How To Support A Handmade Halloween In The NICU
Preemies of the Carolinas wants families of preemies to have a handmade Halloween in the NICU.
So they continue to host their biggest event of the year, Boo In The NICU, and they need your help to make it a scary success.
Preemies of the Carolinas typically hands out around 3000 items across 17 NICUs during this event so every donation brings them closer to their goal.
What Should I Donate To Halloween In the NICU?
One of the best things about this event is that there is something for every kind of maker.
You can focus on just one thing or dabble just a little in all of them.
They need sizes 1 lb through 12 lb+, in the following items:
- costumes,
- baby bodysuits,
- Inspirational Hearts,
- blankets,
- quilts,
- burp cloths,
- bibs,
- hats,
- bows in Halloween-inspired colors.
Below are some tutorials and ideas related to several of the items the event needs.
Halloween-Themed Bodysuits
Halloween-themed bodysuits are quick and easy to make.
Preemies of the Carolinas accepts bodysuit decorated with vinyl, sublimated designs, screen printed, etc.
You can cut out heat transfers vinyl with a Cricut or Silhouette Cameo to create them or use DTF Transfers.
Right now. I am partial to using Creative Fabrica (affiliate link) to find cute full-color designs so that I have a bunch of different options and don’t have to spend anytime weeding.
It’s easy to create my own gang sheet and because the largest size of the transfer is around 3″ x 4″ you can include a lot of designs on one of the smaller gang sheet sizes.
Customizing each bodysuit takes a matter of minutes with a DTF transfer.
To meet their goal, they need the following number of bodysuit donations:
- Preemie size: 200+
- Newborn size: 50+
- Sizes 0-3: 20
- Sizes 3-6: 10
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Inspirational Hearts Using Fall And Halloween Fabrics
Inspirational hearts (aka scent hearts or bonding hearts) are a staple of handmade donations made to NICUs across the United States.
These small flannel hearts are used to help the parents and the child bond during the NICU stay.
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Preemie Hats With A Halloween Theme
It’s been a long time in the making, but I finally finished the sewing tutorial and free beanie pattern for preemies.
In fact, I used the “Boo in the NICU” event deadline as motivation to finish the preemie hat pattern and detailed instructions.
Then I hit the jackpot when I found some adorable Halloween-themed knit fabric in one of my destash groups.
I hope you have as much fun making them as I did!
Halloween Costumes
That baby costume idea you’ve wanted to make but don’t have a baby to wear it?
Preemies of the Carolinas sent out over 700 items last year and they welcome preemie costumes in a variety of materials..
Feel free to create a Halloween costume for a baby in the NICU made with felt, sewn with fabric, or crocheted.
Since I have a stash of felt that needed to see the light of day, I made strawberry and lemon costumes with a hat in a matching color.
These costumes can simply be draped over the baby to make them as easy to use as possible.
If you’re not feeling inspired to make something from scratch, stick with making bodysuits or hats since Preemies of the Carolinas also combines Halloween-themed hats and bodysuits to create costumes,
Burp Cloths
If you’ve already pulled out the flannel to make bonding hearts, why not make some burp cloths too?
When Is The Boo In The NICU Deadline?
Preemies of the Carolinas asks that all handmade items are received by Saturday, Septemeber 28.
The delivery address is:
Let’s Make This Halloween Event A Scary Success
Giving out 3000 handmade items across 17 NICUs is no small feat which means every item you donate brings Preemies of the Carolinas closer to their goal.
So let’s make Halloween in the NICU a scary success and donate as much as we can!
