DIY Weighted Blanket: How To Make Weighted Blankets

There are a lot of health and well being benefits to weighted blankets. However, with their quality materials and sometimes fancy construction, a lot of these weighted blankets on the market are very expensive. One way to can get your DIY weighted blanket and save the extra cash is to make it yourself.

Turning to “Do It Yourself” options are on the rise, because making it yourself can be much more cost effective than purchasing a new product. We are going to walk you through the different options for making your own weighted blanket. From technique to what filling to use, as well as how to find the right weight and size for you. Continue reading in order to get all the DIY weighted blanket details.

How It Works

While there are a variety of different types of weighted blankets on the market, there is generally one way to make them at home that is most common.

A quilted blanket, with square pockets containing weighted filler pellets. These pellets give the blanket it’s heft, while the pockets help to distribute the weight evenly throughout the blanket. This is the kind of weighted blanket we are going to give instructions for creating. To start we will go through all of the materials you will need.

What You Will Need:

• Sewing Machine
• Sclae
• Exterior Fabric (Determine Type and Amount Below)
• Weighted Filling (Determine Type and Amount Below)
• Batting
• Thread
• Sewing Pins
• Ruler or Measuring
• Tape
• Fabric Scissors

Determine The Right Size

When it comes to weighted blanket the ideal size is more of a napping shape than a full comforter. For couples, often times the optimal weight will be different. So sharing a comforter that covers your entire bed is less than ideal.

You want the majority of the blanket and weight to rest on top of you, wrapping around your body. If the blanket is shared between two people, cascading off of the side of the bed, or only covering you partially, then you will not experience the maximum effect of the weighted blanket.

Ideally, you will want your cover to be wide enough to cover you completely from side to side and from shoulders to your toes. It can be slightly larger than this, just be sure to not go too big as the weight will then be spread further out and provide less pressure to your body.

Get The Correct Weight

You want your weighted blanket to weigh approximately 10% of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 150lbs then you would want a 15lb blanket. Much heavier and you may find the weighted pressure to be too much and if it is too much lighter then you will not experience all of the potential benefits of the weighted blanket.

Keep in mind that this “10% of your body weight” thing is merely a suggestion. You do not need to be ultra precise with this scale. You can go slightly over or under without changing the effectiveness of the blanket too much.

DIY Weighted Blanket Materials

– Exterior

First you want to be sure that whatever material you use to contain your filler will have a tight enough weave to contain the filler that you decide to use. It would be a sad day to be finished with your blanket and have tiny glass beads slowly slipping their way outside of your blanket.

Many people choose a finishing exterior to their blanket that has soft tactile interest. For children and adults alike having a little something for your handles to touch and fiddle with can be a very comforting feature to a blanket. You may witness this as toddlers self soothe along with thumb sucking you may see children fidget with their other hand around the edges of blankets. This can be an especially nice feature for children with special needs.

If you decide that you are in love with a certain material but it won’t have the ability to hold in the weighted filling, see if you can use a lining to give that fabric extra support.

– Fill

This is where the majority of your weight for your blanket comes in. We suggest using a combination of batting and weighted filler. The batting provides a breathable layer to keep you cool. While also filling out your blanket and giving it a thicker and more plush feeling to your blanket overall.

Types of Filler

• Batting – cotton, polyester, wool
• Glass Micro Beads
• Plastic Polypropylene Pellets
• Dried Rice
• Dried Beans
• Small Stones

Those final three options are at the bottom of our list because you will not be able to wash blankets filled with these items in the washing machine. The two most commonly used weighted fillers are glass micro beads and plastic polypropylene pellets. These are both fine options while glass is the more premium of the two. Be sure to check individual packing for instructions and ability to machine wash.

DIY Weighted Blanket Instructions:

Below is a great table that shows how simple the main steps of the process of making a weighted blanket are. In only a few short and simple steps you’ll have your very own DIY weighted blanket. More details about prep, as well as exact instructions are found below the table too.

1) Measure Out and Gather Materials

First estimate as closely as you can the weight of your fabric, batting, and thread that you will be needing/using. Then you can determine the amount of weighted material will be necessary to add in that will bring your weighted blanket up to the suggested 10% of your body weight. Pull all of your materials together and ensure you have the right amount of everything you need before you get started.

2)  Line Up Front & Back Material

Cut out your desired front and back blanket materials with room for stitching. Turn the faces of each side of the blanket in toward each other, and pin in place. If you have a desired lining that you wish to add, repeat this step with the lining on the outside, sandwiching the exterior material.

