Twinning: Matching Accessories for the Little Ones

I recently had a conversation with a fellow mom about how we felt about families matching. While I have nothing against a family wearing matching outfits, this particular mom absolutely loved it! I definitely enjoy coordinating for important events, especially if I know that there will be pictures taken, but we’re not big on matching.  This mom, however, had 3 kids, and it got me thinking about how adorable matching kids are! Whether you have matching twins or just siblings, I am all for it! It even reminded me of matching outfits I gave to a friend when she had her second boy.

Two little boys wearing the same outfits? Cute, right? Hmm, except…we’re having a girl!

Since we’re expecting a girl, I figure matching doesn’t have to be all about “twinning” exactly. Instead, I decided to whip up some cute matching accessories that both kids will hopefully feel good about when they look back at pictures. On a trip to a local fabric store I picked up this cotton knit in camouflage that I decided would make the perfect touque for Little Bear and headband for our newest addition, “Little Pip.”

I’ve made plenty of touques for Little Bear before.  They are ridiculously easy to whip up and don’t even require a real pattern.  I simply take a toque that fits him well and I trace around it, making sure to leave a ¼ inch seam allowance. Pin, sew, turn it inside out, and you’re done!

I had never made a headband before, so for this I turned to the internet and found a few great tutorials, including one on The Sweeter Side of Mommyhood that was a lot of help. In the end, I ended up using these measurements:

Length: 24”
Width: 4”

I decided to go a little bit bigger than the one on The Sweeter Side of Mommyhood because a) Little Bear has a big head, and if Little Pip is anything like her big bro, I’d rather have a bit extra room just in case, and b) I’ve seen lots of headbands that are “adjustable” lately – as in just retie the bow and the headband can grow with you! Plus, I figure if it’s a little bit big, I’ll just have a bigger bow. And bigger bows on smaller heads are just oh so cute, no?

One important measurement to keep in mind if you’re going to be tinkering around with the length is that most headband sizing charts out there seem to concur – newborn headband size is 12″, and 0-3 months is 13″. Only one inch apart, but as you know if you’ve had kids before, 1 inch can make a world of difference.

Overall, I’m fairly happy with how the set turned out, especially seeing as this was my first knotted headband.  I did have a practice run with a non-knotted headband right before I made this one, but that was just to compare headband size and stretchability to a newborn hat.

Here’s what I did to make the touque and the headband…

DIY Toque

Materials needed:
Cotton knit fabric
Sample touque to trace from
Scissors, Pins, Measuring tape, Sewing machine

Method:

1. Trace and cut around your sample touque, making sure to leave a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
   
2. Pin your two cut out pieces together, making sure that the print side is facing in.
3. Sew around your touque to finish it.
4. Optional: sew the bottom of your touque to give it a closed bottom hem. I didn’t do this with this touque because I chose a bit of a thicker weight knit and liked the unfinished edge.

DIY Newborn Headband
Adapted from: The Sweeter Side of Mommyhood

Materials Needed:
Cotton Knit fabric
Scissors, Pins, Measuring tape, Sewing machine, Needle and thread

Method:

1. Cut a rectangle out of your knit fabric measuring 24″ long by 4″ wide. 
2. Fold and pin the rectangle in half lengthwise with the pattern facing in. (You should end up with a pinned piece that is 24″ long by 2″ wide.)
3. Sew all the way along the length of the piece, leaving a gap in the middle of the seam. (If you’re like me and forget to do this part, don’t worry, you’ll just need to rip open a portion of the seam at the end).
   
4. If you want squared off edges on your bow, just sew the rectangle shut at both ends. If you want a rounded bow, sew a rounded edge and trim off the excess material. If you want a pointed edge to your bow, sew triangular edges and trim off the excess material.
5. To turn your bow the right way so that you can see the print, use that little hole you left to turn the bow right side out.  To make this job easier, I usually start off pushing the fabric through with a new pencil or capped pen, and finish the job with a pair of scissors.
6. Sew the headband shut by discreetly hand-stitching the hole where you pulled the fabric through.
7. Finish your headband by knotting it in the front.