Sewing: How to make a kid-sized chef apron
Posted on | August 24, 2007 57 Comments | e-mail | print
update 8/28: Owen actually wore the apron to make cookies today. I’d definitely suggest two changes: making an extra strap so there are two at the neck for tying, not one looped one, and adding another couple inches width to the bottom part of the apron. It should go farther around to protect the sides of the kids’ pants.
Here’s an idea: a chef’s apron for your toddler. Lord knows he won’t wear a bib anymore, am I right? Here’s a quick way to make one. It takes two pieces of about 12”x20” fabric, plus two pieces that are 7.5”x20”. So, let’s see, you can make it out of about a little more than a yard of 44”-wide fabric. I think.
Math is not my strong suit.
Here is the cutting layout, although it doesn’t include the second apron piece laid out. These measurements are for an apron that fit my Owen, who wears a 2T. The same concept embiggened would fit an older child, or even yourself. Just measure yourself where an apron would be, and remember to halve the measurements for cutting on the fold, and to add enough for a 1/2” seam allowance.
Once your pieces are cut, assemble the apron strings. I usually assemble strings and straps thiswise: fold them in half lengthwise and press, then unfold. Fold from the edge to the center fold line lengthwise for top and bottom. Press. Then fold in half, enclosing the raw edges, and sew along the open side. Turn one short edge under twice and stitch it down.
With the right side of one of the unfolded apron pieces facing up, lay the apron strings in the appropriate places, raw edges matching and strings toward the center. Pin them in place as shown below. Lay the other apron piece on top, right sides facing. Starting about 3” from the center bottom, stitch all the way around the edge, using a 1/2” seam, and going over the straps. Stop a few inches from where you started to leave room to turn (be sure to backstitch).
Be sure to clip the seam allowance nearly to the stitching line on the curves, to make them lie flat, and trim corners at a 45-degree angle to eliminate bulk.
Turn it inside out. Press.
Suckers will hand-slipstitch the opening closed; lazy people like me will edgestitch the whole thing. Then voila! Apron!
Hopefully that made sense. I’m actually quite crap at explaining how I do things. And my skills in Illustrator are shite.
But there you go! And it doesn’t matter if it’s wonky or made from a weird fabric or if it looks like crap because your kid is just going to wipe his slimy paws all over it anyway. Just be sure you make it sturdy enough to throw in the wash and you are g-o-l-d-e-n.
An illustration that includes layout instructions is here.* Good luck!
*and if you can’t read that tiny print, it goes something like this:
Instructions: 1.) For apron: On fold, measure out 4”. This is A.
Measure 20” down, along fold line. From there, measure out 6” from fold. This is C.
Measure back up about 15” (more or less to taste). This is B. Sketch curve from top of B to right end of A.
Cut out this piece and use it as a pattern for cutting the second apron front piece on the fold.
2.) Strings: Mark apron string measurements along the grain line. Each piece is 2.5”x20”. Cut 3 strips, through 2 layers; there should be 6 total.
Credit goes to Sew What Skirts for the ABC approach and Simple Sewing for the basic construction method. Yay!
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57 Responses to “Sewing: How to make a kid-sized chef apron”
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August 24th, 2007 @ 10:51 pm
oh- really cute idea.
Reply to thisthis might sound weird but sometimes i work as a clown & my friend/partner-in-clown wears an apron as part of her clown costume…so i might use this to make one for my 2 year old & one for me too.
August 25th, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
wow, a clown, really? That’s awesome. You should totally make one (and let me know how it turned out, of course).
Reply to thisAugust 30th, 2007 @ 10:43 am
I love this. I’ll email about featuring it… So great (and I love the idea of doing two ties for the neck— always an issue for this type of thing with kids). I’m glad he wore it to make some kick-ass cookies with you.
Reply to thisAugust 30th, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
Yay! I’m glad he did, too. Though once I took it off him there was an apron-shaped hole in the cocoa powder that completely covered him.
