How to Sew a Weighted Blanket

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An easy-to-follow DIY guide for expert crafters and newbies alike
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Making a weighted blanket at home is a great way to save some money on this stress- and anxiety-reducing addition to your sleep routine. [1] Best of all, you don’t need a lot of sewing know-how to get the job done—just a sewing machine, thread, fabric, batting, and poly-pellets to give your blanket its weighted filling. We’ll walk you through the entire process from start to finish, so you can enjoy your very own weighted blanket in a matter of hours.

How can you make a weighted blanket at home?

  1. Cut out two pieces of cotton fabric 4 inches larger than you want your blanket to be.
  2. Attach batting to each piece and sew the fabric’s “right” sides together around 3 edges.
  3. Mark a 6 by 6 grid on your fabric.
  4. Stitch along the vertical channels of the grid.
  5. Stuff the bottom row of squares with machine washable poly-pellets.
  6. Stitch a horizontal line above this stuffed row.
  7. Stuff and sew 5 more rows to finish your blanket, using 10% of your body weight in poly-pellets.

Things You’ll Need

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Choosing the Size, Weight & Materials

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  1. Are you making the blanket for yourself or someone else, like a young child? Are you hoping to make a throw blanket or something large enough to cover your entire bed? Pick the blanket size and dimensions that make the most sense for you and your needs. [2]
    • Throw blanket: 50 by 60 in (130 by 150 cm)
    • Twin bed: 65 to 66 by 90 in (170 to 170 by 230 cm)
    • Full bed: 80 to 85 by 90 in (200 to 220 by 230 cm)
    • Queen bed: 90 by 90 to 100 in (230 by 230 to 250 cm)
    • King bed: 108 by 90 to 100 in (270 by 230 to 250 cm)
    • California king bed: 104 by 108 in (260 by 270 cm)
  2. You’ll essentially be stitching a grid-style pattern onto your blanket (with each square stuffed with pellets), so it’s important to factor in a little extra fabric to ensure your weighted blanket is the right size. Adding 4 in (10 cm) to both the length and width helps accommodate this. [3]
    • If you were making a weighted blanket to cover a twin bed, for example, your new dimensions would be 69 to 70 by 94 in (180 to 180 by 240 cm).
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  3. Purchase two sheets of cotton fabric matching these dimensions. Visit your local craft store (or even a big-box store like Walmart) and choose a fabric pattern you like. Ask for 2 larges pieces of this fabric to be cut in the dimensions of your blanket. You can also order the fabric online and cut out the measurements yourself. [4]
    • To change things up, get your sheets of fabric in different colors and patterns.
    • Pro tip: Some sewing enthusiasts find materials like cotton and flannel to be super easy and smooth to stitch, so stick with those types of fabrics if you don’t have a lot of experience with a sewing machine . [5]
  4. Cut two sections of cotton batting that match your fabric’s dimensions. Measure out the batting so the length and width are identical to your fabric pieces. When cut out, your batting should be the same size as the cotton or flannel portions of your blanket. [6]
    • Batting is a thick and soft material that gives your fabric a little cushioning. It’s commonly used in quilting.
    • Be sure to get batting that roughly matches your blanket’s dimensions. For example, if you were making a queen-sized weighted blanket, you’d want to use queen-sized batting .
  5. Get 10% of your body weight in poly-pellets to stuff the blanket with. Most weighted blanket sellers suggest getting a blanket that’s about 10% of your total body weight, so use that formula when calculating how many poly-pellets (in lb/kg) you’ll need for your own blanket. [7] Let’s say you weight about 140 lb (64 kg)—in that case, you’d want about 14 lb (6.4 kg) of poly-pellets to evenly stuff your blanket with.
    • Make sure to choose machine-washable poly-pellets so you can easily clean your blanket.
    • If you’re making a weighted blanket for someone else, estimate what their weight is and calculate your poly-pellet weight based on that.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Sewing the Seams & Grid

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  1. Your fabric has 2 sides: the “right,” brightly printed or patterned side, and the “wrong,” or lighter/less obvious side. Sandwich the fabric pieces together so the “right” sides are touching and the “wrong” sides are facing out. [8]
  2. Don’t pin the edges of the fabric together just yet—you still have to attach the batting, after all! Instead, pin the corners of the fabric together to line it all up and give it a little bit of structure. [9]
  3. Use your pins to attach the batting to the fabric while also pinning the fabric’s edges together. This helps keep your batting in place throughout the sewing process. Be sure to pin batting to both sides of the fabric! [10]
  4. Mark 2 in (5.1 cm) from each edge of the fabric, creating a slightly smaller rectangular perimeter within the fabric. This helps serve as a seam allowance for your blanket. [11]
  5. Carefully feed the long side of the pinned fabric into the sewing machine, stitching along the lines you’ve drawn out. Continue to stitch along the short end of the blanket, followed by the other long end. Leave the second short end open, since you’ll be using that to stuff your blanket.
    • Use the default stitch setting on your sewing machine for this—you don’t need to set it to anything specific.
    • You should now have a basic structure for your blanket, with the batting and fabric securely stitched together.
    • Consider using a denim sewing machine needle , which is designed to handle tougher material. [12]
  6. Reverse the fabric so the batting is on the inside and the brightly-colored or patterned portion of your fabric is facing out again.
    • Optional: Give your blanket a more polished, uniform look by stitching along the long and short ends of the pre-stitched fabric while it’s right-side-out. [13]
  7. Divide the length of your blanket by 6 and mark even horizontal lines on your fabric. Then, divide the width of your blanket by 6 and mark 6 even columns on the fabric. Your finished sketch will resemble a rough, 6 by 6 grid. [14]
  8. Following the pre-marked lines on your fabric, stitch along the vertical lines. Don’t stitch the horizontal lines yet, though—you’ll do this as you stuff each square of the blanket. [15]
    • Go over these vertical lines twice to give them a little more security.
    • As before, use the default stitch setting for this on your sewing machine.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Stuffing & Finishing the Blanket

