Inspiration Easy DIY Swaddle Blankets
It has been baby girl central in my world lately, and I couldn't be happier and more excited to sew all of the cute pink things! I've been working on bow holders, and now I'm onto swaddle blankets. Keep reading for a super easy, beginner-friendly DIY swaddle blanket tutorial!
For one swaddle blanket, you'll need:
- 1 yard flannel or double gauze/swaddle cloth
- Serger
- 3 cones serger thread
- Embroidery machine, design, thread, and stabilizer (optional)
- General sewing supplies
Instructions:
1. Prep your fabric for sewing.
Pre-wash your fabric, preferably with fragrance- and dye-free detergent. Once washed and dried, cut your flannel or double gauze to 36" square. This will be a decent sized swaddle blanket, but if you want a bigger square, purchase 1 1/3 yard of fabric and cut to 44" square.
2. (OPTIONAL): Add embroidery to your blanket.
So far, I've made two sets of swaddle blankets and used different types of embroidery for each. For the first set, I added a monogram that I created in EmbroideryWorks.
For the second set, I used this sweet embroidery design. I used my go-to Ultra Soft Fusible Stabilizer from Baby Lock for both the monogram and embroidery design.
3. Get your serger ready for sewing.
For a rolled hem finish, set your serger up for a 3-thread narrow rolled edge with a length of 0.75-1 and a width of 3.5. Thread your serger with the thread color of your choice.
Each set of swaddle blankets featured slightly different colors in each set. Because of this, I used white thread for one set and light pink for the other. If you haven't experienced the awesome-ness that is Jet-Air or ExtraordinAir threading on Baby Lock sergers, I highly recommend taking one for a test drive! Since it's so easy to thread a Baby Lock serger, it wasn't an issue at all switching thread colors.
To finish the swaddle blanket, simply run each side through your serger, encasing the raw edge within the rolled hem.
Now that you've made one swaddle blanket, it won't take you any time at all to make a couple more. For gift giving, roll each one up to create a little bundle and tie with twine or ribbon. With just a little bit of effort, you've created a special, handmade gift that will be treasured for years to come!
