I've been looking into getting a stroller seat liner for our Baby Jogger City Mini GT.
After a playtime in the local sandbox, getting back into the black stroller is usually a dusty dirty mess. The stroller cover isn't that easy to take out and wash, so I figured a liner will solve the dirt problem and lengthen the life of my stroller.
Local baby stores don't seem to sell them. When I did find them, they were about $40 or more dollars. A price I couldn't justify.
So I decided to do it myself! And I discovered, it's really not that hard at all! If you have minimal sewing ability - you can make it too!
Here's how I made my stroller seat liner.
Items to purchase:
I purchased two different types of material - cotton with fun patterns and some quilting cotton from my local textile store. I only needed a half a yard of each. ($15 - I got a lot more quilting cotton than I needed, so I can definitely make another liner!)
Then I went to the local dollar store and I purchased sticky shelf lining. The shelf lining, I found, was the perfect material to make my pattern. It was easy to cut, strong and durable. ($2)
Step One: Making your Pattern
This is the toughest part of the entire project - so take your time and measure, measure, measure!
I lay the shelving paper into the stroller and lightly outlined where all the holes would need to be in my liner.
Removing the pattern, I measured and cut the holes with an exacto knife. Once the holes were cut, I placed the pattern back into the stroller to make sure that my measurement worked.
I made it a simple rectangle and it actually worked really well!
Step 2: Cutting your Material
Once the pattern is set, next comes measuring and cutting your material and your quilting cotton.
Step 3: Sew your pieces together
I, initially put the entire pattern onto my material - drawing out lines etc. But I wouldn't do that again. First I would sew the pieces together.
Place the material face to face (ie. bright colour sides against one another), and then the third piece will be the cotton quilting material.
Step 4: Sew Material Together
Using a sewing machine, sew your pieces together, making sure to leave an opening large enough to be able to turn the material inside out.
Step 5: Trim the Corners and Flip the Material
Before you flip the material right side out, take a minute and trim the corners. This will help the material from bunching too much in each corner.
Once trimmed, then flip!
Step 6: Top Stitch
Top stitch around the entire seat liner including the opening.
Step 7: Cutting the Holes
This part is a bit tricky. You need to place your pattern onto the material and transfer where the holes are onto the material.
I used pins at the end of each hole and then pushed them through the pattern so that they were sticking out of the material. I'll be honest. It took a bit of measuring, rulers and redrawing with chalk to make sure that I had all the holes in the right spot.
The good news is that this pattern and the liner are pretty forgiving. It doesn't have to be 'completely' correct. You do have a bit of wiggle room.
Step 8: Cutting the Holes
Ok - this was completely out of my comfort zone, and probably the only 'real' sewing that could be required - making button holes!!!
I tried my best at this - there was a bit of stitch ripping going on, but again, the pattern is pretty forgiving, so even if all the holes weren't completely the same size, it still works as a lining.
Sew button holes around the line that you made. Then use a knife or scissor and cut a hole in the centre. (They aren't that pretty - but what can you do!)
Step 9: Put your Liner in your Stroller!
Et voila! You've made a stroller liner - easy to insert, remove and wash! Congrats!
Guys - if I can do you, YOU can do this! Best of luck!
Many thanks to this website: http://whileshesleeping.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pram-liner-and-tutorial.html for the inspiration and the help!
