Hand Stamped Gauze Swaddle Blankets Tutorial {Nursery Notes}

One of my favorite baby gifts I received when I was pregnant with Kesler was Aiden and Anais swaddle blankets. They are HUGE, soft, wrap well and perfect for swaddling. What I don’t love about them is the price- although they are probably worth it! I knew I wanted more of them for this baby, especially since he will be born in the summer so I went looking to make my own.

I found out these muslin blankets aren’t even muslin- they are made of cotton gauze. I found a variety of colors here and ordered free color samples. I decided on mainly neutral colors because I wanted them to match the nursery.

Once the fabric arrived I washed it and laid it out. Each color was a slightly different width but each was between 36-40 inches. I squared the fabric up to create the largest square blankets that the width would allow.

I bought some fabric paint at Michael’s in gold, black and white. I’ve used potato stamps before and I decided to use them again. They are just so easy to carve and I always have potatoes on hand! I did underestimate how much paint it would take. First I bought just one ounce bottles of paint and this is as far as one ounce of gold paint got me. Not even one whole blanket.

After I finished stamping them I threw them in the dryer for 15 minutes each on high heat to set the paint. Then I needed to finish the edges. On the white blankets I used a serger to create a rolled edge. They turned out perfectly. With the tan and the green (not shown) I had to roll and hem the edges with my sewing machine.

I love how they turned out! They are the perfect size and I really enjoyed being able to personalize them. They could be softer, but they will soften up the more they are washed. Go ahead and give them a try- they are a great baby gift for a great price!