Nap Mat Sewing Instructions
A nap mat is a comfortable blanket used by daycare and preschool children at during rest period. There are a wide variety of patterns available from Butterick, Simplicity, McCall’s and various online sites for nap mats, but you don’t need a pattern to make one. Design your own with some colorful and comfortable fabric and ribbon. You can use wool, polyester or cotton batting — all three types are sold at craft stores. If you enjoy the process, make one for a friend’s child with your leftover supplies.
Things You’ll Need
- 4 yards of fleece
- Batting (45” x 60”)
- Scissors
- Pins
- Matching thread
- Sewing machine
- Tailor’s chalk
- 4 12-inch long strips of 2-inch-wide ribbon
Sewing a Nap Mat
Cut the four yards of fleece in half, creating two pieces that are each two yards long. Wash and dry the fleece. Press the fabric with a warm iron. Lay the two pieces of fleece on a flat work surface with the right sides facing each other.
Fold the batting lengthwise and lay it on top of the fleece. Pin all three layers together.
Sew the nap mat
With a sewing machine, sew three sides, two long and one short, together using a straight stitch and a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Leave the fourth side open. Turn the mat right-side out. Turn in the selvage edges and top-stitch or hand-stitch the final side closed.
Attach the ribbons
At the top edge of the nap mat, measure across the width. Divide the width by four and, with the tailor’s chalk, mark at each quarter. Fold the four ribbons in half; pin the center of each ribbon into place on the chalk marks. Hand-stitch the center of each ribbon in place, making sure to secure it firmly.
Roll up the nap mat like a jelly roll by starting at the top and rolling downward. Wrap the attached ribbons around the roll and secure with a bow.
