

What material do you use to make burp cloths?

The cotton towel is often the most preferred material for making burp cloths. Other towels such as flannel or terrycloth can also be an adequate choice. The towel has a higher absorption rate than regular fabric and tends to last longer than traditional fabric. Washcloths or kitchen towels can also be used for this purpose. Felt and Minky fabrics look cute, and they can absorb pretty well, but they can also get smeary. Another great fabric (and my favorite) for absorbing baby messes is terry cloth. Feel free to cut up an old towel, like this smallish green one in the photo. I’m pretty sure it went with me to college! If you don’t already have a favorite burp cloth, maybe this will become your go-to burp cloth sewing tutorial!

Sew up a set of three burp cloths, or a diaper pouch and changing pad for a sweet gift idea.

What is the average size of a burp cloth?

The average-sized burp cloth is 10 by 15 inches or 25 cm by 37cm. This is around the exact measurements as a standard wash towel, only much smaller and more compact. Because they are so often used to clean up messes made by babies, these clothes need to be absorbent but also something easy to launder after each use.

What do I need to make a burp cloth?

For each towel, you’ll need a 10″ x 14.5″ piece of each the following:

– Terry cloth or old towel to cut up
– Fabric
– Quilt batting (perfect for scraps!) for extra absorbency

To make the burp cloth patchwork version, cut the following fabric:

Green fabric

– 7.75″ x 11.75″Black
-3.25″ x 11.75″ for side strip
-3.25″ x 10.5″ for bottom strip
– 5″ x “3 for monogram

Step 1

Stitch together the green to the black fabric along the long sides. Press seam open. Stitch the other black strip to the bottom. Press seam open. Trim to 10″ x 14.5″.

Step 2

Want to add a letter or picture? Here’s how to make an applique. I used Pellon Steam-a-Seam II Lite fusible and stitched around the edge to secure.

Step 3

In this order, Stack:

1. The terry cloth
2. cotton fabric (right side up)
3. batting. Pin together stack at the corners.

Step 4

Stitch 1/2″ seam allowance around the perimeter, leaving a 4″ gap on one short side for turning.

Step 5

Trim seam allowance to 1/4″ around the perimeter. Cut off the points on each of the four corners (being careful not to cut too close to your stitches).

Step 6

Turn the cloth right side out.

Step 7

Press cloth flat, making sure to close the gap. Fold the cloth into thirds and mark your folds with a pin.

Step 8

With the quilting cotton side up, top-stitch the burp cloth around the perimeter 1/4″ from the edge. Make sure to catch the gap with your stitches, adding another row of stitches if needed for reinforcement.

Step 9

Stitch along the marked fold lines (from step 7). This is a simple way to quilt all of your layers together while making it easier to fold the cloth into a cute, giftable stack.

That’s it! These are so easy and inexpensive to make, and they are a great way to use up scraps!

The fabric I used is Modern Eclectic by Khristian Howell for Blend Fabrics. These are a few of my favorite prints!