Iron-On Onesie Adorableness

It is so easy to dress up a little onesie like this WITHOUT a sewing machine! {some of my ladies get a little freaked out by that whole machine idea...}

Make a bunch of these with a matching burpie and keep them on hand for when the whole 'mating season' comes full term and you've got a bunch of friends with spring babies and/or fall babies coming. And believe me, I've kept track and THAT'S when I seem to be needing baby shower stuff the most! {some of you are blushing...}

These don't have to be just for babies, either. This technique would be fun for a girl or boy's t-shirt.

You'll Need:

Onesies, washed, dried, and pressed
Fabric, washed, dried, and pressed
{that's enough work, isn't it?}

Heat'n'Bond Light Iron-On Adhesive
An Iron
Needle and contrasting thread - just regular spool thread.
Thimble for that middle finger - trust me, you'll want one. I use those rubbery ones for grip.

Step 1: So get some fabric with some cute shapes you can cut out. UNLIKE WHAT I DID HERE...DO NOT CUT OUT YOUR SHAPES. I'm an idiot - learn from my mistakes, okay.

You can also use a piece of solid color fabric or not-so-busy printed fabric and then wait for step #2. With solid colors you can cut out a silhouette of an animal, hearts, geometric shapes, etc. which would be cute.





Step 2: Cut off a piece of the gargantuan roll of Heat'n'Bond big enough to fit over your pieces. Follow the packaging directions - place the rough side of the paper onto the wrong side of your fabric, set your iron to "silk" without any steam, and press the adhesive onto the fabric, making sure all of it gets secured.

**NOTE: This stuff will get all over your ironing board cover if you are an idiot like me. Just make sure fabric is under the Heat'n'Bond at all times and you'll be okay.

Now you can cut out your shapes. Try to leave some white space on the perimeter of your shapes so you can stitch on those outer edges and have plenty of room.

If you're cutting out silhouettes, you can trace your shape on the paper backing of your adhered fabric, which is SO handy.




When your shapes are all cut out, you can peel off the paper backing, exposing more iron-on adhesive for the t-shirt.




Arrange your shapes and press into place firmly. Get them nice and secure.

And that's pretty much it!!! Now you can stitch them on, which I think is the fun part because it's quick and you get to sit and do something creative/mindless. perfect.

You COULD machine stitch, but it's a little difficult on these little onesies - but if you're that advanced, go for it. More power to you.

The way I threaded my needle: (cross-stitch style)

1.) take one long length of sewing thread; fold it in half on itself making a double strand with a loop at the bottom.

2.) Thread the needle with the doubled thread.

3.) With your needle, poke up from the bottom of the shirt wherever you'd like; don't pull the thread all the way through; keep a small loop there waiting...

4.) Make your stitch; go back down and then put your needle through the loop you made, securing it without having to tie a complicated knot.

I wish I had pictures, but seriously? WAY too much work for now!

*Fabric comes from the Michael Miller White Lava Flowers collection.