DIY Hand Stamped Muslin Baby Blanket

 

I'm in love with the look and feel of muslin fabric and I think it is the perfect material to wrap those babies in, especially during these warm summer months.

 

I've seen them all over etsy and pinterest and looking into to buying some, I realized that I can make my own at much lower cost.

 

This project is SO SIMPLE! You can whip a few of these out in no time! I made two to start with and I plan to make more. I love fun and easy projects that give quick results.

 

Here is what you need:

 

• Flat surface (I used my kitchen table)
• Poster Board (x2)  or something to put under the fabric because the ink from the stamp will bleed through.
• Scissors
• Stamp
• Fabric Paint
• Paint Brush
• Paper Plate (not pictured)
• Muslin Fabric ( I bought mine for 50% off at Joann's)

I thought the fabric was kind of stiff so I did pre wash it. It will soften up each time you wash it, especially if you use fabric softener. I don't use fabric softener, I use white vinegar in my rinse cycle instead. That will help soften it too. You could maybe even soak the fabric in a white vinegar water bath for a bit to soften it quicker if you'd like. I get too impatient for that stuff though. Once I have the fabric for a project I'm doing, I can barley get it prewashed before I'm ready to dive in. And sometimes I don't even do that.

 





 

I bought two yards of fabric so I jut cut it in half.

 

Here's a tip if you aren't used to buying fabric. Don't get it cut in the store if you have to use a coupon. You'll notice on the coupon it will say something like "50% off one cut of fabric" So if you are getting more than one yard and you want to get the discount on all of it, just plan to cut it yourself.

 

I placed my posterboard on the table and just laid the fabric right over it.

 

Then I tested my stamp by brushing some paint over it and stamping my paper plate. Don't dip the stamp in the paint. Brush it on.

 

Then just start stamping! I just kind of filled the blanket in as I went.

 

 

I really like the peacock feather, even though the stamp didn't show up as clear as I would have liked. I think it just adds more character. But I also wanted to do one with a tree and couldn't find a stamp that I liked and was willing to pay for (stamps can get expensive!) so I made my own using a sweet potato and some crafting skills that I learned in Girl Scouts.

 

 

Once the paint was dry I just simply folded the edge over about 1/2in and ironed around it and then sewed it down with a zigzag stitch. I di not take photos of this, but I think you can figure that step out *wink.

 

Some things to note about this project:

 

It is ridiculously easy and so hard to mess up

 

The fabric is awesome in that you don't have to iron it.

 

1 yard of fabric makes blanket that is plenty big enough to wrap up your nundle of joy. I'm a big fan of extra large recieving blankets and this one fits the bill for that.

The paint faded just a little after I washed it in the end, but again, I think it makes it look better.

Next time I might get some fabric dye and fun with that!

Good luck! If you make your own, please share your picture with me!