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A couple weeks ago one of my sisters mentioned that she wanted a weighted blanket for her son, who has some sensory issues. Weighted blankets are pretty expensive, so I said I would look into making one. I slept on it for a couple nights, and came up with this very effective method. I was surprised at how nice the weight of this blanket felt – I definitely see how it can be soothing and comforting. My nephew adores his, and – after playing with this one before we shipped it off to my sister – my kids want me to make them one, too!
Weighted Sensory Blanket Tutorial
Materials:
- 100% Cotton fabric – enough to make whatever size blanket you want, times two.
- Poly-Pellets Weighted Stuffing Beads – Amazon is an expensive place to buy these, but the link will give you an idea of what to look for. We got ours from a highly rated eBay seller. If you can find them locally, that’s probably the most cost-effective solution – they are heavy, so shipping can get expensive quickly.
STEP 1: Stitch your fabric together on three sides:
STEP 2: Stitch vertical columns. Mine were about four inches apart.
This process is much easier if one of your fabrics has a pattern you can use as a guide; otherwise I recommend measuring out and drawing on your stitching lines with a washable marker or disappearing ink marker (you can buy these at the fabric store; the Crayola kids washable markers also work). I was having camera issues and this photo isn’t very good, but if you look closely you can see how I used the pattern as a stitching guide. You could stitch directly on the printed lines; I found it easier to line up my presser foot with them:
STEP 3: Add your poly pellets. This is what they look like – and I think it’s cool that they accidentally formed a heart-like shape.
STEP 4: Fill each column with however many pellets you want per space. I used about 1/4 cup of pellets for each roughly 4×4 inch compartment.
STEP 5: Once all of the columns have been filled, stitch across that row. Then repeat until you have filled up to the top of your blanket. I made the top row about 6 inches tall instead of 4, because that made it easier to stitch the blanket shut.
Here you can see the filled, stitched pouches. Orange is my nephew’s favorite color, and I’m showing the plain side so that you can see the stitching:
STEP 6: Finish the edges. You can bind them, but I took the easy route and serged them.
How do you help your kids calm down? I’ve written before about how sensory play helps my kids break out of grumpy moods, and you can find all sorts of sensory play ideas at my collaborative sensory activities for kids board on Pinterest.
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this sounds great, I bet my kids could use this!!!! the calming down with sensory play sounds fascinating to me !!!
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:20 am
It feels really nice – I am definitely making one (or maybe more than one) for my kids now!
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I think I might like a weighted sensory blanket for myself!
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:18 am
I was surprised at how nice it felt around my shoulders – sort of like wearing a hug!
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Oh, this goes so well with my recent post on sensory issues and homeschooling. I think I am going to go back and add a link to this post!
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:16 am
I would love for you to do that! I would love for you to link to your post in the comments here, as well!
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Phyllis at All Things Beautiful Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Here it is!
http://homeschooljournal-bergblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/homeschooling-and-sensory-processing.html?showComment=1362065198036#c3139523602344478469
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 1:43 pm
Thank you!
Now if I could find those pellets! Should check local web for that. Thank you for such detailed tutorial!
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:16 am
I am pretty sure they are made in China, so the trick is to find where they are sold locally! They are also used to fill small stuffed animals, if that is any help?
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Varya @ littleartists Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:36 am
Yes, it is possible to find. I just have to translate the words into Chinese! Stuffed animals are mainly made with synthetic stuffing. Very few that I’ve seen have pellets in them
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:38 am
If they do have pellets, it is usually only a few, for weighting purposes (for example, to help them stay in a particular position). I hope you manage to find these!
Kelly Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 1:58 pm
The pellets are sold at JoAnns, Walmart…. anyplace that sells sewing stuff. It’s used as filler for bean bags, dolls….
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Anonymous Reply:
March 9th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
If you have any plastic manufacturing companies near you (extruders, injection molers, etc) you could call them to find out if they have any. Many companies have scrap laying around.
This blanket sounds lovely!
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:15 am
I was really happy with how it turned out!
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I have occasionally thought I’d like to make one for myself, and I don’t have any sensory issues, or at least not that I’m aware of :)
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I’ve never heard of weighted blankets before, but I can see how they can be very soothing. Your nephew is lucky to have such a crafty aunt :)
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:13 am
I found the blanket soothing, and I don’t think I have any sensory issues. I was so happy when my nephew liked it as much as my sister hoped he would. :)
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I’ve never heard of weighted blankets. How cool that you were able to make one!
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:12 am
The finished blanket was really cool! It was a very satisfying project. :)
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Fascinating! I never heard of them, but I have a grandson with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and wonder if it might make him feel good. What were the dimensions of the quilt you made your nephew, and how did you figure how heavy to make it?
Thanks for the Tutorial!
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MaryAnne Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 10:11 am
The one I made for my nephew was about 34″ by 40″ (I just took a yard of fabric in two colors, and that was what I had after pre-shrinking the fabric.
For weight, I just went for a bean-bag-like weight per square, which in our case added up to a little over four pounds in the end. I think how heavy to make it will vary from individual to individual, but the quarter cup (or slightly less) of pellets for 4×4 inch square worked well for us – then how heavy the final blanket is comes down to how big you make it. I did want my nephew’s blanket to still be something he could carry around on his own – so that may be something to consider.
