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Baby Doll Self-Binding Blanket Pattern

 This self-binding baby doll blanket tutorial first appeared on Paging Supermom as a part of their Books Alive series.  Be sure to stop by their site for many fantastic crafts and projects centered around beloved Children’s Books. 

Self Binding Baby Doll Blanket Tutorial on polkadotchair.com

Even though my kids are older now, I still love a good children’s book. When my kids were little we tried to read to them as much as possible. Some nights it went well, other nights not so much *wink*.

Why we love Kevin Henkes Books:

After we had our first daughter, we struggled with fertility problems for a few years. My oldest daughter was almost six when her twin siblings were born and was quite used to being the only kid around for a while.  Overall she had a great transition to sibling”hood” but there were a few bumps along the way.

Which brings us to one of my absolute favorite books, “Julius, the Baby of the World” by Kevin Henkes.  Lilly (of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, another AWESOME book) has a baby brother and does not adjust well to his presence.  She says mean words to him while he’s sleeping and warns pregnant mothers that they will regret their baby bumps.  She also spends more time than usual in her “uncooperative” chair. In the end she comes around to the idea of a baby brother, but the way that she deals with his presence early in the book is absolutely hilarious!

Reading this book again reminded me how it can be hard sometimes for older siblings when new siblings come home. There is so much love an attention focused on the baby that I can see why they sometimes feel left out.

Free Self Binding Blanket Pattern:

self-binding-blanket-tutorial

I always love giving handmade baby gifts, so I thought that maybe it would be fun to give a handmade gift to a sibling instead!  So, for my Books Alive post today I’m sharing with you how to make this very simple self binding receiving blanket that’s the perfect size for a baby doll!  This is a VERY simple sewing project, so simple in fact that older kids could sew one themselves with just a little bit of help.

To make the blanket you’ll need:

1, 20″ x 20″ square of flannel

1, 30″ x 30″ square of flannel

Sewing Machine

Scissors

Pins

Fabric Safe Marking Pen

How to Sew the Blanket:

doll-blanket-tutorial

Begin by pinning your two flannel pieces right sides together. To do this you want to find the center of each of the 4 sides of both pieces and begin my matching up the centers. Then pin out from there. Since the pieces aren’t the same size you’ll end up with a funny bunny ear looking thing at the end- don’t worry this is correct.

Sew each of the 4 sides starting and stopping 1/2″ from the end of the fabric. Leave a 4″ hole in one of the sides so that you can turn the blanket right side out.

After you’ve sewn all 4 sides fold the blanket in half diagonally so that it makes a triangle.

How to Miter the Corners:

self-binding-recieving-blanket

Two of the corners will look like this. Using a pen draw a line from the point you stopped sewing to the end of the fabric. Sew.

Fold the blanket the other way and sew the other two sides. Quickly turn the blanket right side out to make sure you’ve sewn the corners correctly.

If you have then turn the blanket back inside out and trim off the excess fabric at the corners.

Turn right side out and press the blanket well. Top stitch along the edge of the center of the blanket making sure to catch the opening in the blanket as you go.

More Cute things to Sew for a Baby:

Soft N Snuggly Sensory Blanket Pattern

Minke Baby Blanket Tutorial

Double Gauze Blanket Pattern


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16 Comments

  1. Wow!!! It’s really cute!!! But…. It looks just like the tutorial for self binding baby blanket from Missouri Star Quilt Co on you tube??? Same one??

    1. I was thinking the same thing…. I love that tutorial and it makes an awesome sized receiving blanket….. I like the dollie sized dimensions ……..but you might want to give credit where credit is due….

      1. Hi!
        I learned how to make self binding receiving blankets years ago (before the days of blogs) from a friend of mine. I don’t know who came up with the idea originally, but they have been around for years.

    2. I don’t know. I haven’t seen that video. I’ve been making these for about 10 years- There are several tutorials online for self binding blankets. I have no idea who came up with the idea in the first place. I learned how to make them from a friend.

  2. Love that book! I still remember laughing uncontrollably as I read it to my daughter the first time..Classic!

  3. Thank you for this tutorial, my mother made these binded blankets back in the 70’s and 80’s and I have been searching for instructions on them! You are correct, this idea has been around for a long time!

  4. Pingback: Simple DIY gifts for kids

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