Reply to thisSeptember 12th, 2007 @ 9:43 am
[…] Apron This darling chef’s apron tutorial would definitely work for either a boy or girl. We love Mary Beth’s blog Supafine! and all of […]
Reply to thisSeptember 14th, 2007 @ 10:23 am
I plan to make this out of a space print for my 3-1/2 year old Grandson (he loves the Space Program). I shall follow your advice and make the apron a few inches wider to cover more 3T acreage. Thanks for the tutorial.
Reply to thisSeptember 14th, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
Let me know how it turns out! I’d love to see it.
Reply to thisNovember 1st, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
[…] Supa Fine’s Kid Sized Chef Apron […]
Reply to thisNovember 16th, 2007 @ 9:42 am
[…] Kinderschürze […]
Reply to thisMarch 3rd, 2008 @ 10:52 pm
If you use a bias casing (either bias tape or fabric) along the curved portions, you can run one tie—either cord (which isn’t so comfortable against bare necks but fine with collars) or a narrow strap (which likes to twist) and have only one piece to tie and an adjustable neck loop.
I agree that making the apron wider—even to the point of reaching nearly around the body—helps keep the mess off the clothes.
Reply to thisMarch 4th, 2008 @ 8:06 am
Good idea, Connie!
Reply to thisApril 24th, 2008 @ 2:00 pm
I made one for my 5 year old great nephew and he loved it. I used spider man material (his fav), and put two pockets on it. He loves to cook with my sister,(his grandmother). I did adjust measurements to fit his little body. Gteat tutorial. I looked all over the internet for this type of apron tutorial for him. THANKS!!
Reply to thisAugust 3rd, 2008 @ 2:08 am
[…] Kinderschürze […]
Reply to thisAugust 9th, 2008 @ 12:30 am
Hi there, I just made one for a 4th bday present. Thanks for sharing!
Reply to thisSeptember 7th, 2008 @ 12:01 pm
Great apron for kids thank you for sharing it with us!
Reply to thishugs ginger
October 24th, 2008 @ 4:13 pm
Could you make this out of terrie cloth fabric? And bias tape to tie the strings?
Or is it better to stick with washable cotton?
Reply to thisI want to make a brown chef’s apron with pockets from horse-related fabric for one grand child, then a princess theme for another. Thank you for sharing!
October 25th, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
Hey, sue: I absolutely think you could do this in terrycloth. I mean, it’s cotton and washable, right? And run the bias tape around the edges and straight out into ties — finish the raw edges and add apron strings in one fell swoop. Good idea, and good luck!
Reply to thisNovember 23rd, 2008 @ 7:33 am
Thank you for easy-to-follow instructions. I had it in my mind how I’d make some for my children…and your instructions have helped.
Reply to thisNovember 29th, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
I used this pattern tonight for my daughter and niece for Christmas(we have an annual baking day coming up). To make them a little more girlie, I added a little ruffle to the bottom. I, also, took the advice and made it with a tie at the neck and a little wider to go around the back! They are perfect!
Reply to thisNovember 30th, 2008 @ 4:16 pm
Thank you so much for publishing this tutorial. I’ve now made seven aprons as Christmas presents for my daughter and her friends. I realise now it’s not a difficult project but without your clear tutorial I would never have got started. Many, many thanks.
Reply to thisDecember 2nd, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
[…] Kid-sized chef apron […]
Reply to thisDecember 3rd, 2008 @ 3:00 pm
Awesome. I was trying to plan something like this in my head for my nephew, and you’ve laid it all out for me. Can’t wait to find some fun fabric and get started!
Reply to thisDecember 16th, 2008 @ 6:27 pm
Thank yu for sharing! My little 3 year old granddaughter is getting a play kithchen for christmas, and I thought it would be cute to make aprons for both her and her mommy!I just couldn’t figure out the size, and this is great..your directions are good, too! I went to some other sites that gave little or no explanations, and even some with no pictures!Your little one in this pic is just a tad bit smaller then Addie,so this will work great! Thank you!
Reply to thisDecember 17th, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
Thanks so much for the Info. I’m making my grand kids this for christmas. Looks very easy and quick.
Reply to thisDecember 19th, 2008 @ 3:34 pm
Just made four of these. Thanks so much for the pattern.
