Giving a baby blanket to a new little one in your life expresses how much you want the precious new baby to feel loved, safe, and warm! Handmade baby blankets knitted, crocheted, quilted, or sewn send an especially sweet message to a new family. If you plan to make a handmade baby blanket, you will need to know the standard baby blanket sizes and dimensions.
Baby blankets have an average size of 34 X 46 inches, but this varies depending on the kind of blanket and the type of material used. Popular kinds of baby blankets include loveys, receiving blankets, and stroller covers. These soft, small blankets often contain organic cotton, knitted or crocheted wool, or fuzzy flannel.
In this article, you will learn the standard size for each popular type of baby blanket. You will also discover safety tips for the kind of materials used. Finally, you will find practical advice on how to make a baby blanket.
What is a Baby Blanket?
A baby blanket is any small, soft blanket designed to keep a baby safe and warm. Baby blankets come in many shapes and sizes because newborn babies grow so fast!
Though sizes vary depending on the baby’s age, most baby blankets contain soft material suitable for sensitive newborn skin. This includes organic cotton, lightweight flannel, and soft wool.
Baby blankets also have many different uses. Some cover baby car seats, keeping a little one snug and safe during cold winter drives. Others act more as a security toy, giving the baby something to cling onto even in warm weather.
That said, the American Association of Pediatrics does recommend that babies should not have soft material like blankets near them as they sleep until they are at least one year old. This helps prevent any accidents that can happen when a baby rolls over in its sleep.
You should also choose baby blanket material carefully as a safety precaution. Babies have super-sensitive skin that can easily suffer abrasions when exposed to rough or scratchy material. Whenever possible, you should also try to avoid any material that could cause an allergic reaction, such as polyester.
Of course, you can find thousands of pretty baby blankets to buy ready-made! However, if you want to send a special message to a family expecting a new baby, you may want to consider making a baby blanket as a gift.
Baby blankets are a very popular baby shower or welcome home gift for new mothers and their babies. You can make a soft, pretty blanket by quilting, sewing, knitting, or crocheting!
What is the Average Baby Blanket Size?
Many baby blankets come in an average size of 34 X 46 inches, but this varies a lot depending on the size of the baby and the intended use of the blanket. You can find several popular types of baby blankets like swaddle blankets and security blankets, and each has its standard size. In this section, you will find information about the average baby blanket sizes for each of the most popular types of blankets.
Alternatively, you can base the size of a blanket on the baby’s measurements. This method allows you to match blanket sizes to the individual growth of the baby. Keep in mind that a newborn baby on average measures about 20 inches long, while the average one-year-old measures 29 inches in length!
Of course, individual babies may grow more or less quickly than the average, but you do want to note the baby’s age to make sure your blanket will be big enough!
1. Swaddle Blanket
Swaddle blankets come in fairly large sizes, usually 48 X 48 inches or 40 inches square. These blankets typically contain a lightweight muslin, often printed with cute flowers, bees, or hearts.
A swaddle blanket allows a parent to lightly wrap a crying baby to give the infant a sense of security and help them sleep without arms reflexively flailing around. Parents often save these useful blankets and use them for floor mats when older babies need tummy time or burp cloths.
It’s also important that a swaddle blanket have a breathable, open weave texture. An infant could easily become overheated if swaddled in a thick or closely woven blanket that didn’t allow airflow. Swaddling works best with a thin, light swaddle blanket to snuggly wrap around the baby.
2. Receiving Blanket
Receiving blankets typically come slightly smaller than swaddling blankets, often as a 36 X 36-inch square or a very small 18 X 18-inch square. This important blanket gets its name because it quite literally “receives” a brand new infant! A receiving blanket serves as the first protective covering wrapped around a brand-new infant in a hospital.
Many new mothers save this special receiving blanket as a keepsake long after bringing their infant home from the hospital.
A receiving blanket also makes very popular gifts, as they typically come in colorful packs of 2-4 blankets intended for many different uses in the home nursery.
Some parents use the handy, lightweight receiving blanket for swaddling while their newborn baby remains small enough to fit in them. Later on, these small blankets can easily fit in a diaper bag for use as an impromptu changing mat, a burp rag, or even a nursing cover! They typically feature absorbent, lightweight flannel cotton.
3. Preemie Blanket
Preemie blankets bring color and warmth to tiny, prematurely born infants in the NICU at hospitals all around the world. Because these precious little ones can weigh as little as 1 lb, these special blankets need an equally small size. Most preemie blankets measure 18 X 24 inches or 24 X 24 inches square.
If you plan to knit or crochet a blanket for a preemie, make sure you use a hospital-approved type of yarn. You will also need a pattern that does not have lacy holes in it, as tiny preemie fingers could get stuck in that kind of design!
These small blankets almost always feature cheerful pastel colors. They serve to brighten up the clinical atmosphere of the hospital, encouraging parents while also protecting the babies.
