Hey there! It’s Natalie, from TheCreativeMom.com, where I share how-to’s for decorating, crafts, and recipes for creative moms like you!
The other day, we had some friends over to play, and my friend’s little girl left her Minky blanket at our house. The poor little girl was so sad she didn’t have her soft, cuddly blanket for a few days….But my kids had no sympathy for her sorrow. They were THRILLED she had forgotten her blanket, in fact, they seriously contemplated not giving it back! They loved snuggling up with her cute little blanket, and they fought over who got to use it. So, I knew I needed to make my kids their OWN Minky blankets, so our sad little friend could have her blanket back.
I was excited when I saw that The Ribbon Retreat had so many different Cuddle/Minky prints.
I chose a Chevron for my daughter, Camo (of course!) for my oldest son, and a cute Cowboy print for my baby boy.
The best part of these blankets is that they are Minky on both sides, so they are ULTRA soft and snuggly.
Would you like to make your own?
You’ll need:
1 yard Minky fabric for front and 1 yard Minky fabric for the back.
Sewing Machine, thread, scissors, and pins.
I made these blankets for my kids, who are 6, 3, and 1. So these are child sized, the finished blanket is about 58×34. If you wanted to make one for a bigger kid, or an adult, try using 2 or 3 yards of fabric.
Instructions:
1. Start by pinning your fabric, wrong sides together.
2. Sew around the blanket, using 1/4 inch seam allowance. Make sure to remove the pins. Leave an opening, about 4 inches long on one of the sides.
3. Turn blanket right side out, through the opening. Make sure to push the corners out, nice and straight.
4. Top stitch the opening closed. Using 1/4 inch seam allowance. Continue stitching around the entire edge of the blanket.
A few tips I learned while sewing my 3 blankets….
If one of your fabrics is thicker, fluffier, or heavier than the other, keep it on the bottom while pinning and sewing. It will be easier to work with that way.
Slow and steady is the trick. You might have to pull your fabric through your machine a little. This fabric is a little tricky to sew because it’s so fluffy and thick, but that’s why we love it so much!!!! My little machine’s feed dogs couldn’t pull it through very well, so I just helped it along. Just be sure to sew a little slower than you normally would, keeping it straight.
And you’re done! You’ve got yourself a beautiful Minky blanket!
I always love being here at The Ribbon Retreat. Their products are awesome, and their service just can’t be beat!!!
If you like simple projects like these, you’re sure to like my blog, TheCreativeMom.com. I’d love it if you’d click over and see what I’m up to!
Thank you Natalie! Ohhhhhh, sweetness! This blanket is so much fun and cute, and I love how you can personalize these blankets to each of your kiddo’s tastes. Minky is so SO soft, and I know my kiddos would be on top of the world if they had one of their own. Thank you again Natalie for sharing your incredible talent with us today.
For more fun and FABulous projects by Natalie, visit her at TheCreativeMom.com.
Do you love blankets? If you love to cuddle under soft and warm blankets…check out these other amazing quilt and blanket tutorials. We have an amazing selection of quilts and blankets for every sewing level. Quilts and blankets are so fun to make and it is an AWESOME accomplishment to complete them and be able to say…”I made this gorgeous creation!” Wink, Wink!
Happy Creating & Happy Soft and Cuddly Blankets!
4 Comments
lovely blanket…..good job
Hi and thank you so much for your comment! We love this blanket and are so glad you do too! Thank you again and have a wonderful day! Michelle 🙂
To make ‘harder to work with’ fabric feed through your machine better, a different presser foot can make a world of difference! I have one that I got from a pattern design class (really more like a 3 hour sales pitch, but the products were actually helpful) at a local fabric store, but if they don’t carry them at you local sewing/fabric stores, you can easily find them online. Anyway, this one is *i think* called a roller foot.. It’s supposed to be for ‘hard to work with’ fabric, like slippery (satins, chiffons, etc.) or sticky (ie vinyl), or THICK (esp. Like faux fur or minky would go thru great probably). ALSO (I actually learned this in the class): when sewing 2 fabrics together with your regular, universal presser foot, you start out with the two lined up just right-but you will (nearly) always END with the bottom fabric just slightly shorter (I think like 1/8″ off, they said-I would think that depends on the stretch..Hm..unless it’s not a stretchy fabric!?) anyway,so-for pieces that you definitely want to end the two pieces exactly right (such as [I’d think] most stitched areas on clothing pieces, like sleeves, the sides, the shoulders, etc] and definitely blankets, quilts, curtains [esp. if you’re trying to match up a patterned fabric] etc) they said to use a “walking” presser foot (I think that’s what it’s called). Supposedly, this one also works GREAT for stretch fabrics like knits, swimsuit material, etc. Look up some videos on the roller and walking foot (there are lots) -the walking foot looks especially unusual but I have been meaning to get one because it’s supposed to work really great! For this minky material, I guess either one would be okay..the roller foot would feed it thru easily but the walking foot will line up the edges better. I’d say experiment and see what you like best! Thanks, and sorry such a long post :)-Bridget
Hi Bridget! Oh my goodness….thank you so much for these fabulous tips and tricks! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experiences with us! You are awesome! Thank you so much for this great comment! Have a wonderful day and Happy Sewing! Michelle 🙂