How To Make Easy Baby Blankets!

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Homemade baby blankets are a very sweet gift to new mamas-to-be. Not only can they be personalized with appliques and nursery colors, but they are also SUPER easy to sew yourself. Consider baby blankets and burp cloths to be an easy beginning to sew idea. When I first purchased my sewing machine, I was in my second trimester with my little boy and I wanted to make something useful. Instead of spending A LOT of money on uber-adorable blankets, I thought, “I CAN MAKE THOSE.” And I did. Now you can too! 

Have you ever wanted to make easy baby blankets? You can make them i less than 30 minutes! Find the perfect fabric, wash it, and begin sewing!

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Supplies Needed (* aff. link)

 

Want a free baby blanket sizing guide? Keep scrolling to the bottom of this post!

These homemade baby blankets are made with the cutest fabric that's perfect for your new little bundle of joy

First, head straight to your local Jo-Ann Fabric or browse to Amazon &  Fabric.com! Select two coordinating fabrics. You will need about 3/4 to 1 yard of fabric for each side of the blanket. I would recommend pre-washing your fabric to allow for any shrinkage. This will avoid any pulling once you sew the fabric.

 

 

How to make easy baby blankets

 This may be considered cheating… but it’s what I do. I lay both fabrics right side facing one another. In order to accurately cut/measure/square up the fabric, I like to make sure they are even. Trim the fabric to the size desired. Usually, I will make the blanket one full bolt width (42″-44″) wide and about 30″ long. It’s purely up to you and the amount of fabric you have available. We use these blankets for nap time and I like to make sure we can get A LOT of use out of them. 🙂

Making your own baby blanket is a simple craft that only takes about 30 minutes

Anyways, once your fabric is trimmed and right sides are still facing each other, pin the fabric every few inches apart to keep the material together. Load your sewing machine with any color of thread. Use any extra thread that you have lying around. No one will see it. Using a straight stitch, slowly begin to sew around the perimeter of the blanket. I usually like to give myself 1/4″-1/2″ seam allowance.

making a baby blanket doesn't require complicated sewing patterns so it's an easy beginner craft

Be sure to trim any excess fabric in the corners. Leave a small area unsewn so that you can pull the fabric out. Top stitch over the opening to make sure that the fabric is secure. The next step is VERY important. Press the blanket before you begin the decorative top stitch.

This adorable baby animal fabric is being sewed into a homemade baby blanket

Choose your favorite top stitch and carefully go sew over the perimeter of the blanket. To speed things up, I traditionally choose a zigzag design in a contrasting color of thread. It’s purely up to you!

And there it is! A wonderful, handmade blanket for a new mama-to-be! These pair well with homemade baby burp cloths. See the baby burp cloth tutorial here.

This DIY baby blanket doesn't require any complicated sewing patterns

You can make baby blankets, swaddling blankets, or burp cloths with this simple baby blanket tutorial

 

You can see that these are relatively simple to make yourself. You can customize fabric prints and colors to coordinate perfectly with the new baby’s nursery. And for a only a few dollars apiece, you can create an entire set for less than the price of one thin flannel blanket! As you master this tutorial, don’t be afraid to round the edges or add applique. Have fun sewing and ooh-ing over cute baby gifts!

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8 Comments

  1. Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before
    but after going through a few of the articles
    I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m certainly
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  2. I’ve stumbled onto your blog at the right time. I’m trying to make my first grandchild a blanket but after careful measuring and pinning it moves as I sew. I go slow because I’m new to sewing. What am I doing wrong?

    1. I tend to over pin the pieces to avoid the moving! Depending on the fabric, I like to keep the pins just an inch or two apart. If you find that it moves still, I’d keep going slow. Are you using minky fabric? Sometimes that moves alot and can be a little challenging.

      1. Or maybe take some pressure off the foot, I have a janome sewing machine and I have to adjust the pressure on the foot per the fabric I am sewing. Good luck

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