Easy DIY Picnic Blanket

Are you ready for a fun and easy DIY project? Today we're making a picnic blanket that you can roll up and carry with you. The blanket is secured with hook-and-loop tape, and the webbing handle makes it easy to carry. With just eight items — plus a sewing machine — you can make this picnic blanket in an afternoon. Enjoy your time outdoors with a custom picnic blanket made from quality materials. Let's get started.

You've got a lot of choices for your picnic blanket fabric. We used Solarium^® for our blanket. Solarium is an outdoor polyester printed fabric. It comes in bold, bright patterns and is an economical choice for outdoor cushion and décor projects. With fun and colorful patterns in stripes, geometrics, tropical scenes and more, you're sure to find a Solarium fabric perfect for your picnic blanket.

Once you order your materials and supplies, you'll be ready to make your picnic blanket. Everything you need to make this fun DIY project can be found right here at Sailrite^®. Below the materials list you'll find written instructions with a step-by-step photo tutorial.

Materials List:

• 2 yards of Solarium Outdoor Fabric in color of choice (for bottom layer)
• 2 yards of Solarium Outdoor Fabric in color of choice (for top layer)
• 2 scrap pieces of hook-and-loop tape for blanket closure
• 1 foot of Heavy Duty Cotton Webbing in color of choice
• UV Bonded Polyester Thread in color of choice
• Fabric scissors
• Fabric clips or sewing pins
• Measuring tool
• Sewing machine

How to Make a Picnic Blanket

1. Lay both fabrics on top of each other with right sides (patterned sides) facing and cut a 54-inch square. Pin or clip the fabric edges so the layers do not move.

2. Sew the perimeter of the blanket with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Leave a 5-inch opening in the center of one of the blanket sides for the webbing handle. Reverse at the beginning and end to lock your stitches in place.

3. Flip the picnic blanket right side out so the patterned fabrics are showing.

4. Measure and cut two 2-1/2-inch by 18-inch strips of fabric, one from each pattern.

5. Sew the loop side of the hook-and-loop tape to one of the fabric strips 1/2 inch from the top of the strip. Sew the hook side of the tape to the other fabric strip 2 inches from the bottom of the strip.

6. Lay both fabric strips with right sides facing each other and clip or pin the layers together. Sew the perimeter of the strip with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, leaving one short end unsewn to turn the strip right side out. Reverse sew at the beginning and end to lock your stitches in place.

7. Flip the fabric strip right side out. Tuck the unsewn ends in, creating a hem, and topstitch around the perimeter of the strip.

8. Cut an 8-inch strip of webbing. Clip or pin the two ends inside the unsewn blanket opening to create the webbing handle.

9. Pin the fabric strip centered inside the webbing handle with the top and bottom side of the strip matching the picnic blanket fabrics.

10. Topstitch the perimeter of the picnic blanket, sewing closed the opening where the webbing handle and fabric strip were pinned.

11. Enjoy a picnic at the park with your new roll-up picnic blanket!

We hope you enjoyed this picnic blanket DIY tutorial. Post photos of your picnic blankets on social using #Sailrite so we can see what you're making. Happy sewing!