Crib vs Twin: Standard Dimensions of a Toddler Bed Quilt
Keeping your young children warm at night means finding or making the right sized bedding. It is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Making a toddler quilt would be more of a labor of love, something young mothers or grandmothers would enjoy spending some time doing.
Standard dimensions of a toddler bed quilt: Toddler beds come in a couple of sizes. They can be crib size which makes uses a crib-sized quilt very practical. These beds also come in a ‘twin’ size in which case you could make the quilt a little bit larger to make sure your child remains covered throughout the night.
One way to get some guidance on this issue is to continue to read our article. It is filled with the information you and young mothers need to know. In the final analysis, which size you get will be up to you but getting a little information will help your decision-making process.
Toddler Bed Quilt Dimensions 101
What Size is a Toddler Bed Quilt?
There may be a slight discrepancy in how toddler quilts are measured. One source has them at 36 by 50 inches and at 40 by 70 inches in size. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees as others say that the standard toddler quilt size is between 36 and 53 inches in size.
Still, some claim that the toddler quilt measures between 46 and 70 inches overall. So deciding what size of toddler quilt you will make or buy, is solely in your hands. You have a wide range of sizes to choose from.
The key to your dilemma will be the size of your toddler and how they use the quilt. According to a mom, toddlers are well known to drag their quilts around the house, a.k.a. Linus of Charlie Brown fame and that behavior means you should keep the quilt on the smaller end of the scale.
Even the size of the mattress is in debate as it is said that the standard toddler mattress is the same size as a crib mattress. Of course, no two people seem to agree on the size of the mattress. One claims the standard size is 28 by 52 inches.
Another side votes for 27 by 51 inches and there are some that like fractions nvolve4d and make a point of saying the crib mattress should be 28 5/8 by 52 5/8. If your crib mattress is close to those sizes then you are doing just fine.
Crib Size vs Twin Size
The wonderful aspect of this topic is that there is no real hard and fast rule where you will have mommy points deducted if you do not follow the crowd. There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to a crib and twin size allowing you the freedom you need to find the items that meet your child’s personality and behavior.
Exact size is not the only issue here either. There is comfort, cleaning, thickness, and other issues that come into play. If your child is a fast-growing person, then he or she would do better with a toddler twin size quilt. The crib size will be wasted and outgrown in no time.
Plus, you have about 4 to 8 inches of leeway when making a crib or toddler twin quilt. Once you settle on the fabric style, its cleaning capability and comfort you can always return to the size debate and think which would be best.
You are not committing some parenting crime if you do not follow the standard sizes for either. If you want an honest opinion, children grow fast so go with the twin size. That saves you money and gives your child a little security knowing life can be stable and their treasured possessions will not disappear on them.
How Many Squares do You Need For a Toddler Quilt?
This is an easier question to answer as it is a very straightforward situation. For a 42 by 42-inch toddler quilt, you need 64 5” squares. That is simple enough. The number of squares will depend on how big they are and how big your quilt is going to be.
The key to making your toddler quilt is in making the right decisions in the right order. For example, you need to decide the size first. You can do this by thinking about the size of your child’s mattress. Then you need to decide on the design of the quilt.
After that, you need to figure out how much of the quilt will be orders and how much will be blocks. Making a drawing will be of big help to you here at this step. Once all that is done, you need to decide how many blocks you want to use and how big they are going to be.
When you have all the decisions made then you can start sewing your toddler’s quilt. Keep in mind that while the standard crib mattress measures approx. 28 by 52 inches in size. You can go longer and wider than that and tuck the quilt in for your child to feel more secure.
You have complete freedom here on how you make your toddler’s quilt.
How Many Yards of Fabric do I Need for a Toddler Quilt
For a standard toddler quilt, you are looking at about 2 yards of fabric plus the blocking material that decorates the top of the blanket. But then not everyone is going to be making the standard sized quilt. Adjust the amount of fabric by the size of the quilt you are making.
The backing should be about 4 inches longer than the material you are using for the exterior of the quilt. This extra length is to take into account any shrinking that occurs when you decide to wash the quilt.
Also, you may be able to get away with 1 1/2 yards of fabric for the front and back of the quilt, then add in what you need for binding and batting. Again since there is no standard you have to follow, you are free to use as much fabric as you think is necessary.
