Patterns, Techniques, Articles, Blogs, and other resources to learn how to sew
This Snuggler infant swaddler is just one of the projects featured in Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers. You can download the pattern for the swaddler for free from Craftzine. Go to the free pattern.
[tags]sewing, tutorial, pattern, infant, swaddler, snuggler[/tags]
There is something slightly ridiculous about how satisfying it is to sew baby shoes.
They use barely any fabric, the finished project fits in the palm of your hand, and somehow a pair of tiny handmade booties can completely steal the show at a baby shower.
They are also one of my favourite scrap-basket projects. If your sewing room is anything like mine, there are always those little pieces of beautiful quilting cotton that are far too nice to throw away but not quite big enough for anything sensible. Baby booties are their moment to shine.
If you’ve been searching for a free baby booties sewing pattern, I’ve gathered together a mixture of simple fabric booties, soft baby shoes, Mary Janes, moccasins and even tiny sneakers. Some are wonderfully straightforward beginner sewing projects, while others have a few extra details for anyone who enjoys fiddly little sewing projects.
And when I say fiddly, I mean tiny curved seams where you suddenly find yourself wondering why something measuring four inches across requires quite so much concentration.
Still, they are worth it.
Most of these patterns require only scraps or a couple of fat quarters, making them lovely inexpensive handmade baby gifts too.
Most fabric baby shoe patterns are designed as soft-soled shoes for babies who are not yet walking outdoors. Once babies begin pulling themselves up or toddling around on smooth floors, consider adding a non-slip sole fabric designed for slippers or children’s footwear.
I also tend to keep embellishments simple on anything made for babies. Decorative buttons, long ribbons and other detachable trims may look adorable in photographs, but anything that could potentially become loose should be avoided or secured extremely carefully. Baby shoes containing ties or embellishments shouldn’t be worn during sleep or without supervision. Several of the designers below make similar safety recommendations with their own patterns.
Now for the tiny shoes.
Free Baby Booties Sewing Pattern – Easy Fabric Booties in 4 Sizes
I’m putting our CraftGossip pattern first because this is exactly the sort of baby booties sewing pattern I think most readers are actually looking for: straightforward fabric shoes without unnecessary complications.
The pattern includes four baby sizes, which makes it much more useful than many older free baby shoe patterns that only include one size. Choose a cute quilting cotton for the outside and something soft for the lining and you have a lovely little handmade baby shower gift.
This is also the pattern I’d suggest starting with if you’ve landed here specifically looking for an easy fabric baby bootie rather than a novelty shoe.
How to Sew Baby Booties & Free Pattern
These booties from Handmade in the Heartland are designed for babies around 0–6 months and use soft knit fabrics with elastic around the ankle.
That’s a particularly practical feature because anyone who has spent time around babies knows they seem to possess a mysterious ability to remove socks and shoes without actually touching them.
The tutorial includes both photographs and video guidance, and the design uses interfacing, elastic and snaps to give the booties more structure while helping them stay in place.
How to Make Baby Shoes With Spoonflower Fabric and Pattern
This is one of the better options if you’re looking for multiple baby shoe sizes rather than a single newborn pattern.
Spoonflower’s free baby shoe pattern covers sizes from approximately 0–3 months through 12–15 months. They’re soft fabric shoes made using just two fat quarters, so they’re also perfect for raiding that fabric stash.
I particularly like this pattern for matching shoes to a handmade baby outfit because you can use contrasting fabric for the lining and exterior without needing very much of either.
Free Baby Shoes Sewing Pattern and Tutorial
These little fabric shoes from Welcome to Nana’s have a classic soft shoe shape with a Velcro strap across the foot.
The original pattern is designed around the 9–12 month size and uses two fat quarters, optional interfacing and a small piece of Velcro. There are several small curved seams involved, so I’d put these slightly above absolute beginner level.
They would be especially cute made from lightweight denim on the outside with one of those tiny floral prints hiding inside as the lining.
Free Leather Baby Shoes Pattern
If you’d like your handmade baby shoes to look a little less like slippers and a little more like proper shoes, this leather version from Heather Handmade is worth trying.
The pattern works with lightweight real leather or suitable faux leather and uses an elastic casing to help keep the shoe on. Heather estimates that she can sew a pair in about 30 minutes once familiar with the construction.
The free PDF pattern is available through an email signup on the tutorial page.
Free Baby Shoes Sewing Pattern: Upcycled Denim
Now this one is right up my scrap-hoarding alley.
Instead of cutting into new fabric, Heather uses old jeans or trousers and cleverly reuses the existing hem as part of the elastic casing. The free pattern comes in three baby sizes, and the project can be completed using very small pieces of fabric.
If you’ve been saving the legs from worn-out jeans because you were absolutely certain they would become useful one day, congratulations. Today is apparently that day.
These sweet Mary Jane shoes from The Cottage Mama have that classic handmade-baby-gift look that never really dates.
The free pattern is designed for approximately 6–12 months, with guidance for reducing the size for younger babies. They’re made from exterior fabric, lining, fusible fleece and interfacing, with a Velcro strap finished with an optional decorative button.
