Cute Kids Iron-On Vinyl Apron Tutorial

How about a quick functional project for the cute kiddo in your life?  This vinyl coated kitchen apron is made for your sidekick in the kitchen, the cooking assistant who tends to wear what you are cooking all over the front of her shirt!  A quick wipe over the vinyl will take care of that.

Due to the width of the Iron On Vinyl, I recommend this project for a toddler to a size 6X/7.  My daughter shown here wears a 6X. To create the pattern for this apron, tape together two pieces of 8 1/2″ x 11″ copier paper with the short ends together.  Trim the paper so that the length is 20″.  Hold the paper vertically in front of you and measure from the upper left corner in  3 1/2″ and make a mark. Measure down from the upper right corner 6″ and make a mark.  Join the two marks with a gently curving line for the arm hole.  This is your pattern piece. Place it along the fold of your fabric, I used Peapods by Dear Stella, and cut.  Next, following the directions on the product, iron on your vinyl.

Make a 1/4″ hem at the top of the apron. You will need to use a Teflon foot while sewing on the vinyl.  And do not touch the vinyl with your iron!

Similarly, hem the two sides and the bottom edge of the apron.  The arm holes edges will be raw.

Cut strips of fabric 1″ wide along the bias.  Join the strip until the total length is about 65-70″.  You can use a bias maker if you have one. If you do not, fold the fabric in half as shown above and press. Next, open it out and fold the raw, outer edges into the fold.  Press.  You will have made 1/2″ double fold bias tape.

Find the center point of  your bias tape and test it around your child’s head to gauge the amount needed for the neck.  In this case, I used about 18″ to reach from the upper edge of the apron on one side to the upper edge on the other.  Use clips to hold the bias tape along the arm hole edges.  Beginning at one end of the bias tape, stitch along the open edge all along the ties, around the arm hole, along the neck opening, around the next arm hole, and down the second tie.  Cut the ends of the ties at an angle and knot them.

You’re done! Your cooking assistant will feel very special in her apron.