Stroller Mod – DIY Stroller Liner & Packing Pouch

I decided to make a stroller seat liner for our Uppababy Cruz 2 to combat the dirts that my toddler constantly dragged onto the stroller. (See our full review on the Uppababy Cruz 2) And then a friend recently became a new parent, so I thought I better make her one, too. Since she has a pre-loved Uppababy Cruz that was given to her through the local Buy Nothing group, I decided to make a set of seat liner and packing pouch to match the Dennyson red of her stroller. (Check out our Smart Parenting Shopping Strategy post for how to get equiped with kids stuff for less)

Patterns

Originally, I was hoping to use our Cruz 2 for the seat liner measurements. However, after some research, I discovered that the older generation Cruz has smaller seat dimensions. Without access to an old Cruz, I resorted to purchasing a pattern on Etsy instead.

The Pattern I used was from Muffyduckdesign. My set came with patterns for making seat liners for Vista v2 toddler seat, rumble seat, and Cruz v2, as well as seat belt and belly bar covers. For the older Cruz model, I used the rubble seat measurements minus two inches of length at the foot end.

For the packing pouch, I have improvised a pattern myself. I found this video used a similar process as mine which you can follow. The only major difference was that my pouch was lined and that the zipper is embedded between the lining and the exterior fabric. The finished seam allowances were therefore not visible in my pouch.

Materials

Exterior fabric

For comfort and durability, I used 100% cotton on both outside surfaces; one is a solid wine red similar to that on the stroller, and the other side is a busy owl pattern to hide stain better. The cotton fabrics were washed in hot water before used in the project to prevent shrinkage of the final product. These fabric were also used to make the packing pouch. The finished seat liner can be used double-sided.

These cotton fabrics are most similar to what I used.

Waterproofing

To protect the seat from accidents, a layer of polyurethane-coated polyester ripstop is added under the surface. This material is similar to those used in clothe diaper shells, making it waterproof but still breathable for those hotter days.

Cushioning

Polyester batting was used to add cushioning to the liner. I have chosen polyester because, with the need to be wash quite frequently, polyester batting maintains loft better than cotton batting. To prevent it from being too hot in summer, I used a low loft variety of the batting.

Fastener

A length of one-inch hooks and loops was added to the leg rest portion of the liner to help it stay in place during use.

Sewing

The seat liner and the packing pouch was sewn by hand entirely. Muffyduckdesign’s pattern came with instruction for cutting and assembling pieces for sewing, so it was largely very easy to sew. However, the biggest challenge was to create the “buttonholes” where the seatbelt pass through. Without a sewing machine, I chose to embroider the holes using thick embroidering thread and buttonhole stitches instead. This process alone took two full days to complete.

If anyone is brave enough to try the hand embroidering buttonholes, this video gave an excellent demonstration.

Have you embarked on a creative parenting project recently? Share and comment below!