Fidget Blankets

I was asked to make two fidget blankets for boys with autism. I had never heard of fidget blankets before, but a little research on Pinterest showed me there are lots of options for things to include. And off I went!

The blankets are 12" x 18", which seemed to me like it would be a good size to include a few activities without getting so big it would become hard for the boys to hold or carry around. I also decided to have them roll up and close with a button and loop (well, actually, it's a hair elastic 😊).

I used fun prints for the outide, rockets for one and planes for the other. I used solids for the inside. With all the different pieces and parts, I felt like prints would have made it feel chaotic. I layered the front and back together with batting and stitched, then turned them and stitched around the edge again. I didn't want a binding because I wanted to use the elastic to hold it closed.

The two blankets have the same activities inside. Here's what I included:

These ribbons are for weaving. The green ribbon is sewn in place at both ends. The white one is only sewn in on the left and I hot glued a button to the loose end to make it easier to hold. I sewed the ribbons to a square of the background fabric, then folded the edges back and stitched it down on the background.

A zipper and a clip. I don't know what the clip is called, which made it really fun when I went to the hardware store to buy it. You try describing that to someone! I used a thicker ribbon to hold the clips. This is why I always save the ribbons that are wrapped around things. Sometimes I think I'm crazy for holding on to this sort of random stuff, but then I work on something different and find exactly what I need in my stash 😊

I found these eyelet tabs at the hardware store too. They saved me from having to make something to hold the shoelace.

That black clip is called a parachute clip, which I didn't know until I found them at Wal-Mart.

A button panel. This was the first time I used the automatic buttonhole maker that came with my sewing machine and it worked like a charm.

 And if you're going to undo a button, there should be a fun little surprise under it, right? I cut a small piece from the outer fabric and appliqued it under the button panel.

 A little pocket with a bit of velcro. Again, if there's a pocket, it seemed like there should be something in it. I made a tiny quilt with a star in the middle, then attached it to the pocket with another ribbon so it won't get lost.

 And last, but not least, a button on (yet another) ribbon. This one slides back and forth.

The fidget blankets were fun to make. I enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to attach things that wouldn't normally go on a quilt, and getting the chance to dig through my buttons and ribbons. Now I feel perfectly justified in keeping those random bits that feel too good to throw away 😊

I hope the boys enjoy their Christmas presents!