This would be such a pretty pattern for Liberty-style florals, gingham or tiny vintage reproduction prints.
Baby sewing patterns can sometimes lean heavily toward frills and florals, so I always like finding a pattern that works beautifully with more neutral fabrics too.
The Little Man Shoes from Shwin & Shwin have a more structured shoe shape and look wonderful sewn in seersucker, cotton, denim or lightweight wool.
They’re also a fun excuse to use those ridiculously small scraps you keep saving because the fabric is too lovely to throw away.
For something a little more modern, these baby moccasins combine leather or suede with felt and fabric.
There’s a lovely fringe detail around the back, plus several options for securing the shoe including a bow, elastic or tie. The basic pattern is very simple once you understand how the curved heel and toe pieces attach to the sole.
This is a particularly good choice if you already have small leather remnants left over from another project.
Free Pattern: Baby Booties With Nonskid Bottoms
I wanted to include this older CraftGossip find because the non-slip sole idea is still extremely useful.
Elastic around the ankles keeps the booties snug, while the sole can be made using a non-slip material for babies who are beginning to spend more time standing.
If you’re making fabric booties for a slightly older baby rather than a newborn, this is the construction detail I’d pay attention to.
Free Pattern: Ann Kelle Baby Booties
These cheerful little fabric booties were originally designed to show off colourful flannel prints, which immediately makes them a winner for me.
The free pattern includes three sizes covering approximately 3–12 months, and ribbon ties at the ankles help keep the shoes secure.
Flannel would make these lovely for winter babies, while lightweight cotton would give the same style a completely different summer feel.
Free Baby Shoe Sewing Pattern – Pleated Mary Jane Shoes
If you want your handmade baby shoes to look suspiciously boutique-like, this is the pattern.
The pleating across the toe gives these Mary Jane-style shoes much more detail than you’d expect from such a tiny sewing project. They’re soft-soled and designed for infants and pre-walkers, with the strap helping to keep the shoe in place.
This is the pair I’d make when the baby shower gift needs to look just a little bit fancy.
Free Pattern: Leather and Fur Baby Booties
These are tiny winter booties with only three main pattern pieces: sole, heel and toe.
The original design combines leather or faux leather with faux fur and is sized for newborn feet. It’s a particularly cute option for a winter baby or for using up those odd scraps of specialty fabric that aren’t large enough for anything else.
Because the original version uses ties, these are best treated as supervised daytime baby shoes rather than something a baby would sleep in.
Free patterns are wonderful, but sometimes it’s worth paying a few dollars for a professionally prepared PDF when you want more sizes.
Baby Booties Sewing Pattern – Newborn to 24 Months
This Etsy PDF includes sizes from newborn through 24 months and is designed for woven fabrics such as cotton, linen and muslin. It includes seam allowance along with written and photographic instructions.
I’d choose this one if you expect to make baby booties repeatedly because having that wider size range saves a lot of fiddling around resizing free templates.
A baby shoe is one of those rare sewing projects where buying a fat quarter actually makes perfect sense rather than becoming the beginning of another enormous fabric collection.
For sweet baby prints, take a look at the Guess How Much I Love You 2026 Fat Quarter Bundle from Fat Quarter Shop. It’s a 100% cotton collection with a baby and children’s theme and would give you plenty of coordinating combinations for outer fabrics and linings.
If you prefer solids for linings and contrast pieces, the Color Wheel Solids Collection from Connecting Threads includes 100% cotton options that are easy to mix with printed quilting cottons.
For simple everyday fabric baby booties, quilting cotton is probably the easiest place to start. It’s stable, easy to cut and press, comes in every print imaginable, and you may already have suitable scraps.
Flannel makes wonderfully soft winter booties. Lightweight denim is another good choice when you want a little more structure, while fleece or knit fabrics work particularly well for cozy slipper-style booties.
Leather and faux leather can create a more shoe-like finish, although you’ll want the correct sewing machine needle and clips rather than pins when working with leather.
Mostly, yes.
The actual sewing techniques involved in many baby bootie patterns are quite simple. What makes them occasionally challenging is their size. Sewing a straight piece of fabric around a tiny curved sole can require considerably more patience than sewing the same seam on an adult-sized project.
If you’re completely new to sewing, start with a basic cotton bootie before progressing to leather, faux fur or more structured baby shoes.
And don’t panic if the first one looks slightly peculiar.
That’s what the second shoe is for.
Absolutely, and that’s one of the best things about them.
Many of these patterns require only a small portion of a fat quarter, and some can be made almost entirely from scraps. Baby shoes are particularly good for those little pieces of designer quilting cotton that you cannot bring yourself to throw away.
Cut several pairs at once and batch sew them and you’ll suddenly have a useful stash of handmade baby shower gifts rather than a drawer full of fabric scraps.
Which feels remarkably productive for something involving shoes smaller than your hand.
WOW!! This is just what I’ve been looking for but I can’t seem to open the pdf. Everytime I try to the page freezes and wont download. Anyone else have this problem? Has anyone got the pdf they could email to me? Thanks so much!!
