Playground Slide Mat

I am happy to know that Spring is on it's way, but know that our brutal Vegas summer is on it's way as well! Having two boys at home all summer can really drive a mama crazy! I love going to the parks and most of them have canopies over the playgrounds, but the slides still get really hot. We have taken towels for them to slide on, but I decided to take it a step further. I found a tutorial on making a slide mat, but I wanted it to look really cute, so I used cute fabric, a bright border and handles.

This is a tutorial on making a mat for ages 5 and under. My 7 yr old tried it and was way too tall.

Supplies:
I found the towel at Walmart for $2.50. The colors are very limited, but it's a great price!
1 package of extra wide double sided quilt binding

Coordinating thread

I found this really cute Yogi Bear flannel fabric for $4.44/yd at Walmart. It only takes 1/3 yd!

First, lay out the towel and fold one end up about 15 in. This will be the pocket for their feet.

Next, measure the rectangle for the foot pocket. and cut the same size out of the flannel fabric. Mine was 15" x 26".

Now for the sewing:

First, you will need to pin and sew the binding to the top edge of the pocket, making sure to turn under the edges. 

Next, pin and sew along both sides. Make sure to sew through all three layers of fabric, 2 layers of the towel and 1 layer of the pocket fabric. It will get a little bit thick, but my sewing machine had no problem with it. You may need to adjust the stitch length to be a little bit longer.

Now it's time to pin and sew the binding on to one of the sides and work your way to the bottom and the other side. Make sure to turn under the ends of the binding so that there are no raw edges. 

Lastly, measure about 8-9 in of the left over binding and cut 2 pieces. Sew along the open side to make long strips. Turn under each end and sew across. These will become the handles.

Pin the handles onto the towel, right above the top of the foot pocket. Make sure to pin them with the middle lifted up. This will make it easier for the little hands to grab them. You should probably double stitch this area for durability. I stitched a square on each end of the handle about an inch wide. 

That's it! You're done! Now it's time to go to the park and enjoy! 

Does anyone have an idea for a clever name for it?

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