A weighted blanket provides sensory stimulation for a child with special needs.
A weighted blanket can be a tool for soothing a child or adult with a sensory processing disorder, including ADD, ADHD or autism spectrum disorders. You can make your own weighted blanket in any size, customized for the person who will use it. You will need basic math and sewing skills in order to make a weighted blanket for someone you love.
Instructions
1. Cut two pieces of fabric equal in size for the front and back of your blanket. You can make your blanket any size you want, depending on whether you want it to be lap-sized or full-sized.
2. Put the front and back fabrics together with the right sides facing one another. Sew a straight seam along three of the four sides. Turn the blanket right side out and top stitch the same three sides you sewed already. Leave the fourth side open and un-seamed.
3. Divide the width of the blanket by 10. Use a fabric marking pen to draw vertical lines along the front of the blanket. Position the lines an equal distance apart by the measurement you just made so you have 10 columns on your blanket.
4. Stitch a straight seam along each line you drew in step three, making each seam go all the way from the open end of the blanket to the opposite side. This will create 10 channels in the blanket.
5. Determine the amount of weight you need for your blanket. A typical weight is one-tenth of the child's body weight plus one pound. Take the total weight in ounces and divide it by 50; this is how much you need for each section of the blanket. Call this measurement A ounces.
6. Divide the height of your blanket by five and use your fabric pen to draw horizontal lines across the blanket, making five evenly spaced rows on the blanket. This will create a sort of grid with the vertical channels you have already sewn.
7. Fill a small cup with enough weighted poly pellets to match A ounces. Pour this quantity of pellets down into each channel of the blanket. Use a funnel if necessary to get the pellets into the channel.
8. Sew a straight seam across the lowest of the horizontal rows you drew on the blanket. This will seal the first set of pellets inside the blanket, each in their own little pocket.
9. Repeat steps seven and eight to fill the rest of the sections of the blanket and sew the remaining horizontal seams. When you finish, you will have only the open edge left to sew.
10. Fold under the raw edges of the blanket toward the inside by 1/4 inch, then sew this opening closed. Your weighted blanket is ready to use.
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