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  1. Let’s say you’re funneling 14 lb (6.4 kg) of poly-pellets into your blanket total. Before starting the filling process, divide 14 lb (6.4 kg) by 36 (the number of squares in the blanket), which gives you around 0.388 lb (0.176 kg) of pellets per square. [16]
  2. Use a kitchen scale to measure out the individual amount of poly-pellets needed for each square within the blanket. Set these piles aside, so you’ll have easy access as you start assembling and stuffing the blanket.
    • Consider dividing your poly-pellets into sandwich bags beforehand for easy organization.
  3. Stick a funnel into the opening on the far-left vertical column that you’ve stitched into your blanket. Pour 1 pre-portioned square’s worth of poly-pellets into the column, and give it a shake to make sure they’re distributed evenly at the bottom. Repeat this funneling and shaking process in the other 5 columns within the blanket (pouring 1 square’s worth of pellets into each column at a time). [17]
    • You don’t need to have a funnel for this part of the process, but it can make it easier. You can always just spoon the pellets into each column, too!
    • Shaking your blankets also gives you a chance to see if there are any gaps or holes in the seams that need to be stitched up.
  4. Pin along the horizontal line you marked earlier, making sure that all the poly-pellets are firmly settled in their respective squares. You don’t want to stitch over any pellets by mistake! [18]
  5. Carefully guide the sewing machine needle along the horizontal line, removing the pins as you go. [19] To be safe, stitch along the row twice to make the weighted squares extra secure.
  6. Continue to funnel 1 square’s worth of pellets into each column of the blanket, give the blanket a good shake, pin along the pre-drawn line, and stitch the next row closed. Then repeat the process until you reach the final row. [20]
    • Shift your sewing machine to the middle of your table as you finish more and more rows. It might be difficult to properly align your machine once you finish more of the heavy blanket.
  7. As you’ve done before, pour the last 6 portions of poly-pellets into the final 6 pockets of your weighted blanket, making sure the weight is evenly distributed in each one. [21]
  8. Fold and iron the exposed edges of the fabric inward by 1 ⁄ 2  in (1.3 cm). Tuck these folded edges against one another, which creates a more sleek and polished finish. [22] Run an iron over the folds to help seal them in place, making sure your iron is set to a cotton-friendly setting. [23]
    • Check your iron’s settings and user manual to confirm the best settings for cotton or flannel.
  9. Measuring slightly away from the edge of the fabric, carefully feed the final, unstitched edge through the sewing machine. [24]
  10. For extra security, guide each side of your weighted blanket through the sewing machine. Once you’ve finished stitching, your weighted blanket is officially ready to use (or gift)! [25]
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      Tips

      • To wash your weighted blanket, stick with a gentle detergent and wash it with cold or warm water (without any extra laundry products, like fabric softener). Either air-dry the blanket or put it in your tumble dryer on a low- or medium-heat cycle (just be sure to “fluff” your blanket every so often if you opt for this drying method). [26]
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      • While hand-sewing is technically possible for this type of project, it’ll be far more time-consuming and difficult to complete. A sewing machine is definitely the fastest and easiest way to get the job done.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2022/march/weighted-blankets
      2. ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-bedding/blanket-sizes
      3. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      4. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      5. ↑ https://www.homecraftsbyali.com/2015/09/sewing-for-beginners-quick-easy.html
      6. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      7. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-weighted-blankets-banish-nighttime-anxiety
      8. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      9. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      1. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      2. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      3. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      4. ↑ https://www.autismnwpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/weighted-blanket-instructions.pdf
      5. ↑ https://www.autismnwpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/weighted-blanket-instructions.pdf
      6. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      7. ↑ https://www.autismnwpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/weighted-blanket-instructions.pdf
      8. ↑ https://www.autismnwpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/weighted-blanket-instructions.pdf
      9. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      10. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      11. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      12. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      13. ↑ https://sleepdoctor.com/bedding-information/how-to-make-weighted-blanket/
      14. ↑ https://www.autismnwpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/weighted-blanket-instructions.pdf
      15. ↑ https://www.autismnwpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/weighted-blanket-instructions.pdf
      16. ↑ https://www.autismnwpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/weighted-blanket-instructions.pdf
      17. ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-weighted-blankets/how-to-wash-a-weighted-blanket

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