Antique Cradle

We've got an awesome antique cradle at our house. It isn't any antique, either. My mom slept in this cradle. So did I, as well as a number of other family members.

How cool is that?

While beautiful, it did need a little bit of TLC when I first got it. Not much, thankfully.

It's been a recent project of mine. A fun one, I might add.

First up, the mattress was in a bit of disrepair. The solution was a waterproof tablecloth. I just taped it in place with some packaging tape.

That way if she spits up/pees/etc. when she's in there, it'll be easy to wipe off.

Then I just needed to make a sheet for it. I thought flannel would be nice and cozy, and it was on a major sale at JoAnn's the day I went in there.

Unfortunately it was just a little too narrow to fully wrap around.

The solution? A simple patch. The one i made is pretty crude, obviously. But since it'll only be on the underside of the mattress, it works just fine.

Also, the cradle swings. A lot. Too much to be safe for a wiggly little girl. So we bound it to the frame with some plastic ties.

And then covered those in ribbon.

And now?

It's beautiful. And functional. And I love that this cradle has been used by many of us over the years.

We've got a great spot for Caroline to hang out.

Or have some tummy time.

Or nap. Or gaze at Christmas tree lights.

She likes it.