Oh my goodness. Such a huge help! Thank you for taking the time to write down the instructions. I do not sew either, so velcro sounds great. Someone advised against sand...saying its harmful to breathe in. Is that true? Kids play in sand all day long...but i suppose sleeping with sand in a blanket every night causes much more exposure. Thank you for all your help!!!!! My 4 yr old son is not diagnosed with anything, but he has mild sensory issues. If a tiny drop of water gets on him he hates it and has to change all his clothes, tags on clothes, denim pants, etc. He is completely "normal" other than those sensory issues. I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier...he only slept when swaddled as a baby. Thanks so much!!!
Oct 15, 2011 Rating
saved $ by: Anonymous
thanks for the good idea. helped us a lot and saves money when you have some of the materials around home. thanks again!
Oct 03, 2011 Rating
cost? by: Anonymous
Thank you for this site! How much would you say it costs to make a child size blanket?
Apr 05, 2011 Rating
Use poly pellets for your blanket by: Kathleen
Hi, I'm a big supporter of the use of weighted blankets for so many reasons. It's great to see people figuring out how to make their own blankets.
I have a recommendation however. If you use poly pellets for weight you will have a washable blanket and can skip the necessity of putting the material for weighting in zip lock bags. You don't need to buy velcro (which is expensive) because you won't need to remove the weight when you need to clean it.
I sell the poly pellets at a bulk rate on my site: www.craftpellets.com. This will be much less expensive than most other places. They are made in the USA and are FDA certified to be free of any hazardous chemicals. Check it out. I think you'll be pleased with the results.
Jan 23, 2011 Rating
never use sand by: shirley
Never use sand in your weighted blankets. Sand contains silica and is very harmful when breathed in. Use only pellets or a cotton battings as these are breathable.
I made mine with cotton for the top and a snuggles fabric for the back along with 2 or 3 layers of batting. The snuggles fabric is similar to the minkie but more manageable as it slides less. The soft touch is so calming to these little people.
Jan 19, 2011 Rating
Many thanks by: Evolvingmom
I've been wanting to try this but haven't felt confident enough to start. Now I know just what I'll need and how to engineer it. THANKS for taking the time to share this post and for helping other families who want to do all they can for their ASD kids/family members.
Apr 05, 2010 Rating
Be Careful on Pellets You Use by: Anonymous
Be careful on the pellets you buy, some are recycled from things like old milk jugs and car batteries. We found that out the hard way. Make sure they have a high heat degree rating so they don't melt and are new and not recycled. After we made a blanket that turned out to be a disaster after we washed it, we bought one from DreamCatchers in Montana. It was the best thing we ever did for our daughter.
Apr 01, 2010 Rating
Great online tutorial by: Bob
There's a great tutorial on making a weighted blanket over at craft nectar http://craftnectar.com/2009/09/03/calming-the-senses-with-weighted-blankets
Mar 23, 2010 Rating
Donna by: Anonymous
Jean, Finally someone with some great advice. I have been discouraged by the cost of a weighted blanket. I can't wait to make one for my son. Good old common sense doesn't have to cost a fortune. Thank you so much for sharing. It is very much appreciated.
Mar 18, 2010 Rating
Craft Pellets to Make your Weighted Blanket Washable. by: Anonymous
With other forms of filling, your weighted blanket may not be machine wash dry. Use craft pellets, which are cheap at www.craftpellets.com which will make your blanket machine wash and dry.
Jan 30, 2010 Rating
Took your advise, blanket turned out GREAT! by: Tracy S
My husband and I have been so discouraged about the costs of weighted blankets - then I came across Jean's advise on making our own blanket. We used a down-alternative blanket we already had, used ziploc freezer bags filled with salt and iron-on Velcro strips. Aside from going to the store for the Velcro ($14) and salt ($3) it only took my husband and I about an hour and a half to make the blanket. Our 5-year-old Christopher loves it! Now I'm going to look for something smaller to make a weighted lap blanket for him for school. Thanks so much for sharing your idea!
Apr 29, 2009 Rating
Weighted Blanket Pattern by: Anonymous
Sand seems to be a terrible thing to weight a blanket with from what I've read. I want to wash my blanket and have found through research that the best weighted blankets are made with multiple fabrics and weighted with high grade poly pellets. I would make one if I thought it would be cost effective, but after researching will leave it to the experts.
Nov 18, 2008 Rating
Great! by: Anonymous
Thank you!!! This is so simple, easy and I love that it is washable.
I made my son a blanket several years ago. Unfortunately it was devoured by RATS!! I made the mistake of filling it with corn feed. I will make him a new one for the holidays using your idea...and of course..SAND!