Tips for Making a Toddler Quilt
It never hurts to get a few tips from others to help you make your toddler quilt. Even if you do not use them, they may inspire you to new ideas that lend a helping hand. Here are some of those tips.
- 1. Bright and bold colors are best - red, green, purple, blue and light brownish color are the best ones to keep a child looking at their blanket.
- 2. Contrast is good - this helps your child see different shapes and inspire them to draw those same shapes on their own.
- 3. Don’t go too big - you want to make it the right size without making to hard for your child to move when underneath the quilt. Sometimes smaller is better even though you want your child to grow into it.
- 4. Negative space is not always bad - you be the judge on that issue as the seas may or may not be comfortable for your child. Negative space may have you finishing the quilt a little quicker.
- 5. Solids are not always a good choice - the reason for that is that solid colors show stains a lot easier than pattern colors. You want to be able to hide stains.
- 6. Go natural- avoid man - made fabrics and their harsh chemicals. Flannel, cotton are very good choices to keep the quilt all-natural.
- 7. Wash first before sewing - once you have gathered your 3+ yards of fabric to make the quilt, make sure you pre-wash the fabric. This will keep the quilt from shrinking after you have spent all that time making it.
- 8. keep the stitches simple - you do not have to go and do a lot of stitch work. Your toddler will use and abuse the quilt until it wears out. Save the sophisticated and elaborate stitches for when your child is older and knows how to take care of their things.
How to Make a Toddler Quilt
Here are the instructions to make a simple 48 by 60-inch toddler quilt.
- Step 1. Gather your supplies that you will need and make sure they are all handy.
- Step 2. Mark 6 inches all the way around for your border. This will leave about 36 by 48 inches that you need to fill. 12-inch blocks work well and make sit easy to figure out.
- Step 3. Divide the remaining fabric into 12 squares measure 12 inches each. Separate the edges from the squares and use a nice zig-zag stitch to connect the squares together.
- Step 4. Add your batting and backing making a nice sandwich of the fabric. Stitch around the outside while leaving a 12-inch opening when you are done. Turn the fabric right side out, etc. And then stitch up the 12-inch opening.
- Step 5. You are done and all that is needed to do is place it on your child’s bed.
Some Toddler Quilting Pattern Ideas
Most people like being original when they make their quilts but sometimes ideas are hard to come by. One way to avoid that issue is to either look at other quilting patterns and draw inspiration. Or, simply copy the pattern and give the quilt away as a gift.
Here are some ideas to help you find the right pattern for yourself and your child or a friend and her child.
- 1. It is called the cheater - that is because you are not doing a lot of work and working with ready-made fabrics.
- 2. Easy 4 patch quilt - this is a good project for those just starting to make their own quilts. The fabric you use can come from just about anywhere including scraps.
- 3. The Asymmetrical design - this is thinking outside the box a little bit and using diamond-shaped blocks to create an interesting look.
- 4. The simple color-blocked - all you do here is pick the size and different colors you want to use and sew them together following standard quilting practices. Keep the colors in the order you start with so it looks neat and organized.
- 5. The triangle quilt - this is similar to #4 but you are using triangle block shapes instead of square ones. The key is to stay organized and arrange the colors correctly. You can have one color highlighted over the rest.
- 6. Stacked coins - it is called that even though you are not stacking coins on top of the quilt. Your patterns are similar but are lined up like someone stacked a bunch of boxes.
- 7. Sherbert Lemon Jelly roll - use a bright and bold color scheme to make this quilt pop. As the name says you are using jelly rolls and organizing the colors into a pattern that is exquisite when completed.
- 8. Strip & Flip - in this pattern your blocks are going in strips one on top of the other. Then at some point, you flip a strip and have it go horizontally instead of vertically like the rest of the strips.
- 9. Wildwood - your technique involves the proper use of color gradation. It's a unique look that should appeal to most toddlers.
- 10. Sweet & simple - it won’t take long to line up the squares, add the backing and so on. Then all that is left to do is the sewing. Keep it simple saves you a lot of work and still looks good.
Some Final Words
Making a toddler quilt is not going to be that hard. While knowing the standard size for a toddler twin you are not obligated to make your quilts that size. Use your creativity, common sense and your toddler’s personality to create a great quilt for him or her.
You have lots of flexibility and freedom in this issue.
