Sewing Tutorial: Toy Hammock

This is a very simple pattern designed to keep toys in check. My children like to have a few special toys in their beds, and I did too when I was their ages. With just a yard of fabric and some elastic, you can help the toys not take over the bed.

My kids keep pajamas in theirs as well.

SUPPLIES

1 yard cotton fabric
2.5 yards elastic (1 inch wide, non-roll)

Conveniently, the stores near me sell elastic in 2.5 yard packages.

INSTRUCTIONS

Hem around all four sides.

Hooray for irons and being able to crease the fabric before sewing it!

Next, you'll be sewing a tube on the cut edges (i.e., the non-selvage edges). Fold the hemmed cut edges down three inches or so, and sew along the hem. There will be one tube on each end, and the yard of fabric will have shrunk by about seven inches between the hems and the tubes.

It's not critical to get the width exact, so long as there's plenty of room for the elastic.

One tube on either cut end.

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together. Line up the two tubes and sew the narrow edges together.

Like this. Sew on the short parts, from the folded edge to the tubes.

Don't sew over the tube; you'll need it open for the elastic.

Run the elastic through the tube.

Hooray for giant darning needles!

Finally, making sure the elastic isn't twisted, overlap the ends at least an inch and sew it together. Hide the seam inside one of the tubes, and you're done!

You could also use thread that matches your elastic, but I'd still work this inside the tube.

Ready to hang on a bed.
Depending on how heavy what it's holding is, you might want the elastic shorter,
or need to loop it around the bedposts a few times.