Baby Week: Little and Big Sibling Shirts

I am at a point in my life where most of my friends are having their 2nd babies, when just a couple years ago everyone was having their first. I love giving something to the family even if it isn't their first baby arrival. This makes things a little tough, because what I usually make, nursing covers, car seat cover, baby slings and things to that sort, are not needed. I have come up with something that I have enjoyed giving for the second bundle of joy: big sibling, little sibling shirts. The mothers adore these, and the big sibling loves having something to celebrate the new arrival as well. These shirts are perfect for when the big sibling comes to the hospital, as well as fabulous for pictures when baby comes home. Personal, useful and inexpensive.

Here is what I did to make this set:

• I purchased some plain shirts. I love walmart shirts for appliqueing, very inexpensive and I think they are well made, not to thin.
• I pulled up on a google image search 'bird', found one I liked and sized it to what I wanted in Microsoft Word and then printed it out. I cut it out and then used it as a stencil.
• I went through my scraps and cut out my birds.
• I used double stick fusible web to stick the birds to the shirt, using the directions on the package.
• I did a tight zig zag stitch all the way around the birds and their wings.
• Then, with a pen, I wrote 'Big Sister', and drew the birds legs and beak. Next, I used embroidering floss, and stitched over my pen marks using back stitch.
• Finally, I sewed on buttons for the birds eyes.

There really are so many options of what you can do to make this gift personal.

Here are a few more ideas:

For boys, how cute would it be to do a big truck and a little truck?! Lainey Bug Lane has a darling truck shirt that she made.

These Mary Jane shoes that Make It and Love It put together are darling. You could do a big pair and a little pair.

Sticking to shoes, for a boy and girl sibling, how about a sneaker (representing the boy) and a mary janes (representing the girl)? You could make a freezer paper stencil and use black ink on white shirts to be unisex. One Crafty Mama put these darling shoes together.

Even though this is a very simple gift, I think it shows in a big way that you care.

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