4. Baby Quilt
Baby quilts come in a wide range of sizes, though the average lies somewhere around 36 inches square to as large as 45 X 60 inches. Quilt sizes can vary quite a bit depending on the intended use of the quilt, though. A baby quilt usually features quilted cotton in fun designs with a bound edging to keep it sturdy through many washes.
You sometimes see baby quilts made out of whole cloth, often featuring a fun, printed flannel. A handmade baby quilt usually contains piecework of fun cotton prints or even keepsake materials such as scraps of clothing from the mother’s childhood.
Baby quilts have many uses, including playtime on the floor or snuggling with a grown-up. Most of the time, they should not be used in a crib or bassinet, though! These blankets tend to have a heavier weight than many baby blankets, meaning that they could pose a suffocation hazard while a baby sleeps.5. Crib Blanket
Once a baby reaches its first birthday, you can safely allow a blanket in the crib. Crib blankets often come in a large enough size to cover the average crib mattress. You typically find these lightweight, soft blankets measuring 40 X 60 inches.
As a point of reference, American crib mattresses have a required size of 53 X 28 inches, though the thickness of the mattress can differ. Babies often use cribs for the first two years of their lives, as the protective walls keep them from rolling onto the floor during the night!
Cotton flannel or loosely woven muslin make great lightweight, breathable, absorbent crib blankets. A quilt or coverlet in the appropriate rectangular size also makes a popular kind of crib blanket. As a word of caution, though, you should avoid any buttons, loose ribbons, or tassels, or large holes in these blankets.
6. Stroller Blanket
Stroller blanket drape over the front of the stroller to keep your little one warm as you walk around in cold weather! These blankets have a fairly standard size of 30 X 40 inches. They typically come with velcro straps to help attach them to the stroller handle, as well.
Of course, you can wrap any blanket over your stroller in a hurry! But many larger blankets can get stuck in the stroller’s wheels, so parents often choose to go with a specially designed stroller blanket for safety.
Because these blankets serve as more of an insulator and windbreak than a sleep aid for babies, you often find them in double-layered, plush fabrics such as fleece or faux mink. You can also find lightweight summer-appropriate stroller blankets in cotton flannel or muslin.
7. Car Seat Cover
Car seat covers fit snuggle over the raised handle of most infant car seats. These blankets keep your little one warm, but they also provide a key safety measure. Most of the time, you will find these blankets in a size of 30 X 60 inches, though they also come with special straps to hold them in a tent-like shape on the seat handle.
Most pediatricians recommend not padding your baby in a bulky coat or snow seat while driving because this prevents the car seat straps from fitting snuggly. Instead, stash the coat in your diaper bag for later and cover the car seat with a thick, plush blanket specially designed to seal in warmth as you travel!
You can use many different kinds of material for this special blanket. In the winter, insulating fabric such as fleece works well. In warmer months, lightweight, breathable fabric will keep your baby more comfortable!
8. Security Blanket
Security blankets give a baby something familiar and comforting to hold onto. This security measure helps babies as they begin to experience separation anxiety around the age of 7 months, though your little one may want to keep the blanket well into toddlerhood! As they get older, some babies will personify their “blankie” by giving it a name!
A security blanket could come in any shape or size, but you often find these in a very small 12 X 14 inches shape, perfect for small hands to hold onto. If you plan to make a security blanket, remember to use soft, cozy material.
9. Lovey
A “lovey” serves a similar purpose to a security blanket, and it also often comes in a small 12-inch square or a 12 inch by 14-inch size. The main difference is that a lovey often has a small plush toy attached to it.
You can knit, crochet, or sew a lovey with any kind of cute animal, flower, or figure attached. You can also buy loveys that have popular TV show figures made in plush or beloved childhood story figures such as Winnie the Pooh or Minnie Mouse.
Though babies six months old and up often adore their loveys, you shouldn’t allow a baby to sleep with this plush toy until the child reaches its first birthday for safety reasons.
10. Toddler Blanket
Toddler blankets have a flexible sizing because they cover the in-between stage while your child still sleeps in a crib but has outgrown a regular crib blanket. They typically fall somewhere between the average crib blanket measurements of 40 X 60 inches and the average twin bed size of 66 X 90 inches.
You can find toddler blankets in a wide variety of materials as well. Quilts, coverlets, and fleece blankets work great in cold weather. Breathable cotton or muslin offer comfort without too much warmth during the summer.
