Take 2 pieces of fabric a little longer and wider than you want your finished blanket to be because the weights fluff it up a little and make it end up a little smaller than you expect.
- Put fabric pieces right sides together and sew 3 sides, leaving the 4th side open like a pillowcase. Turn it right side out.
Tips:
- How much weight? The formula I have seen used most often is 10% of body weight plus one pound. So my 35 pound daughter would need 3.5 pounds+1 pound = 4.5lb blanket
- If you want to be precise, figure out how many squares you will have and divide your finished blanket by that amount, so that each square has the same amount of weight.
- I learned the hard way that knit fabrics are MUCH harder for this kind of project. They tend to stretch and slide in any project but with the extra weight, it is a real trick to get lines even close to straight. I will be using wovens such as flannel from now on.
- I like the poly beads used in doll-making projects for the weight. I bought them at my local Joanns fabrics and I have seen them at Michaels crafts as well. I have heard of people using beans, rice, sand, pebbles, etc for weight, but I have heard various reasons that each is not recommended. Sand is not recommended because the silica can be bad for the lungs, rice and beans can mold over time and pebbles can poke through the fabric and be scratchy - the last thing an already sensitive child needs!
16 comments:
I was lloking for a way to make my own weighted blanket. I was referred to someone to your site. Your directions and picture are awesome. I think I can do this. What size did you make? I wanted to make a lap quilt for my daughter who is 38 pounds. I was told by a company that makes them that she needs a 5 pound lap blanket.
Awesome! I love it. I can do this! The other sites I looked had you making pockets and using bags. All of which seemed too hard to do and dangerous for kids. This is great! I will be making my son one soon! Thanks for the great tips.
Thanks so much for the directions. My son's OT suggested I buy one, but when I told her I made one, she was shocked! It was easier than I thought and my little man sleeps so good now.
Thanks for this great DIY craft.Maybe my 7 yo would like this!
Thank you sooo much. I am going to try to make some low cost ones for other moms like me that have had a hard time finding any that don't cost an arm and a leg. Your way of making them seems pretty simple, thanks so much!
Thank you for this great idea! We were recently recommended to try one of these from our DD's play therapist. Using a twin sheet as the fabric will make this last and easier to make! Thanks so much!!!
Just found this via google! Thank you so much! My friends son really needs a weighted blanket, but they are so expensive! Although I am not too good on the sewing machine, I reckon I can do this!
Another idea to to sew "pockets" onto the inside of the blanket. You take a smaller piece of fabric and sew it close on 3 sides and then use velcro along the 4th side. You can put the beads/weight in there. Along the top side of the blanket, rather than folding it down and sewing it, you again use velcro to close it. That way, as your child grows, you can adjust the weight of the blanket without having to make a complete new blanket each time.
Just thought I'd add that idea :)
I just saw on YouTube where someone used a pillowcase to make a lap pad or a small blanket. She recommended making 2 and sewing them together to make it bigger or to add weight when child grows.
... weightedblanket.blogspot.com
I am in the process of making my second weighted blanket. I may give a class in the senior community where I live. Your tutorial was the simplest most logical to follow. May I use your tutorial as a lesson plan?
Ellen Minichiello
I made my weighted blanket with this tutorial, calculating ahead of time how many squares I would need to fill and how much weight to put in each square. A clear plastic cup with a line drawn at the proper level made filling each square easy. I put a folding table next to the sewing machine to carry the weight as I sewed. I also made two duvet-style covers so that I can remove those for washing and never need to wash the actual weighted blanket. Did I over-think the project? Well, maybe, but it's for my own use and I am a 66-year-old with Asperger's, after all!!!☺
Wow! I am so excited that I found this sight! I was so stressed trying to figure out how I could afford 2 adult and 3 kid blankets for Christmas, and now I'm going to get my husband to get out his sewing machine; we got a little work to do, lol! Thank you! Diane
I bought this weighted blanket as a recomandation from a therapyst friend.
It wasn't expensive at all and I love it! I feel more relaxed trough sleep.
Nice post, thank you so much for sharing this information with us.
ynmhome
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