Today I have another great baby project: Easy DIY Baby Swaddle Blanket Pattern and Tutorial which sews up quickly in 10 minutes.. This is perfect for anyone who wants to make a quick gift for a new baby! Often many store bought swaddle blankets are never quite big enough to get a good swaddle, by making your own you can make one large enough for baby to grow and still wrap them up tight. Also by using a knit, the fabric can breathe so baby doesn’t get too hot and has a slight stretch to it to help keep them snug.
For this project, you will need 1 yard of Knit fabric. You can use Jersey Knit or Interlock (not as stretchy) for this project. I used an organic interlock knit from Spoonflower, which is fun because your choice of prints is nearly endless. When the fabric arrives it is a little bit stiff but once you wash it, it softens right up. My other go-to for making items for baby is Fabricworm’s Organic knit fabrics. They have lots of great prints and are not quite as pricey. They are also the softest fabric I have ever felt! I really like the Wildland Collection they have right now and have been counting down the months until Tall Tales comes in (hurry up April)!
The prints I used for the blankets in the pictures are Moose Trot from Ivie Cloth Co. and You Look Fancy Deer from Mint Peony Designs.
Find the fabrics used for blankets:
I can follow the instructions on the screen or click the link below to download the pattern and instructions.
Easy DIY Baby Swaddle Blanket Pattern and Tutorial
**** If using a regular sewing machine, be sure to use a ball point needle for the knit fabric to make sure you don’t have any skipped stitches.
You can find the pattern and template below
I love this quick and easy pattern. I am currently using it to make baby blankets for a mission project. We will be sending them to Nicaragua. You are so awesome to share this for free. Our church sews for missions and I needed a quick and easy baby blanket. I don’t have time to figure it out. Be blessed. Thanks again.
THANK YOU so much for this adorable (and so easy!) idea and pattern. I have made quite a few of these blankets in flannels, soft cotton knits and fleece. I have also varied the sizes… 1 1/4 yards of a standard 42″ fabric will make a generous 40″ x 40″ or 40″ x 42″ (after washing/drying and pre-shrinking!) which is nice for bigger or older babies. I have also made 40″ x 50″ for toddler crib blankies… and small square “loveys” for babies of any age! Loveys can be 14″ x 14″, 15″ x 15″, 16″ x 16″ or larger. Any size goes, really – just work with what you have to maximize your scraps and your stash!
Thank you so much Lynn!
This was a fun easy project for a beginner like me! I used the zig zag stitch on my sewing machine, but I think a serger would have really made it shine. I also made matching knit hats, which were adorable and very simple! Thank you so much for providing fabric ideas as well, it’s so helpful for us newbies 🙂
Thank you for this! Do you think if I bought a yard of 58 inch fabric I would be able to make this and a newborn hat?
Yes that should be enough for both 🙂
So my daughter also loves these in flannel as after-tubby towels for my grand baby who has very sensitive skin. They are big enough to really wrap around him, and so soft and absorbent!
You could easily add a triangle piece of fabric in the corner for the baby’s head (like store-bought baby towels often have) but it’s really not necessary!
I also made her a stack of 12” “washcloths” which she loves.
So yet another idea from this adorable pattern – for all the special babies in our lives!!!
That is such a good idea! Maybe another tutorial to make. My kids loved them when they were little.
Hello, I’m a beginner, so I’m wondering : what does it mean exactly to “backstitch and secure using a straight stitch”? After finishing your zigzag seem, you juste change the stitch to straight and do a back stitch, or do you need to do all the seem again with a straight stitch? Sorry for the stupid question and thank you!
If you google those terms there are some great basic sewing dictionary resources.