Easy Gauze Fabric Baby Receiving Blankets
There are so many adorable double gauze fabrics out there nowadays. Creating your own receiving and swaddling blankets is a snap with this easy tutorial. Swaddling sets make a great gift for a baby shower. They are perfect for wrapping baby in something to keep them swaddled but not too warm. In the heat of summer they are great for outside and in the winter when heaters are blasting they make the perfect wrap for baby. Here is an easy gauze fabric baby receiving blanket.
Easy Gauze Fabric Baby Receiving Blankets
Shannon Fabrics has so many adorable colors and prints of double gauze fabric. They sent me this fabric but all opinions and ideas are my own and I was compensated only in kind.
What is Double Gauze Fabric?
Cotton gauze fabric is a lightweight fabric that is great to work with for baby receiving and swaddle blankets. It breathes really well and is not hard to work with. It is made up of two layers of very loosely woven cotton. The fabric also has a light and airy feel. It does not have stretch which makes it easy to work with. It is also soft which makes it perfect for baby. The double gauze is perfect for creating swaddling and receiving blankets.
These receiving blankets were made using three different double gauze fabrics. The first is Make Believe, which has adorable unicorns on it! Then I used Peri and Lilac to finish off the set.
What is swaddle blanket size?
The great thing about creating your own blankets is that you can make them any size you want. The size of the blanket in this post is 30″ square. This is the same size as a receiving blanket that you would buy at the store. You could size it up a few inches for an older baby or down for a preemie.
To sew your own swaddle blanket make sure and cut the fabric 1″ larger than your all the way around to account for seam allowance. For a 30″ finished swaddle blanket 1 yard of double gauze or muslin is plenty for one blanket since a yard is 36″.
Once you have cut your square (I cut mine to 31″) you will finish the edges. There are two ways you can achieve this. You can pin or clip the edge under or you can turn the edge under as you sew.
To clip, fold one edge under 1/4″ and clip in place. Then fold it over again 1/4″ and clip in place. Then sew the folded edge in place. Sew as close to the inside edge of the fold as possible, this will make sure that that edge lies flat and doesn’t catch on anything.
The second option is to turn the edge under as you sew. This is not as precise as the first method but it does save time and if you hate clipping/pinning like I do this is a good method. Also the edge might be a bit more crooked with this method but as I have said many times before it is handmade so I am kind of ok with it looking that way. And the double gauze is naturally wavy so you barely notice the imperfections.
For this method you simply fold one section under 1/4″ and then fold it again 1/4″ and then start to sew. Then stop and turn the fabric under as you get to the end of the part that has been turned under.
How to miter the corners:
Once you have sewn one entire side you will need to miter the corner to start the next side.
To miter the corner fold the edge down diagonally. (I clipped in place to show what it looks like but you don’t have to clip here unless you feel like it makes the process easier.)
Now fold the edge under 1/4″. The raw edge should line up with the bottom corner of the diagonal fold you made, as pictured below.
Next fold the edge under 1/4″ one more time. This is what it will look like. I left the clips in place so you can see where they ended up as I folded.
Continue to sew the edges in place using this method. When you come to the last side you will want to pin both of your mitered corners in place before sewing the final edge.
Repeat these steps to create a whole set of receiving blankets. The double gauze is also a great material to create burp cloths.
Have questions about this easy gauze fabric receiving blanket? Share with me in the comments below.
See more fun baby projects HERE.
Anita Napier says
I have been looking for a simple way to make these! Thanks
Helen White says
These are so practical and mightnebenntrymone for my bed. Using probably 3 pieces of gauze for adults.’
Watch toenails.
Nancy says
I just picked up some beautiful gauze today from Walmart.ca. It has little blue elephants all over it, was going to use it to make a cat seat cover-breastfeeding cover but like this blanket so much I will make that and have fabric left for a lovely burp cloth. I will be so busy tonight! Thanks for your easy instructions and beautiful projects!
Kaitlin says
What is your thread tension set to? I’ve been having problems sewing cotton gauze
sewwhatalicia says
I honestly don’t ever change my thread tension. It is set right in the middle. What foot are you using?