Donate handcrafted items

• Beads of courage bags

  What is the beads of courage program?

  The beads of courage program is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen children and families coping with serious illness. Through the program members tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that they receive to honor and acknowledge each step of their treatment journey. Beads are given according to a program specific program bead guide. For milestones in their treatment journey, they receive handmade one-of-a-kind glass beads that are donated by members of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB).

  How do I make a beads of courage bag?

  Children's Health needs community members to sew Beads of Courage Bags which allows a safe place for patient to store their Beads of Courage.

  Materials needed per bag

  • 2 pieces 9x12" focus fabric 
  • 2 pieces 9x12" lining fabric
  • 2 pieces 26" cording/ribbon
  • Beads of Courage Bead Bag label

  Fat Quarters are great for this project. There will be a small scrap left over.

  Sewing instructions

  Download beads of courage instructions

  1. Sew Beads of Courage label in middle lower part or right corner of 1 piece of focus fabric.
  2. Stitch pieces of focus fabric together along long edge.
  3. Do the same process with lining fabric and iron the seams open.
  4. Turn lining fabric right side out and place into focus fabric (right sides will be facing each other).
  5. Stitch 1/4" from the top all the way around top.
  6. To attach fabric together, iron seam open and turn right side out- focus fabric will be facing out now.
  7. To make the "tunnel" for the cording, stitch all the way around 1/2" from the top catching both the focus and lining fabrics. 
  8. Reinforce at the side seams using reverse stitch.
  9. Stitch all the way around 1 ¼" from the top catching both focus and lining fabrics.
  10. Reinforce at side seams.
  11. Using a seam ripper, open at side seams through the focus fabric only.
  12. Turn bag inside out, and serge layers at the bottom together.
  13. Turn right side out, and using a safety pin, thread cording through the 'tunnel' starting at one seam opening and ending at the same seam.
  14. Repeat starting at the other seam

  Fabric care and storage

  You may wash the fabric in hypoallergenic detergent such as Dreft Detergent. For infection control purposes, please store completed items in an unscented, plastic bag or sealable bag until you are ready to deliver your donation.

  How do I order beads of courage labels?

  Visit the Beads of Courage website and order labels at no charge by clicking here. Labels can be ordered in quantities of 25, 50, 75 or 100. 

  Review our donation and distribution policy.

• Blankets for kids

  If you would like to provide a child with a personalized handmade item, we are in need of fleece or quilted blankets.

  • All blankets and materials must be new.
  • Blankets may be quilted or fleece. Softer fabrics are most used; however, any cotton based fabric is fine.

  The greatest need is for blankets that can be used by school age children or older such as 72'' No Sew Fleece Throw Kits bought at local fabric stores.

  Please store completed blankets in an unscented plastic bag to keep them clean until delivery. Please do not store items in cardboard boxes.

  Review our donation and distribution policy.

• Infant lovies

  Smell helps parents and their baby bond. One creative way Children’s Health promotes this special bonding is through the use of Lovies.

  What are infant lovies?

  Infant lovies are flat soft flannel hearts designed to transfer scents between a baby and their parents. Each Lovie package contains two hearts. One is placed under the baby, and the other is given to the parents to keep next to their skin. When the parents visit their baby, the hearts are swapped to transfer the scents between them, helping build a strong bond.

  How do I make infant lovies?

  • Download lovies Instructions - English | Spanish

   

  Materials needed:

  • Fabric shears
  • 100% Flannel cotton (gender-neutral)
  • Thread
  • Sewing machine
  • Ribbon
  • Printer and paper
  • Hypoallergenic detergent (such as Drift)
  • Resealable sandwich size bag

  

  Instructions

  1. Print the heart pattern (page 2)
  2. Trace the heart on the back of your fabric, making sure to prepare an even number of hearts.
  3. Place two hearts together, printed sides inside.
  4. Stitch all around the heart leaving a two inch opening. Trim the extra fabric.
  5. Turn inside out and iron flat.
  6. Stitch all around. Your finished heart will be approximately 7.5x7 inches.
  7. Wash each heart with hypoallergenic detergent.
  8. Roll two hearts together, tie with a ribbon, and package them in a ziplock bag
  9. Place the instructions for parents (English and Spanish) with the Lovies in the sandwich bag.