Reply to thisJanuary 3rd, 2009 @ 11:14 pm
I just started sewing and was looking for an easy but useful pattern. My house was beginning to fill up with pillows! I just made one of these for each of my kids. It was so easy and they turned out great!! I even added a little pocket to one of them. THANK SO MUCH!!
Reply to thisJanuary 9th, 2009 @ 2:01 pm
[…] Art Smock or Kids Chef Apron Share and […]
Reply to thisJanuary 13th, 2009 @ 9:40 pm
I am making aprons for all of the little kids coming to my daughters “cupcake” bday party. Do you have a recommendation on the type of material to use? I am a beginner at sewing and I don’t know if cotton is best. The lady at Joans said to use outdoor material but that is more expensive. What do you think?
Reply to thisJanuary 16th, 2009 @ 11:30 pm
[…] & easy to make I used this pattern but only cut three lengths for the ties. The material came from Mum’s stash - I […]
Reply to thisJanuary 27th, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
[…] I found this sew easy (pun intended) kid’s apron tutorial online last night after he asked me again for an […]
Reply to thisFebruary 2nd, 2009 @ 10:55 pm
I like how you think! cute pattern I will be making these for my daughter b- party it will have a cooking theme. They will be making pizza. Thanks for sharing
Reply to thisMarch 1st, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
Thanks for sharing the pattern info. My great granddaughers have a eas bake oven and like to play around baking. I am sure they will love the aprons.
Reply to thisMarch 15th, 2009 @ 10:51 pm
[…] he’s not “gone fishin’.” But I did find an alternative- lots and lots of free patterns online with which I can make my own apron for Teno. And by that, of course, I mean - with which his […]
Reply to thisMarch 29th, 2009 @ 6:39 pm
This is gorgeous! I don’t know any young’uns to make this for, but as soon as I meet one they’re going to get an apron
Well done!
Reply to thisApril 27th, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
I made some aprons almost like this just 2 weeks ago. I used denim for the ties and for my kids names. (I am now looking for ideas for an apron pattern for Mother’s Day gifts.) So super easy! I am thinking of just enlarging the pattern. I made my kids aprons out of a very thick almost canvas type fabric, and they decorated with hand prints.
Reply to thisJuly 24th, 2009 @ 9:25 am
I discovered last night that the apron my mom gave my older (5 yo) daughter was too short all of a sudden. She hasn’t gotten to cook with me for the past few months, so we were surprised to see that we need a new one. (This one has the single loop on the neck that had to be tied in a knot to hold it up right.) That one is going to the younger daughter, but I need to make one for the older. (If I find neat fabric, I’ll make one for both.) Thanks for the great info. Love the suggestions about wider widths on the bottom, too.
Reply to thisAugust 17th, 2009 @ 4:18 pm
I’m glad to have found your pattern. I’m wanting to make my 2 1/2 year old grandson an apron with individual pockets to hold crayons. I thought the chef’s apron would be more appropriate for a boy than one that just starts at the waist. Can’t wait to get started.
Reply to thisSeptember 5th, 2009 @ 9:49 pm
Thank you much! I just made this today for a friend’s daughter. Took me about an hour and a half start to finish with a couple of errors thrown in there…
It’d been a while! At any rate, I also added extra width at the bottom. I think my next one, I’ll add some snaps or buttons to the top of the neckline for sizing as tying behind the neck is a pain in the hairline… Thanks again!!
Reply to thisSeptember 16th, 2009 @ 12:07 am
[…] you can then team up the hat with a kid-sized apron using Supafine’s super fine tutorial over here […]
Reply to thisSeptember 17th, 2009 @ 8:30 am
Great Idea, I’m gonna try this one for my 2 yrs old for a xmas present. Thanks for the info!
