How to make a doughnut baby pillow

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one pillow, 22 cm across)

• Fabric (double gauze or terry) — about 25 × 50 cm
• Toy stuffing — about 50 g
• Hand-sewing thread for the ladder stitch

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Baby” → “Doughnut baby pillow” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the outer and inner diameters. Presets cover newborn, standard and large.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the outer ring twice. Mark the central hole in the same place on both.
2. Cut the pieces
   Cut two outer rings. Do not cut the hole yet — it gets sewn first.
3. Mark the hole
   Mark the finished line of the hole on both pieces.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the inner hole

1. Place the two pieces right sides together and sew along the marked circle in the middle.
2. Cut the inside away, leaving 1 cm of allowance.
3. Clip that allowance every 1 cm. The curve is tight, and without clips it will pull when turned.

4-2. Sew the outer edge

1. Sew round the outside, leaving about 8 cm open for turning.
2. Clip the outer allowance every 1 cm as well.

4-3. Turn and stuff

1. Turn right side out through the opening and smooth the edge of the hole with an awl.
2. Add stuffing a little at a time, working round from the far side. All at once and it bunches.
3. Feel round the whole ring to check the thickness is even.

4-4. Close the opening

1. Close the opening with ladder stitch and settle the shape.

✏️ Keep the stuffing soft — it should sink when pressed. Packed hard, the pillow sits too high and puts strain on the neck instead of relieving it. If it feels high in use, open the seam a little and take some out.

5. Tips & variations

• Make two: babies sweat through the head. Having a second means you can wash one.
• Gauze or terry: both absorb and dry. A waterproof layer traps heat and does not belong in the pillow itself.
• When to stop: once rolling starts, take the pillow away. A moving baby is safer without one.