  Review our donation and distribution policy.

• Positioning aid cover for NICU

  The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Dallas Campus (NICU) treats babies of all sizes and diagnoses. Many of the babies in the NICU need extra help to feel safe and comfortable while they’re sleeping in their beds. One way NICU staff supports babies while they sleep is aids to position them in way that gives them a sense of security and supports their developmental needs.

  A very popular positioning aid used in our NICU is a long, skinny beanbag. The beanbags are covered in vinyl and can be disinfected between patients; the beanbag covers, however, need to be soft and gentle on the babies’ skin. Placing a cover on the beanbag allows for this. The NICU is consistently in need of these covers, as they need to be washed every few days and can wear out with continued use.

  Positioning aid cover instructions

  Materials needed

  • 2 yards Micro-fleece or stretchy cotton (gender-neutral)
  • Fabric shears
  • Thread
  • Sewing machine

  Sewing instructions

  1. Fold fabric selvage to selvage.
  2. Stretch direction of fabric needs to be across the 6" wide.
  3. Cut both pieces 63" long and 6" wide.
  4. Trim 2.5 off the end of one piece, resulting in a 60.5" long piece.
  5. Finish all edges.
  6. On the 63" long piece fold down 2.5" on the right side of the fabric
  7.  Place both pieces right side to right side and sew using a 3/8" seam
  8. Turn right side out.

  You may wash the fabric in hypoallergenic detergent such as Dreft Detergent. For infection control purposes, please store completed items in an unscented, plastic bag or sealable bag until you are ready to deliver your donation.

  Review our donation and distribution policy.

• G-tube pad

  Having a feeding tube as a child can be super scary, G-tube pads are cotton fabric pads that are designed to fit beneath your child’s G-tube, preventing any friction that could arise, and it protects the stoma!

  

  How to make a g-tube pad

  Supplies:

  • Flannel – cut to approximately 2 ¾ – 3” circles (2 for each pad)
  • Terry Cloth or other absorbent fabric (cotton fleece, hemp, bamboo) and cut to the same measurement as the flannel. (1 for each pad)
  • Snaps or Velcro

  **Depending on the age and size of your child, the circles could be bigger!**

  Instructions:

  Step 1: Lay your flannel circles right side facing up and place the absorbent circles on top.

  

  Step 2: Cut a slit through all 3 layers, straight up the middle of the circle about 2”. This may vary depending on the size you are making)

  

  Step 3: Stitch the 3 layers together and around the slit you just made. BE SURE to snip the corners of your stitching on the edges of the slit so the pad will lay flat!

  Turn the pad right sides out. This can be a finicky process, so take your time!

  

  Step 4: Now that it’s turned right side out, it is time to stitch the layers together, so it is recommended that you pin the layers together when trying to sew it.

  When you are sewing the outside, you can do a zigzag pattern around the edge to make it seem smoother and more neatly finished.

  Once sewn, apply your snaps or Velcro!

  

• Donations and distribution policy

  Donations

  For the safety of our patients, all items must be in new, unused, in its original packaging and latex free. Please do not gift-wrap donated items. Some donated items have additional guidelines and will be included in each section if necessary.

  Volunteer hours

  Please include an estimate of the number of hours it took for you to complete the project. The time spent on the project is used in our year-end report.

  • Example of how to calculate: If 4 volunteers spent 1 hour each making busy books, this equals 4 volunteer hours.

  Distribution of items

  Due to patient confidentiality and infection control, donated items are distributed by the Children’s Health staff. We, unfortunately, do not allow individuals and groups to distribute donated items to patients.

Schedule a delivery

Review our donation and distribution policy. Contact us to schedule a delivery date and time.

• Dallas Campus deliveries

  Phone: 214-456-6388
  Email: Volunteer_Services@childrens.com

  Delivery hours:

  Monday - Friday
  9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Plano Campus deliveries

  Phone: 469-303-3763
  Email:Volunteerservicesplano@childrens.com

  Delivery hours:

  Sunday - Saturday
  8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

  Items may be delivered to the Plano Campus, Main Concierge Desk