Agnes
Agnes,
It is now the end of August, so hopefully you will have been able to open the file by now. I saved the pdf and will be happy to email it to you, I just don’t know your email address. Post again with where you would like it sent and I will get it to you.
Jayne
Hi Jayne,
Im having the same freezing problem with the pattern. Ive actually looked elsewhere for it as well and it happens everywhere! Id LOVE a copy of this pattern to make for my Feb10 due baby so if you dont mind could you please email it to me.
Thanks so very much. Mel.
I would love to see this pattern as well, but the site keeps freezing.
If anyone has it, I would really appreciate it if you could email it to me at [email protected]
Thanks!
Laura
I have been looking for a pattern for these. My baby girl sleeps through the night when she sleeps in one similar to this. She is getting bigger and I really want her to still sleep in one! Plus my new mom goal is to learn to sew so I can make these as gifts one day!!!
Thanks!
Hi I foster abandoned babies and these swaddle blankets are SOOOO expensive.
PLEASE could you email me the pattern as I am unable to open the PDF and would love to whip a few up before our next baby arrives.
thanks a ton!
I would love the pattern! If you could e-mail it to [email protected] that would be awesome!!!
Thanks so much!
Hello, I would LOVE to make this, but when I print it on my home printer, it seems to not print all of the pattern. Is there a way I can get this pattern to work? Thank you sooo much!
I’m not really sure. I can’t give definite info without seeing your computer setup. Try checking the scaling on your printer settings to be sure that it’s printing at the correct size.
–Anne
Hello Yikes it’s already December. I have the same freezing problem Can anyone email me the Patter I would LOVE to make it for my baby Due the end of Jan 2010.
my email is [email protected]
Thank you for replying so quickly I can’t wait to try it out.
There is a pattern with instructions available here
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/05/craft_pattern_podcast_snuggler.html
I’m not a good enough sewer to figure it out myself with no instructions.
People seem to have trouble downloading that one as well.
but after reading the comments I was able to download the pdf.
After a little bit of a wait the PDF even loaded properly in a new window when I used internet explorer rather than firefox.
If it still doesn’t load for you try the direct download like she says.
In INTERNET EXPLORER right click on the download link when the window pops up Choose “save target as” choose a destination folder and voila you have it saved on your computer. 😉
As far as printing goes, I had to Open the PDF file with ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR one page at a time. In adobe illustrator printing options include “tile” “full pages” Your pattern will print out on (4) 8/1/2 x 11 sheets. According to adobe’s website that option should be available in acrobat, but it is not available for me. Maybe you need to have Acrobat Professional not just the reader.
So like I said I had to use “open with” to open the PDF in another ADOBE program, WORKED for me with Illustrator, you should try it in PHOTOSHOP or INDESIGN if you have one of these programs.
Rachel,
Thanks for posting this! This download has been giving people lots of trouble, but your research and explanation will help make it easier. You rock!!
–Anne
This is why we can’t print large pages. You need the full version of adobe acrobat not just the free reader.
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Acrobat/9.0/Standard/WS58a04a822e3e50102bd615109794195ff-7bde.w.html
Hi Keith,
The tile print feature is part of Acrobat not Reader, which is why you do not see it in the Adobe Reader print menu. If you’re interested in testing the tiling capability try downloading a 30-day trial of Acrobat 9 at:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro/tryout.html
If you are lucky enough to get the pattern to load in Internet Explorer the printing options were available for me to tile large pages. So print it out directly from the web browser. Probably a good idea to make sure you have the latest version of internet explorer and the adobe reader plugin
good luck every one
hi I would love this pattern also. Please email it to me.
Thanks
I have two grandchildren on the way and would love this pattern. I tried to download it, but it just keeps freezing.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I can’t get it to print correctly for me. Will you please email me the tiled version? Thanks again. [email protected]
I seem to be having the same problem with the printing. I only get a few peices and can’t print it. Can it be emailed? Would like to make one for my sister in law. Thanks. [email protected]
Hi,
I like very much the pattern of snuggler infant swaddler, but the pdf can’t open. Could email to me?
Thanks.
I’m sorry. I no longer have the pattern on my computer and cannot email it. –Anne
I could not open it with firefox but was able to open it with internet explorer.
I am not able to open this file with firefox or internet explorer and I am dying to try this out!! Will someone PLEASE send me the file!! [email protected]
THANKS
please send me the pattern, I am unable to open it. Thanks!
Hi, add me to the list! I would love this pattern but cannot open it. can someone send me the love? [email protected]
Hi, I dont see a pdf either. Can I get it emailed??Thank you!
Kandice, I don’t have the pattern. You would need to contact the designer directly in order to get that. –Anne
I am happy to email the file. I had no problem downloading it
I would really like this pattern. Would some one be kind enough to email to me. I would be so so thankful.
Sara
[email protected]
Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to mention that I have really enjoyed surfing around your weblog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing for your feed and I’m hoping you write once more very soon!
Hi!
Daisy or anyone who still have the pdf design. Could you pls emaik the design to [email protected]?
Im dying to try it !
I got the pattern but the instructions are hard to understand. I’m having problems with the pocket placement.