3) Add Batting

Take your desired batting and line it up with the blanket. Trim as needed to fit properly. Pin in place.

4) Sew Three Sides

You are essentially creating a big pocket at this point. Sew up three of the four sides together, leaving on side open. Once you are finished sewing these three sides, flip inside out revealing what will eventually be the outside of the blanket and putting the batting and seams on the inside of the blanket.

5) Create Tunnels (Columns)

Decide the thickness of the pockets you desire and create as many tunnels, or columns, as necessary. Do this by sewing vertical lines running from the bottom of the blanket to the top.

6) Fill the Tunnels (Columns)

Determine the amount of filling you want in each square of the blanket. Scoop the weighted out amount of fill necessary for each pocket into each tunnel and shake the filling down into the bottom. Do this for the entire row.

7) Create Rows

Once you have your fill is in each column, it’s time to sew a horizontal from one side to the other. Creating a row of squares that are completely closed in.

8) Repeat

Continue steps 6 and 7 until you have filled the blanket to the top. This process will create an entire blanket of carefully filled squares that make for a perfectly weighted blanket.

9) Trim Edges

Next, cut off any loose strands of thread and give your blanket a good look over to ensure you don’t have any loose ends or holes. Fix any holes you find and be sure to snip off all loose threads.

10) Cuddle & Enjoy

Your blanket is finished! Now it is time to cuddle up and enjoy or gift it to friends and family.

Is A DIY Weighted Blanket Worth It?

This is an important question to ask yourself and the answer will be different depending on the individual. Some people love to sew and will likely have the majority of the materials needed on hand.

If you love a good project and you already have the materials you need, then yes this project will totally be worth it for you. In fact, it will likely be an easy and fun afternoon of work.

However, if you are not the crafty type, then it will likely be more expensive to invest in a sewing machine and all the tools and materials then it would be to simply buy the weighted blanket in the first place.

Our Top Recommended Options to Buy

Though the process may seem simple, it might be more than you’d like to tackle. And the truth of the matter is the investment into materials and more importantly your time worth it? Maybe, but if you find yourself leaning towards buying a weighted blanket we have some great recommendations. The following cozy and calming sensory blankets are some of our top favorite weighted blankets ranging from budget friendly to luxurious. As well as offering some unique qualities you won’t find in a DIY weighted blanket.

• Bearaby Weighted Blankets

When it comes to Bearaby they offer a few different options of weighted blankets. These blankets aren’t quite like the DIY quilted weighted blankets described above. Instead they offer a very cute chunky knitted blanket and a weighted comforter. Allowing for two appealing styles that set themselves apart from the average weighted blankets.

We find both to be great options, depending on what your needs are. Learn more about both of these blankets in our Bearaby Weighted Blanket Review and Bearaby Weighted Comforter Review.

Buy Your New Bearaby Blanket HERE!

• Baloo Living Weighted Blankets

If you want superior materials and construction than the Baloo weighted blankets give you just that. This natural option uses some of the finest sourced materials and handcrafted design to create this comforting blanket. The Baloo Home blanket is free of chemicals and very safe. Using breathable cotton and lead free glass microbeads for a super breathable option that creates a cool weighted blanket that never gets too hot.

The amazing thing is that this calming blanket can even be machine washed. The durability and reliability of this blanket makes it more than worth it to invest in. Learn more about our experience in our Baloo Weighted Blanket Review.

Latest Baloo Weighted Blanket Coupon HERE!

• Layla Weighted Blanket

If you want a blanket that offers two distinct feels on either side, we suggest the Layla weighted blanket. This thoughtful heavy blanket offers a cool, crisp cotton side as well as a cozy, warm fleece side. It also comes in a variety of sizes with ideally paired weight for the most ideal sleeping experience.

The benefits of a weighted blanket in general are plentiful. But the Layla weighted blanket gives you quality and craftsmanship that give you a solid, well made blanket. It also features a more unique Hexagon style that is more complex and detailed than the DIY weighted blanket. Offering a more appealing build and look. Learn more in our Layla Weighted Blanket Review.

Layla Bedding & Accessory Coupon

Final Thoughts:

At the end of the day whether you choose to purchase or make by hand, we hope you fully enjoy and love your weighted blanket. We would love to know which way you go! Whether you decided to make or purchase, feel free to email us with comments and pictures. We would love to know how your blanket turned out for you.

What to learn more about the benefits of weighted blankets? Then you may like our post Weighted Blanket Benefits.