I don’t have any sensory issues (that I know of) and I think the blanket feels pretty neat!
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Siana Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 4:11 am
Rule of thumb is that the blanket should be about 10% of the child’s body weight.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 7:52 am
Thanks for this info!
Oh my gosh this is awesome! I remember seeing these when my kids were little, but they were kind of pricey. One of these days I am determined to learn to use my sewing machines. I mean I will have grandkids one day :)
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Wow, I have never heard of a weighted sensory blanket before. It sounds like a nice utilitarian item to have handy. Thanks for the tutorial!
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Can anyone tell me how these wash up? If my step-son has a pee accident, can the whole thing be tossed in the wash?
Sheri
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 1st, 2013 at 7:58 am
Yes! It is 100% washable!
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We love this blanket so much, and JC has been sleeping better with it. Thank you!!
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That is super cool!
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I love this idea!
This would create a non-washable version, but maybe someone might find it useful: I was looking for those pellets when I wanted to re-stuff a toy, and I couldn’t find them, so I used lentils instead. The toy went back to its “beanie baby” self and felt nice and heavy. The lentils were the cheapest thing I could find at the supermarket that would have the same feel.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 1st, 2013 at 2:58 pm
That’s a great low-cost alternative!
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I’d never heard of weighted blankets before – what a wonderful idea. I love your homemade version.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 5:02 pm
It feels really lovely – now I need to make one for my family!
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I’m not on the spectrum, but I do love to have a heavy blanket on me at night; maybe I’ll make one for me!I’m wondering what the dimensions of your nephew’s blanket are and how much the pellets cost for it, all together.
Loving Shannon’s lentil suggestion. :)
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As a quilter & grandma & great aunt of Coop w/ CP, I’m pleased to hear about this blanket and you have nudged my creativity. There is a lady that makes cherry pit bags that are heated in the micro wave and they have some weight to them. Might be an alternative to use without going out of the USA. I need to call her for her opinion. Probably not washable. Not sure about the expense as well. Thank you for the guidelines.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 1:25 pm
I would love to hear if you find another washable option! For non-washable, rice works well also – and another reader also suggested lentils.
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My son is gonna love his when I make it. He has ASD and in addition to weighted vests, etc. he also likes snuggling with things that are super soft, so I am going to make this blanket using an ultra soft “Furry” fabric on one side. Others may want to try this too because most kids with sensory issues also like the super soft and fussy like my guy. Just a suggestion.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
That’s a great idea, Carrie! Thanks for sharing!
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You are such a wonderful aunt for making this as a gift! I think a weighted blanket would be perfect for my kiddos but sadly i lack the skills to make one myself. But I have considered buying one because I want to make a sensory corner for our home for those long, hot summer days where we are stuck inside and don’t have the sensory release by spending time outdoors.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 5th, 2013 at 9:10 pm
I’m planning to make at least one for my kids – they really are wonderful
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Fantastic!
I know many children who sleep or use a weighted blanket for compression. They truly work wonders!
Try selling them!
Thank you so much for posting the directions.
Jo-Anne
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 6th, 2013 at 4:07 pm
My sister says it has made a huge difference for her son! I think I’ll make one for my family as well!
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What a wonderful, thoughtful, elegant solution!!!
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:21 pm
Thank you! I was so happy with how it turned out.
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The pellets are sold at Hobby Lobby. They are about 8 dollars a pound. I made I of these for my grandson who has autism. He normally slept with several pillows piled on top of him and then he did not sleep very long. The first time he used his blanket he slept through the night.
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I made one of these a few years ago for my son. I took one of his favorite blankets, kids w/sensory issues, textures are a BIG deal! I sewed columns on a blanket then made tubes as long as the columns were. I made sections on the tube and added rice and poly fill to keep the rice in place. Along the open side there was Velcro sewn for closure. When making weighted items make sure the weight is appropriate for age and size.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 25th, 2013 at 3:04 pm
What a great way of getting around needing poly pellets! Thanks for sharing your technique!
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Thanks for this! Is it washable? Son needs the weighted blanket but also pees out of his diaper most nights.
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MaryAnne Reply:
April 15th, 2013 at 6:09 pm
Yes! Using poly pellets makes it completely washable.
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I love the fabric you used! What is the name of it or where did you find it? My son has sensory issues and LOVES construction equipment! This would be perfect for him (plus I love that you don’t have to mark it to sew it). Thanks!
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MaryAnne Reply:
May 3rd, 2013 at 5:32 pm
I don’t remember what it is called (and don’t have the selvages any more), but I found it in the quilting section of JoAnn’s – and I think it may have been a JoAnn brand print. I picked it out because my nephew adores orange and trucks, but having the lines to sew along definitely makes this project easier!
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I just heard about these last night when a friend posted about wanting one for her son. i googled it and found your site. First of all Thank You! I’m thrilled with all your info. I called around and JoAnn’s has the beads for $6.99 for a 2lb. bag. That is the cheapest I found but, with their 40% off coupon it is only $4.20 a bag. I will be going there tomorrow to pick up beads and fabric. I’m so excited to begin. Again thank you.
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MaryAnne Reply:
May 21st, 2013 at 7:49 am
I’m so glad you found my post helpful! That’s a pretty good price that you found at JoAnn’s – good thinking to use a coupon! I hope your friend’s son likes his blanket!
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