Weighted Blanket DIY – UK Tutorial

How to make a weighted blanket DIY? In this article, I will explain step by step how to craft a weighted blanket by yourself.

Making a weighted blanket by yourself can have some advantages, especially because you will be able to personalize it and tailor it to your needs. If you are looking only to personalize the blanket design, I would suggest you simply make a removable cover by yourself.

Making just a cover DIY is easier and requires less time to look for unusual materials like the weighted glass beads, which may not be easy to find of good quality. For example, you can still buy a weighted blanket in the UK and then simply create a personalized cover for it.

This will save you a lot of time and effort, you will have a weighted blanket insert of proven quality & durability and you will also have a spare cover.

So, how to make a weighted blanket DIY?

make a weighted blanket DIY step by step 

Here’s how to make a weighted blanket DIY.

1. Get the needed materials

There are two types of fillings that are used in many weighted blankets: 

  • To increase the blanket’s weight, use beads: poly or glass.
  • Stuffing: get the inside of a pillow to cushion the weights. This could be some breathable PP cotton or other soft and puffy filler.

Note that if you use poly pellets, you may then not be able to machine wash the weighted blanket (depending on their melting temperature). Glass beads don’t have this issue.

We recommend purchasing at least one additional pound of filler because manufacturing weighted blankets can be messy, and some filler will inevitably be wasted and lost during the procedure. 

2. Cut the fabric

Here are some typical measures you may consider. To cover the person from the chin to the heels, The blanket will have to be:

  • About 58 inches long
  • About 26 inches broad

But feel free to customize your blanket size as you see fit.

To accommodate the finishing, leave just one space all the way around in the fabric.

Cut two equal-sized pieces of fabric, then cut a piece of PP cotton of the same size and put all of those on top of each other, with the PP cotton in the middle. 

3. Draw a grid using chalk

Mark the columns about 1/4 down the length of a blanket with tailor’s chalk and try to measure approximately 4 inches across orderly rows (after allowing for the one-inch margin). 

Then draw the diagonal rows (still allowing for the one-inch margin).

When you’ve completed measuring the lines, you must have a grid of four-inch squares together all way across the fabric.

These are the pockets where its pellets will be stored. 

4. Begin stitching

Still with the PP cotton in the middle, crochet the two down the sides of the bedspread straight, where the grid has been marked off.

Then, along with the height of the blanket, begin crocheting along the vertical lines you marked. There should be long rows of exposed pockets once three sides and all vertical columns have been sewn shut (as in the picture below). It’s now time to begin filling. 

Make a weighted blanket DIY - Step 4 - Begin sewing
Make a weighted Blanket DIY – Step 4

5. Add the beads to the blanket and sew the pockets

The trickier aspect is to be able to fill the blanket in a way that the weight is shared equally throughout. It’s time to put your fourth-grade math knowledge to use!

I knew we’d wind up with four-inch squares for our blanket. I also knew we’d need a blanket that weighed in at 13 pounds. To add to overall thickness, some might have additional layers of fabric. There are many different kinds, including ones for children. 

As a result, I multiplied the number of squares by the number of pounds to be distributed. If you want to be more precise, you can fold the partially stitched blanket and put it on a scale.

Then remove the blanket’s weight from the target weight of the finished product. In other words, if you can do the following calculation:

Weight per weighted blanket pocket calculation

In our example, this amounted to about 10 ounces per square. Home scales are ideal for precisely calculating the proper quantity of filler, but if you don’t have one, simply adjust pounds to ounces and measure with a spoon or measuring cup. 

Make sure that the filler drops all the way down to the bottom of the blanket after it has been spooned into the rows: you may need to shake the blanket to make sure that the filler reached the bottom.

Meanwhile, on the very first horizontal row of the grid, stitch across the blanket horizontally. This will seal up the first row of squares, securing and evenly distributing the pellets (see picture below). 

Weighted Blanket DIY - Step 5 - Sew the first row

Repeat this procedure until all of the rows are sewed closed and the blanket is made up of multiple clean squares.

That’s it, you’ve completed your DIY weighted blanket! 

Conclusion: 

Constructing a DIY weighted blanket might be a terrific opportunity to enjoy the several advantages of Deep Touch Pressure without busting the budget.

Here’s a summary of my weighted blanket DIY UK tutorial:

  1. Get the needed materials
  2. Cut the fabric
  3. Draw a grid using chalk
  4. Begin stitching
  5. Add the beads to the blanket and sew the pockets

Just remember to choose the best materials for your preferences and needs, follow our step-by-step guide and then wrap yourself in your new custom weighted blanket DIY