This toddler apron is so cute and easy! The pattern and tutorial are free, and you can pick your own fabric so your toddler will love it!
With Little J helping me in the kitchen so much recently, I decided that he needed a cute little apron. The only problem was that I couldn’t find any inexpensive cute toddler aprons, especially for boys, and especially one that my son likes enough to actually wear every time.
So what does the crafty mom do in a crisis like this? She makes her own, of course! And I had to share it so other moms with this problem could make aprons for their toddlers, too. The best part is that you can pick fabric that your little guy (or girl) will love and want to wear every time they help you in the kitchen!
This tutorial has 17 steps, but it’s super simple and not hard to understand. You shouldn’t have a problem if you look at the pictures, and if you have a question, just leave me a comment and I will reply with an answer!
All you need for this cute toddler apron are:
12″ of 3/4″ elastic
3/4 yd. of 2 coordinating fabrics
Coordinating thread
Pattern
Now here’s how you make it!
1. Prewash and iron your fabric. PLEASE don’t skip this. If you don’t prewash your fabric, the first time you wash it it’s going to shrink in weird places and your apron won’t look quite as good. So wash it, iron it, and then sew it.
2. Cut 2 pockets 9×5″ from the edge of each fabric. So you will have one of each.
3. Cut 1 21×3″ rectangle and 2 3×14″ rectangles from the back fabric.
4. Put the pattern together, and use the pattern and cut the apron piece, both front and back, along the fold.
5. Iron the three rectangles you just cut in half hotdog style (elementary school!), and then iron the two pockets by folding the two shorter sides 1/4″, then the two longer sides 1/4″. Then fold down the top another 1/4″ and iron it again.
6. Sew the sides and bottom of the pocket with 1/4″ seam.
7. Sew the top of the pocket with a zig-zag stitch.
8. Sew the pocket onto the apron on the sides and bottom using a zig-zag stitch. Don’t stitch the top!
9. Sew a line down the middle of your pocket to make it a double pocket.
10. Repeat with the other pocket and the other side of the apron.
11. Sew 21×3″ strip in half hotdog style, and flip right-side out.
12. Feed elastic through and sew at each end to hold in place.
13. Sew the 14×3″ strips in half hotdog style, and close ONE of the ends on each. Then flip right-side out and iron so it lays flat.
14. Lay down one layer of your apron on the floor, and lay your straps so that the open ends hang off the edge of the apron 1/2″. Lay down your elastic at the top of the apron, and stick the edges out far enough that where you stitched them won’t show once you sew it (the picture makes this a little clearer).
15. Lay down the top aligned with your bottom. Pin all the way around, especially making sure to pin your straps in place.
16. Sew all the way around, leaving 2″ opening at the bottom.
17. Flip and topstitch close to the edge, making sure to close the hole that you left open.
Little J LOVES his new apron, and every time I get mine on to cook or bake he immediately goes to grab his. It’s the cutest thing, and I know that just this simple little project will help him enjoy cooking with me more. I hope it helps you and your toddler have more fun in the kitchen, too! And for tips on cooking with a toddler, you can check out last week’s post here.
Ros Emely @ stressfreemommies says
Thanks for the tutorial! The apron is so cute and I am not crafty at all but this should be worth it.
Chelsea Johnson says
It’s so not a hard tutorial! You do not have to be crafty 🙂 I hope your tiny apron comes out perfect!
Susanne Niederleitner says
Hi Chelsey,
this apron is SO cute I want to start right now. Blue squirrels and pink raspberries, that is.
It’s for a little girl. My niece is two and a half years old, between 2T and 3T (there are different sizes in Germany, so this is just a guess). How can I adjust your pattern so it will fit her? Missus is about 35 inches tall, weighing 32 lbs. Your son looks taller than her, I’m not sure
Greetings from Regensburg, Germany
Susanne
Chelsea Johnson says
Thanks! My son is 2 1/2, and he is 37 1/2 inches. The apron is a tiny bit long on him, but he’s going to be able to wear it for a long time. If you do want to alter it, you can fold the bottom of the pattern up so it’s not as long.
Susanne Niederleitner says
Thank you SO much! I think this will do.
Regards
Susanne
Chelsea Johnson says
Good luck!
MP says
This is very cute — have you thought about using velcro instead of ties? Maybe just have one tie reach from waist around to the front and secure w/velcro. Easier for “chef” to put on/off
Chelsea Johnson says
I did but I wanted mine to be ties. But you could easily do velcro, too!!
Shelley StClair says
I am having a bit of a hard time putting this pattern together? PLEASE help me thank you?
Do you also have a free printable pattern for play oven mitts??
Thank you
Chelsea Johnson says
Cut out pieces A, B, and C on the solid lines, and then overlap B and C on the A piece where it tells you to. Hopefully that helps! And no, I don’t have oven mitt patterns.
Clare says
I can’t tell, is this apron reversible? I’m making them for my girls today! Thanks for the pattern!
Chelsea Johnson says
Yup!!
Kathy says
I am unable to print out the pattern. Can you tell me approximately the length from the top curve to the bottom hem? I’m freelancing the pattern. Grandsons are in California and Grandma is in Pennsylvania. Unable to use them as a model. Thank you for all your help.
Chelsea Johnson says
Sorry, I’m not quite sure what you mean. Do you mean from the top of the apron (at the start of the curve) to the bottom, or from like the bottom of the curve where the arm goes to the bottom of the apron?
Judy Jordan says
Thank you for the great pattern and the information. I was trying to guess the age range and you supplied the perfect answer..
Chelsea Johnson says
You’re welcome!
Stephanie M Cornell says
What do you mean by “hot dog style”? Just sewing down the length of the rectangle?
Chelsea Johnson says
Yeah, fold it in half the longer way.
Patricia says
I can’t see the photos…is it just me?
Chelsea Johnson says
They’re working for me. Can you try again?
Susan says
Does the dotted lines on B go over the dotted lines on A and the same with C?
Chelsea Johnson says
Yup!