Reply to thisSeptember 18th, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
Thank you! I made three of these aprons for my son’s friends as birthday gifts. Now I have to embiggen it for my 5 year old
Reply to thisOctober 15th, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
I just wanted to let you know that I made these aprons for my son’s friend’s birthday and it turned out totally adorable….I forgot to put the second apron cut out on there, but he’s only 2 and this was my first trial run…when I get it right, I’ll post a couple of pics…
Reply to thisOctober 15th, 2009 @ 2:19 pm
Samantha wrote:
Reply to thisOctober 21st, 2009 @ 6:55 pm
My daughter turns 4 in 2 weeks and we’re having a cookie baking/decorating party for her birthday. There are 4 other girls in her class (I’m not brave enough to host all 12 kids from her class, so we’re just doing girls this time) so my plan was to make an apron for each of the girls as a party favor… this tutorial looks perfect… I’ll be sure to take pictures and send them to you. Thanks for sharing your tutorial. I plan to embellish each girls’ first initial on the front… can’t wait!
Reply to thisNovember 2nd, 2009 @ 1:01 am
okay, I realise this was written ages ago but THANK YOU! I had decided ages ago to teach myself how to sew, despite having had failed sewing appallingly in high school and not touched a machine since, but your pattern and instructions -I did it! twice!! thanks for the tutorial!
Reply to thisNovember 26th, 2009 @ 11:00 am
You are SO funny! Thanks for the ‘how to’. I hear you on the no bib thing!!! Thanks for the pattern and the laughs! They were out loud.
Reply to thisDecember 2nd, 2009 @ 9:04 pm
[…] Kid-sized chef apron […]
Reply to thisDecember 4th, 2009 @ 1:33 pm
[…] a few changes from the first apron, so this is version 2.0. I found an crafty blog with an article on kids’ aprons so I adjusted my design after reading great advice about making the top tied instead of […]
Reply to thisDecember 10th, 2009 @ 8:43 am
Thanks for posting this. I made two for my 2&3yr old g’daughters. I appreciated your measurements and the suggestions to improve your original design. Never expected to find so much help on the web!
Reply to thisGod bless you & your family this Christmas.
December 11th, 2009 @ 1:20 am
[…] Tutorial: Little Girls’ D-Ring Ribbon Belt Apron […]
Reply to thisDecember 12th, 2009 @ 1:38 pm
Hi. Love this post about the kids apron, I’m thinking of making my son a robot fabric apron for Christmas. He’s 8, wears about an 8/10 slim so I will measure him and adjust accordingly. Thanks for sharing! Followed you on Twitter too so hope you’ll follow back. Thanks
Reply to thisJanuary 13th, 2010 @ 10:14 pm
I’ve been hunting for an easy tutorial and yours is perfect! The diagram with the gray background is a huge help. Thanks for sharing!
Reply to thisJanuary 20th, 2010 @ 2:45 pm
I was asked by my son and daughter in law to make two little aprons for my daughter in law’s nieces. I looked high and low and finally found this pattern and am excited to make them
Reply to thisJanuary 23rd, 2010 @ 8:01 pm
Thanks so much for this pattern! I have three grandchildren ages 3, 5, and 8. I’d love to make three the same size (kind of a one-size-fits-all),not too long and wide for the three-year-old yet not too short and narrow for the eight-year-old. I’m pretty good at sewing, but not at figuring out the sizes (and my grandkids don’t live nearby).
Can you help me with some general size guidelines? (I should leave a 1/2 inch seam allowance all the way around, right? Or maybe it’s an inch at the top and bottom.) I have some cute fabrics and would love to get started on this. Absolutely love the pattern.
Reply to thisFebruary 12th, 2010 @ 10:32 am
To make it easy to adjust the neck strap I used to D rings on the left side. These can be loosened to take on and off. They worked very well.
Reply to thisFebruary 12th, 2010 @ 10:35 am
I forgot to mention my son was thrilled when I made him his very own apron. He keeps it at grandma’s house because she uses one to cook with and his sister has one there also. I now have to make both my son and daughter one to keep at home. Thanks for the pattern!!!
Reply to thisMarch 1st, 2010 @ 4:38 pm
[…] fabric, and I chose a nice bright orange to complement it. For his, I used a tutorial from Supafine to make a full length apron and added a pocket to the front for some more color. He also got his […]
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