I didn’t have a baby shower so I haven’t been receiving many gifts (this is all by design, I’m kind of a minimalist). But, this means that there was no one to by me the Aden + Anais Jungle Jam swaddles, which I love as much as the next girl. I personally couldn’t justify spending the money on them (since we’re still growing a small business)!

Enter DIY! I was actually inspired to DIY these blankets by Say Yes to Hoboken’s star stamped swaddle blanket. I was smitten. So I set off making a bunch, so far I’ve made 5 (3 for myself, 2 for gifts) and I’ve got two more fabric pieces cut out. Here are the three I’ve kept for me!

Inspiration: Say Yes to Hoboken
Tips and tricks:

• I purchased this gauze from fabric.com. (The internet tells me muslin is a word that’s usually used outside North America, if you are in North America, look for cotton gauze). I’ve read if often goes on sale for $2/yard, but I’ve never seen it happen, if it does happen I’d stock up for sure!
• I got a giant roll and measured out 52″ segments for each blanket (since the fabric is 52″ wide). The way the fabric shrinks when I pre-washed them ended up making these more rectangular, but they are still giant and stretchy so I’m not worried. I’ll report back after the baby comes if this ends up being a bad thing.
• I used this Martha Stewart multi-surface craft paint. I’m going to heat set the paint using an iron on low on the wrong side of the fabric before washing. I’ll let you know if this doesn’t work.
• I used potato stamps for the stars (and the mountains, not pictured) and I used brussels sprouts cut in half for the dots. I freehanded the mountains, my mom helped with the star, and the brussels sprouts were just cut in half!
• I brushed the paint on with a paper towel to get somewhat consistent coverage, but the randomness is part of the appeal, I think!
• At the suggestion of my aunt, I actually finished the edges with a double hem rather than leaving the edges raw. I didn’t pin the hems before sewing, I just ironed them. With this light fabric, that was good enough! I used a 2.5mm zigzag stitch in a pretty grey colour and love the contrasting look.