A cradle, or bassinet, is often the first bed used by a baby. It provides comfort to keep them protected and warm, yet is small enough to keep anywhere in the home, typically by your side. A soft foam mattress needs to be used in a cradle. Rather than purchasing a firm mattress from the store that isn't as soft to sleep on, you can make your own cradle mattress for your baby. Specific materials are needed to ensure the mattress you make is ideal for keeping a baby safe and comfortable. A cradle mattress needs to be made with soft material, and should be put together properly so it stays intact. Once all materials are in front of you, and you have a space cleared to work, it is time to begin constructing the mattress. The first step is to provide a trace of the cradle. This gives you the proper sizing for your mattress measurements. Tracing paper, a marker, and the basket of the bassinet is needed for this step. Simply place the bassinet bottom on the pattern tracing paper, and use the marker to trace around the object.
A second trace should also be made, approximately half of an inch within the first trace. One trace is needed for the mattress cover, and the smaller one is necessary for the mattress itself. Next, the foam is needed. The smaller pattern should be secured to the foam with fabric pins. This is to keep it in place so you can cut the foam without worrying about the pattern shifting and sliding and causing a mistake. Heavy duty scissors are necessary for this because foam can be difficult to cut if it is thick. The foam needs to be cut to the same measurements as the tracing paper. After the foam has been cut to size, it is time to make the mattress cover that will fit over the foam piece. The larger piece of tracing paper should be secured to the fabric material you purchased. First, fold the fabric in half, as two pieces will be needed, one for each side. Once the fabric has been cut to the shape of the tracing paper, a few additional strips are needed from the scraps. By taking a measurement of the foam's circumference, you can discover which sizes are needed.
Add 1 inch to that measurement to find the length of strip needed, and cut about 2 1/2 inches wide. These two strips will be sewn to the sides of the cover. Sewing all the fabric together with your sewing machine is the final step. The strip should be folded in half, with the ends sewn together, allowing approximately 1/2 an inch for the seam. One edge of this strip needs to be pinned to the bottom edge of one of the larger sheets of fabric. 8 inches should be left unpinned, as this is where the foam needs to be inserted. The other edge of the strip needs to be pinned to the other fabric sheet, which will make the top of the cover. The cover can then be sewn all the way around, except for the 8-inch unpinned portion. Sewing it this way will have the cover inside out. Fix the cover so the right side is facing up, and place the foam inside. The bottom 8 inches then needs to be tucked in to half an inch and sewn shut. With these steps completed, you will have a fully covered soft mattress for your baby's cradle.
eBay offers a selection of materials to make cradle mattresses to meet every family's needs. Simply type your desired materials in to the search box on the main page and navigate through the results. To find ready made mattresses, first head to Home & Garden. While there, choose Baby. Nursery Furniture is the next step, followed by either Crib Mattresses, where a plethora of mattress options are located, or Bassinets & Cradles, where more specific options are present. Cradles are an important first step for your baby. They offer the comfort your child needs, but are small enough to keep close by your side. Rather than going directly to a crib, a cradle is an ideal first bed for an infant.Mattress Here'SMattress RatingsBest Crib Mattress 2016Crib MatressCrib CotSleep Mom'SSafe SleepMom'S GuideForwardIt's very important to get a safe and comfortable crib mattress! Our weeSpring picks are data-driven, based on the feedback of tens of thousands of parents like you — and then subjected to an added level of testing by our editors.
Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper The Bassinet is a swivel co-sleeper that has a ton of features: 360-degree range of motion, convenience, closeness and comfort for everyone. It sits beside your bed and its swivel design allows you to pull your baby right up close — or scoot her away so you can climb in and out of bed. The height is infinitely adjustable, so even if you have a tall bed, you’ll be able to easily scoop your baby into your arms for nursing or snuggles without getting up. Other bonuses: a night light, built in music with a white noise option, two levels of vibration and a nursing timer. The Catch: Some parents feel the mattress could be of better quality. The Lotus Bassinet is one of our all-time travel favorites and lots of weeSpring parents use it during those first few months at home, too. It’s super lightweight, easy to transport (folds into a backpack), and a snap to set up (it takes 15 seconds – seriously). The height is right at your bed level, and the ClearView mesh sides provide visibility and breathability, ensuring you can rest easy, too.
Free from PVC, lead, phthalates, formaldehyde, and heavy metals, this safe, top quality sleeper is a registry and travel must-have. babyletto Hudson Convertible Crib babyletto hits the mark with this modern, stylish crib with clean lines and neutral color options. Made with sustainable, sturdy wood free from chemicals and with a non-toxic finish, this crib gives you the peace of mind you’re looking for when choosing a place for baby to lay their head. It converts from a crib to toddler bed (it even comes with the rail) to daybed, and is reasonably priced. The Catch: A few parents mentioned it was a bit time consuming to set up. A compact (oval!) crib that will expand and grow with your little one from infant to toddler and beyond. Parents love the rounded corner design that saves space while being beautiful and stylish. With locking wheels on the bottom, this mobile crib to easily slips through doorways and around the house. A pricey purchase, but most weeSpring user say it’s worth the money.
The Catch: It doesn’t work well with non-Stokke accessories, and they tend to be pricey. Ikea’s cribs are solid wood, sturdy, and relatively easy to assemble — not to mention highly affordable. As one mom put it: “Excellent quality for a ridiculously good price.” Parents love their simple lines and small footprint. Most models come equipped with a conversion kit to convert the crib to a toddler bed, so you get even more bang for your buck. The Catch: Ikea cribs come with Ikea instructions, so… Lotus Travel Crib and Portable Baby Playard This super lightweight, easy-to-set-up (just 15 seconds!) travel crib actually folds small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of an airplane, and it’s got backpack straps so you can tote it wherever you go. It converts to a rocking bassinet so perfect for at-home use from the earliest days, and it’s side-zip means it also can be used as a play area for an older toddler. The Catch: Parents complained about the excessive amount of velcro tabs needed to secure the mattress.
Babybjorn Travel Crib Light As if traveling with an infant isn’t overwhelming enough, figuring out where they’re going to sleep while away from home can be a real challenge. Enter: BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light. Super lightweight, a cinch to set up and take down (we’re talking a matter of seconds, here), and is suitable for kids from infancy to age 3. (You can check out our video demo here.) And the best part? As one weeSpring parent noted: “Baby slept great in this while traveling–almost better than at home…” The Catch: Baby is very low to the ground in it making it hard to lower baby into This playard is the “Cadillac” of them all! Sleek and modern but durable and built to last, the 4 Moms Breeze is truly a breeze to set up. There is no trick to set up, like having to lock the sides first. You just push down in the center and it pops up and is stable. Folding it up is easy as well – just one step. The bottom is well-cushioned but not overly so and the frame is metal, not cheap plastic.