Weighted Blanket Tutorial!

Hi, all!

I wrote this tutorial to fill a gap I found on line - no matter where I looked, I could not find a simple-to-understand tutorial for an economical, completely adjustable weighted blanket for children with sensory issues such as autism.  So I decided to write one.  This tutorial is the result.  I think it is simple enough for even a beginning sewer, can be made very inexpensively, and is completely adjustable in weight, so it can grow with the child.  I would welcome your feedback if you use the tutorial - please let me know of any changes or corrections you would make, and I'd love to see pictures!!

Adjustable Weighted Blanket Tutorial

Finished size:  30” x 48”, six inch grid with 40 pockets

Materials Requirements:  

1 queen size flat sheet or 6 yards 44-45” wide fabric for 

weighted blanket

3 yards fabric for the “duvet” cover for the weighted blanket 
 4 2.5" pieces of grosgrain ribbon
 4 8" pieces of narrow ribbon

80 sandwich size zip bags (do not use quart storage bags - they are too big!)

Thread

Frixion pen or other water soluble fabric marking pen

(Frixion pens are sold in office supply stores; they are

marketed as erasable pens, but when you iron over 

the marks on fabric, they disappear.  Excellent for 

marking fabric, and they come in many colors!)

Poly beads (sold in craft stores for making stuffed animals)

Food or postage scale

Drinking straw

UPDATE:  I have updated the pictures in this tutorial to make it easier to see how the pieces go together.  The parts are shown in different colors.  The colors used for each part is indicated in red in the tutorial.

Cut from flat sheet or fabric:

8 strips 32” x 7” (lavender)

16 strips 32” x 9” (8 in blue, 8 in yellow)

1 piece 32” x 49” (pink)

Cut from cover fabric:

1 piece 32” x 50”

1 piece 32” x 56”

Step 1:  Fold the 9” strips in half lengthwise and press.  You will now have 16 strips 31” x 4 1/2”.

Left to right - 7" strips, 9" "A" strips folded in half,
9" "B" strips folded in half.

Step 2:  Make a “sandwich” of one 32” x 7” strip (lavender), one "A" strip (blue), one "B" strip (yellow), and one 32” x 7” strip (lavender).  Match the raw edges at the top of the sandwich.  

Stitch the long raw edge side using a 1/2” seam.  Make 4 sets.  Press the seam open, with one 7” strip and one folded strip to each side.  You should now have 4 sets and 8 folded strips.

Step 3:  Repeat the process using two of the units you just created .  Make 2 sets.  Press seams open in the same manner.

Step 4:  Repeat the process using the two units you just created.  Press the seam open in the same manner.  You should now have one piece measuring approximately 32” x 49”, and two folded strips.  

Sew one folded strip to the top by laying it against the top edge with the folded edge facing toward the bottom of the blanket.  Repeat on the bottom of the blanket, folded edge facing up.

Step 5:  Layer the folded pieces in pairs, with the upper one over the lower one on each row.  This will create an envelope closure for the weights.  

Pin along the outside edge, securing each flap overlap and the open seams. Stitch 1/4” from the edge on each side to secure the flaps and seams. 

Step 6:  Cut four pieces of 3/4" grosgrain ribbon, approximately 2.5" long.  Fold the pieces in half, and pin them to the top and bottom of the pocket unit at the corners as shown, approximately 1" from the edge of the blanket.

Take the 32” x 49” piece (pink) and lay it on the pocket side of the blanket, matching corners and raw edges.  Pin and stitch around the blanket, leaving an 8” opening in the center of the bottom for turning.  

Clip corners.  Turn and press.  

Stitch as close to the edge as possible all the way around the blanket, securing the opening left for turning and stabilizing the edges.

Step 7:  Lay the blanket strip side up on a flat, hard surface.  Using your Frixion pen or water soluble marker, measure 6” in from the long edges of the blanket.  Draw a line from top to bottom of your blanket.  Repeat the process 6” from each of the lines you just drew.  You should now have four lines running lengthwise of your blanket.  Pin across each of the overlaps on each line.  These are your stitching lines for the weight pockets.  Be sure your flaps are well pinned, then stitch on those lines.

Step 8:  To remove the marking lines on your blanket, either spritz with water (for water soluble markers) or press with a hot iron if you used a Frixion marker.

Step 9:  Determine the weight needed for your blanket.  The formula is body weight x 10% plus 1 pound.  So for a 40 pound child:  40 x 10% = 4 +1 = 5 pounds.  Convert 5 pounds to ounces:  5 x 16 = 80 ounces.  Divide by 40 pockets:  80 / 40 = 2 ounces per pocket.

Step 10:  Measure out your poly beads into sandwich bags.  A postage scale or food weight scale is great for this.  Remove the air from the bags as much as possible with a drinking straw (be sure not to suck up a bead!!), close up the bag and spread the beads out as evenly as possible.  

Double bag the weight, removing the air from the second bag as well.  Place one weight in each pocket, fitting it into the corners of the pocket.

You can also make permanent weights using fabric.  Cut 80 fabric squares the size of your smallest pocket (usually the ones on the corners).  

Match the squares in pairs, and using a serger, close three sides of the bags.  Measure your filler beads and fill a pocket with the correct weight, then serge the final side closed.  Repeat for all the weights.

Making the Cover:

Step 1:  Take one of the two cover pieces, and turn 1/2” on one end.  Press.  Turn down another 1/2”, making an enclosed hem.  Press.  Stitch close to the rolled edge to secure the hem.  Repeat on the other cover piece.  Each piece will now have one hemmed end.  

Now take two 8" pieces of thin ribbon and mark the center of each piece.  On the shorter piece, attach them at top edge of each corner (approximately 1" in from the edges) and stitch down using multiple lines of stitching for strength.  These will be used to tie the weighted blanket into the cover.

Step 2:  On the longer of the two pieces, take the hemmed end and fold a 6” flap down to the right side.  You will see the wrong side of the fabric on the flap, over the right side below it.  Press. 

Lay the shorter piece of fabric face on the flapped piece, right sides together.  

At the bottom edge of the cover, pin two more 8" pieces of thin ribbon approximately 1" in from each edge, with the halfway mark of each piece at the seam line.  Leaving the flapped end open, stitch the other three sides using a 1/2” seam.  Turn and press.

Step 3:  Turning the cover turned wrong side out, tie the bottom ties to the loops on the bottom of the weighted blanket.  Turn the cover right side out up over the weighted blanket.  You may have to work it up like a pillowcase, but it is designed to fit snugly so that the blanket doesn’t slip around.  Once the weighted blanket is in place, tie the top ribbon ties to the loops on the top of the weighted blanket, and flip the flap over the open end, covering the top of the blanket.  

You’re done!!!

If you need this tutorial en espanol (in Spanish), it has been translated and posted on UnaNada's website.  You can access it by clicking here.