Sponsored: DIY Elastic Banded Receiving Blanket

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This post is sponsored by Lily Jade. Their bags are fabulously fashionable and oh-so-amazingly practical. With their one-of-a-kind inserts, there’s a pocket for every on-the-go-essential and they’re a breeze to launder.

The top-notch leather construction will have you looking polished while still being prepared for just about every baby contingency!

Connect with Lily Jade on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

I feel like we’ve been out of the little baby phase for so long, I’ve had to re-learn how to pack a bag to leave the house!

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Spare outfit, food, snacks, toys diapers, wipes. And now it’s like I have to pack for two babies. Felix will be in diapers for the next foreseeable future, so double the wipes and diapers.

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With winter in full-swing around our house, I’m finding that I need to pack extra warm goodies. There have been a couple of times that we’ve left the house to find that Penelope and/or Felix underdressed for the weather. In one case we had an extra blanket in the car for Penelope. The other, I gave her my extra layers. There’s nothing I won’t do for my kids. I’m a-okay with shivering if I know my kids are toasty warm. But it’s not ideal with how windy and cold it’s been.

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This gave me an idea. Instead of packing multiple outfits (one for each kid), I’ll just pack a onesie and an extra blanket. ‘ve made a blanket that rolls into itself quite small, but it’s large enough to wrap a nearly-7-year-old that’s crazy enough to forget a coat before leaving the house.

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I made this blanket with flannel on one side and a soft vintage shirting on the other. The shirting has a fairly tight weave and the flannel is warm. The two together cut out quite a bit of wind, providing for a surprisingly warm layer that isn’t ridiculously bulky.

And with the added elastic, it doesn’t unravel in my purse. It stays small.

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The size of the blanket makes it perfect for a tight swaddle. I can wrap her twice so her arms and legs can’t get out. On Friday, we went to see lights at a local shipping center. I wore her in a wrap, but to keep her extra warm (since I couldn’t zip up my jacket at that point), I wrapped the blanket around her and me, tying it in the back. She kept toasty warm during the below-freezing temperatures.

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I have to say, using this purse has been amazing. It’s got something like 20+ pockets in various sizes so everything has a space and it doesn’t get jostled around. I keep thinking, this would also double for the perfect weekender bag.

The leather is incredible, the interior insert is washable! My purses’ interiors tend to get so hashed, it’s great to be able to take it out and clean it up. The multiple handles provide great variety so I can sling it cross my body or just on a shoulder.

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So back to the blanket. It’s ridiculously easy to make, just requires a few simple things. Let’s get started, shall we?

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SUPPLIES

  • 1.5 yards of top fabric
  • 1.5 yards of back fabric
  • 15 inches of elastic (1 inch wide)
  • ruler
  • scissors
  • seam ripper
  • pins
  • sewing machine
  • matching thread

Click through for the full instructions!

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Pin fabric right sides together, trimming off excess fabric so you get a uniform rectangle. I don’t worry about getting a perfectly straight rectangle, since it’s just going to be a blanket.

Stitch around the perimeter of the yardage, leaving about a 6 inch opening at one end. Turn right sides out.

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Poke out the corners and iron around the perimeter. Topstitch the edge of the blanket. I use a 1/8 inch seam allowance.

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Gather elastic and fold edges under and sew along the raw edge. This will give the edge a nice look when you wrap the blanket.

Now sew the elastic to the blanket. I used a tight 2.5 stitch to attach the elastic to the bottom right corner, aligning the elastic parallel to the longest edge of the blanket.

Now you’re finished! To fold the blanket up:

  1. Fold the blanket in half (hot dog style)
  2. Fold the blanket in thirds (hot dog style again)
  3. Roll the blanket up, starting with the far end and the elastic at the opposite end and facing down.
  4. Fold elastic pieces over the roll.

Enjoy! I hope you get as much use out of this as I have!

This post is sponsored, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

This tutorial/freebie is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. If you would like to use this tutorial for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!
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  1. Gaayle says:

    I have made baby blankets but never thought to do this. Clever idea! Where did you get the purse? I think it would be great for a lot of moms!

  2. gloria says:

    Dear Melissa: What a brilliant idea to have a warm, beautiful blanket available to keep your babies out of the elements. I have made one copy for my personal use. Thank you for sharing. Gloria Plaisance

  3. Gail says:

    I’m going to make this today! I know someone who has a new baby that would use this. Love the idea! THanks

  4. Dee says:

    Thanks for sharimg…love it

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