Seat belt covers are a must-have for anyone with a young child who has to be in a car seat or booster seat! They make traveling in the car so much more enjoyable.
This post is brought to you in partnership with Zulily. While I may have been compensated, as always, all opinions are my own.
Do you have young children or a baby? Then you probably have a car seat or two anchored into the back seat of your minivan or car! We all know how much children dislike being strapped into their car seats so they buck like a rodeo bull or arch their back while you are trying to secure the seat belt straps to buckle them in. (ask me how I know this!)
Can you blame them? Not only are they unable to move around freely but most of the time the seat belt straps rub or dig into the sides of their neck causing your child a great deal of agony.
When my children were young enough to be in car seats I always felt so bad when I would take them out and see a little red line on each side of their neck where the seat belt rubbed. (Please know that I didn't over tighten the straps causing them any pain but when they moved their head back and forth to look around the seat belt would cause a light red indented rub mark that looked irritated)
I wasn't about to compromise safety by loosening the straps too much - what if we got in an accident and their little body wasn't held into their car seat because of slackened seat belt straps? But I did want to find a way to make the car seat more comfortable for them without compromising safety.
Seat belt covers changed our whole traveling in the car experience! I sewed each child a pair that fit snugly around their car seat straps and adjusted the seat belt covers so that the soft minky or fleece fabric rested between their neck and the seat belt. No more chaffing marks on their neck, and much happier travelers! Since the seat belt covers are made from fabric they are completely washable which I found out right away to be a huge bonus! I made several spare sets to keep in the car in case of an accident (spit up, drool, spills...) so I could change them right away.
These seat belt strap covers are super simple to make and only require basic sewing skills. Today I'm going to walk you through how to make your own kid-size (infant & toddler) seat belt strap covers for their car seat straps. If you don't have a little one who is in a car seat anymore you can still use a seat belt cover for a regular seat belt when they transition to a booster seat. Follow along as I make a set of seat belt strap covers.
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Seat Belt Covers For Infant & Toddler Car Seats
Materials list (I've included links to products I recommend):
- cotton fabric
- minky or fleece fabric
- thin cotton batting (quilt batting)
- thread
- sewing machine
- sewing scissors
- straight pins
- Velcro
- iron & ironing board (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Cut 2 - 6" x 6" squares from the cotton fabric, minky/fleece fabric and cotton batting. You should now have a total of six individual squares.
2. Place the batting square down on a flat surface first. Next place the minky or fleece square right side up on top of the batting. Lastly, place the cotton fabric right side facing the minky / fleece square (the cotton piece should be upside down so you see the back of it and not the pretty printed side).
Pin or clip all three layers together in several places so they do not shift around when you start to sew them.
Tip - I love these handy sewing clips to use instead of pins to hold the fabric in place! No more accidental pokes from a needle or a broken sewing machine needle because you sewed over a pin.
3. Before you start sewing select one side and insert two pins one inch apart from each other. Starting from the first pin begin sewing around the square with a 1/4" seam allowance. Stop sewing once you get to the second pin. Clip all of the corners to reduce the bulk of fabric. Turn the fabric square right side out through the 1" opening and use a blunt pencil or this cool sewing tool (That Purple Thang) to push out the corners. Make sure your pencil or stick doesn't poke through the corners!
4. Iron the fabric square to chase out any wrinkles and to press the 1" opening flat with a small amount of fabric turned inside. This helps with the next step - topstitching.
5. Sew around the entire seat belt cover with a 1/4" seam allowance making sure to sew the 1" gap closed with a straight stitch or zig-zag stitch. This is totally up to you but both stitches look nice.
6. Now it is time to add the Velcro to each seat belt cover. The velcro will be sewn along one side of the seat belt cover. Cut a 5" strip of Velcro then pin the hook side along one edge of the minky side of the square with a 1/2" space above and below the Velcro. Flip the fabric square over then pin the fuzzy Velcro piece to the opposite edge of the cotton fabric. Sew all around the perimeter of both Velcro strips.
7. Repeat these steps with the second seat belt cover.
Congratulations, you are all done!
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Tip - If you want to make an adult size seat belt cover adjust the size of the cut fabrics to measure 6" x 12". The velcro should be attached to the long 12" sides.
No time to make your own seat belt covers? No problem! I have several sets for children's car seats listed for sale in my Etsy shop Sapucha. I also love custom orders and can accommodate custom orders via Etsy too.
If you love to sew here are some more fun sewing projects I know you will enjoy making as much as these seat belt covers!
What have you been sewing lately? Make sure to check back often to see what I'm working on!
Also, check out the 10 Sewing Projects For Beginners I shared on the Zulily blog The Find. I'm sure you will be able to find something to inspire you!
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