How to Sew a Baby Sleep Sack | Style Revive Expecting, Season 6, Ep. 2

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A baby sleep sack, or sleep bag, keeps infants warm and snug during sleep, and it is often an alternative to traditional blankets and swaddling clothes, which can pose a risk of suffocation for newborns. There is A LOT of stuff you need for a new baby, so save some money and have some fun stitching up sleep sacks from fabric scraps. 

What is a sleep sack? 

A baby sleep sack is a wearable blanket that helps keep your little one warm and safe while they sleep the night away (here’s hoping 🤞). It is an alternative to blankets, which can be dangerous due to the risk of suffocation or entanglement. 

Baby sleep sacks come in various styles and sizes; some have additional features such as zippers or integrated feet. They are designed to fit snugly around the baby’s torso and arms so that their movements do not dislodge the sack during sleep.  

They are typically made from stretch fabric, so the baby doesn’t feel restricted. Like many wearable items, you can make them yourself! Watch below to see how I copied the pattern from a purchased sleep sack to make my own. 

Make a Sleep Sack, Step-By-Step

There are different ways you can copy ready-to-wear garments to get the pattern pieces, but for smaller, more simple projects, I like to use craft paper (not thin tissue paper) and a tracing wheel with long sharp needles like this one.

The long sharp needles make it easier to see on your paper where you traced. Then to get the shape of the pieces, trace over them, smoothing the curves (I love this design ruler set!) and making the lines straight and connected.  

From there, I take tissue/pattern paper (I always use this one) to “extract” the various pattern pieces. 

When copying patterns from finished garments, you need to add seam allowance, and since I stitched my sleep sack with a regular sewing machine, I added 3/8″. 

For my sleep sack, I used the following: 

Dig Into Your Scrap Bin

One of the best parts about making baby items is that they’re so small that they don’t require much yardage. So dig through that scrap bin and experiment with paneling different prints and colors together. Just remember to ensure that the knits’ stretch are the same. Have a lot of scraps? Try making a baby quilt like this one that I made for a friend’s little one!

Choosing Fabric for Baby

When choosing the fabric for your baby’s sleep sack, it’s important to consider breathability, softness, and warmth. Generally speaking, the best fabrics for baby sleep sacks provide comfort while ensuring proper circulation, so your little one doesn’t overheat. Natural fibers like cotton and bamboo are ideal as they absorb moisture away from your baby’s body. Additionally, you can use wool or fleece for extra warmth on cold nights without sacrificing breathability or comfort in winter. 

Customizing Your Baby Sleep Sack

Depending on the season (and what your baby will be wearing underneath), you can stitch sleeves on or attach little armbands as I did. Topstitching the seam allowances also ensures the inside is nice and flat. 

Make More!

Since filming this episode of Style Revive, I’ve made several sleep sacks from that pattern—and I’m not going to lie, I have even been thinking of making myself one! 

If you do not have a template to work from, here are some other great resources for sewing sleep sacks: 

Tune into Sew Daily Network every Monday until March 27, 2023, for a new episode of Style Revive, and catch up on past seasons here!