6+ DIY Weighted Blanket Plans

You might have heard about weighted blankets before and wonder if they really can do all that people claim. The initial purpose of these blankets was to help children who have autism to feel relaxed and calm, but many people have started to use them in order to relieve symptoms of stress, sleep problems, and more.

They look like regular blankets that you’d cover yourself with, but they’re heavier and filled with objects such as pellets. This is what makes this product more effective; the heaviness causes a release in hormones in our bodies to make us feel calmer.

If you go online, you’ll find that they’re fairly expensive. The good news is, you certainly will be able to make one on your own. They’re one of our favorite handmade projects! Read on to find out some ideas that we’ve compiled that will help you to create your own weighted blanket to help calm you down.

6+ Free DIY Weighted Blanket Plans

1. Basic Camo Instructions

One important thing to note before you begin is you need to decide whom you’re making this product for- yourself, your child, someone else? This is because it needs to be properly measured and it needs to weigh the right amount. It’s estimated that this needs to weight approximately five percent of the user’s body weight and it needs to be the exact same size as the person’s bed so that it won’t fall off. The basic instructions on how to make one are simple, as you will find when reading the main article. It involves finding fabric with a pattern and a design you like, creating pockets with a sewing machine, and filling those pockets with whatever material you chose to purchase to serve the purpose of the blanket. It’s not that difficult, but you may want to read up on how to use a sewing machine if that isn’t your forte.

2. Simple Plaid Design

While you’re inevitably going to spend some money on purchasing supplies, the final cost is not going to be as much as it would if you simply purchased a blanket. However, an interesting idea that was presented with this particular project was that you can easily recycle any material that you have lying around the house, such as old pairs of jeans. This can be especially useful, but make sure that you read up on how to sew those kinds of things so that the final product can have an aesthetically pleasing look. You will want to measure, cut, iron, pin, and eventually sew everything together correctly. When you’re done, you will want to put the binding on and make sure that everything is the size you want it to be. And that’s it! The person who came up with this idea said that it only cost them all of $30 to make.

3. Stress-Reducing Project

For people who consistently have to deal with stress, insomnia, and other issues that will cause them to have a poor night’s sleep, it may be even more of a nightmare to be able to find something that will alleviate those symptoms. Thankfully, while these blankets do cost a lot to buy on their own, you can make one at home for less than $100. It’s a good idea for people who want something to help them sleep better because these have been proven to release hormones such as serotonin that make you calm down. The interesting thing about this person’s idea in particular is that they created 480 different pockets to be able to put the plastic pellets into. This is a good way to have the pellets distributed evenly instead of piling up in one place, causing some discomfort for the user.

4. Minimal Supplies Kitten Design Idea

Making one of these projects is not all that difficult and there aren’t too many supplies that you will need. First and foremost, you’re going to need a ruler or measuring tape in order to measure the dimensions of your blanket and bedding properly. You’ll also need a board and a cutter, as well as an iron (you’ll have to iron out the fabric and the different pieces), something to measure the length of the fabric you choose, markers, a funnel, paper rolls, clips, pins, and a sewing machine. You will also want to have whatever material you have chosen to fill your product with- this will usually be plastic pellets. These are easy to find and you can get them in large quantities. As you can see, the supplies necessary for this project are pretty easy for you to find at your local shops.

5. Polyester Lashing Plan

This is definitely a much more unique idea and features products that you might not have thought about using. You’ll be weaving pieces of polyester lashing together for this. If you aren’t aware of what polyester lashing is, it’s the special straps that companies use when shipping heavier objects. If you work in a factory or know someone who does, it will be easy for you to find these. And even if you don’t, you’ll be able to buy them in bulk. Another thing to keep in mind is that this project might be a lot more demanding than the other ones on this list because of the fact that you have to use a propane torch for melting if you don’t want the ends of the blanket to fray. In all, this is definitely an interesting way to make a weighted blanket.

6. Simple Therapy Blanket

This is a blueprint for the project that is similar to the rest. However, this article contains some important information that you will want to consider before you go on to start. For one, who are you making the blanket for and for what purpose? If it’s for someone with autism, you don’t want to use fabrics that feature bright or ostentatious colors. This is because it might cause them to feel more stressed out. Make sure that you measure everything accurately and take some time out to do this; it’s not something that can be completed in one day. Yes, you won’t need to spend the vast amount of money that you would if you got a regular one, but you still might have to spend something. Otherwise, the instructions are pretty simple and straightforward. No matter which project you choose to take on, read the instructions carefully to get the result you desire.

7. Minion Blanket

The video creator says “Have you looked into getting a weighted blanket but they are too expensive? Learn how to make your own in this weighted blanket video tutorial. It’s easy to do and you can make one for a fraction of the cost!”

More Resources

Dyeing Muslin For DIY Weighted Blankets

3rd attempt at dyeing muslin for DIY weighted blanket.. Help me, hand-dyers!! from sewing

Pattern Guide

AccuQuilt has a ton of design patterns to choose from:

Choosing The Right Color

Not sure which color to add to my weighted quilt from quilting

MyMy Team

Hi, my name’s Elena Coolidge. I’m a DIY enthusiast who loves building fun woodworking plans. These DIY plans are fun hobby projects for enthusiasts or even more advanced builders that want to build things like bunk beds, end tables or even a duck box!