Baby Blanket Size Chart
If you need a quick overview of all those blanket sizes, check out this handy chart!
| Average Size | Type of Material | |
|---|---|---|
| Swaddle Blanket | 40 inches square or 48 inches square | Breathable muslin |
| Receiving Blanket | 18 inches square to 36 inches square | Absorbent, washable cotton flannel |
| Preemie Blanket | 18 X 24 inches or 24 inches square | Yarn, cotton flannel, or muslin |
| Baby Quilt | Size varies: usually around 30 inches square, or 40 X 60 for a crib quilt | Quilting cotton or cotton flannel |
| Crib Blanket | 40 X 60 inches | Material varies: flannel, musin, quilted cotton, plush fleece or mink |
| Stroller Blanket | 30 X 40 inches | Usually an insulating fabric for warmth |
| Car Seat Cover | 30 X 60 inches | Usually an insulating fabric for warmth |
| Security Blanket | 12 X 14 inches | Any soft, cozy material |
| Lovey | 12 X 14 with attached plush toy | Any soft, cozy material |
| Toddler Blanket | Size varies, but is usually smaller than the twin bed size of 66 X 90 inches | Material varies: flannel, musin, quilted cotton, plush fleece or mink |
Crochet Baby Blanket Size
You can crochet several different types of baby blankets quite easily, including preemie blankets and security blankets. To get the correct size for each kind of blanket, make sure you check the gauge for the crochet pattern you choose. This will help you keep the blanket to the correct size.
You will also want to use a special yarn designed for babies. Most craft stores sell brands such as Bernat Softee or Mandala Baby.
Because most baby blankets have a small size, you can easily crochet them in just a few hours, especially if you select a simple design!
While fancy stitches may look elegant, a simple design such as single and double chaining creates a fairly solid texture that is safer for a baby than a lacy, swirling pattern that could catch small fingers or toes.
Some easy baby blanket crochet patterns you may want to try include corner-to-corner, chevron, and granny square designs. You can use any size of yarn and crochet hook to make a simple design like this, but you do want to make sure you match your stitch size to the pattern’s gauge.
Quilted Baby Blanket Dimensions
While baby quilt sizes vary a lot, the most common size for a baby quilt is a 36 inch square to as large as a 52-inch square. That said, newborn quilts often measure at only 30 X 30 inch square, and crib quilts often come in a 30 X 40-inch rectangle.
Quilted baby blanket dimensions can vary, depending on if you intend the quilt for use as a lap blanket, a floor mat, a crib coverlet, or even a toddler bed cover. Most baby quilts come in a square and have a pretty bound edge made of satin or cotton edging.
If you plan to make a simple square quilt using quilting squares, you can easily use forty-five five-inch squares pieced together! You can also make a whole-cloth quilt out of two or more layers of flannel top-stitched together.
Knitted Baby Blanket Size
Knitted baby blanket sizes typically follow commercial blanket sizes pretty closely, but a handmade lovey or security blanket does not have to have an exact measurement! That said, many hospitals do have strict requirements on sizing for donated preemie blankets, and if you plan to knit a stroller cover, you will need to make sure your blanket fits the stroller!
Keep in mind that the weight of yarn you use could impact the size of the finished blanket. The kind of stitch you use could also create a bigger or smaller blanket, though the knitting pattern you select should provide a gauge to help you keep the blanket at the right finished size.
In general, you should only need one to four skeins of yarn to make a baby blanket. Of course, this varies a lot depending on what type of baby blanket you want to knit! A tiny 12-inch square security blanket will only need a small amount of yarn, while a crib blanket will require more time and a lot more yarn to complete.
Just like with a crocheted baby blanket, you should also remember to choose a simple, solid pattern. Avoid anything with lots of lacy holes in it! And, of course, make sure you select a soft, comfy yarn suited to sensitive baby skin!
Size of Baby Blanket for Crib
Baby blankets for a crib come in a rectangular shape to fit the design of the standard baby’s crib, and these blankets usually measure 40 X 60 inches or 36 X 52 inches. Crib blankets have a fairly standardized size because most cribs come in standard size! That said, if you have the option, you should always measure the baby’s crib to make sure you get a blanket that fits it.
If you want a crib blanket that fits a smaller baby but doesn’t cover the whole mattress, you can also find a fairly common sizing of 30 X 40 inches. The key thing to keep in mind with crib blankets is that you don’t want an overlarge rectangle that doesn’t easily fit inside the crib.
Baby blankets for a crib come in many designs and types of material. These range from minky, plush throws to cotton quilts.
Round Baby Blanket Size
Round baby blankets typically measure about 40 inches in diameter, though this can vary depending on the knitting, crocheting, or quilting pattern you choose. Naturally, if you plan to crochet a round lovey or security blanket, you will want to follow the more common 10 X 10 or 12 X 12-inch size for that type of baby blanket.
You don’t see round baby blankets as often, but these cute circles can add a touch of whimsy to your baby’s nursery!
Round blankets will not work as well for swaddling, but they make perfect floor mats for tummy time and can also make cute loveys! Plus, of course, they look cool when draped as a throw on a nursery rocking chair or in the crib.What Is the Best Size for a Baby Blanket?
The best size for a baby blanket depends on the type of blanket, its intended use, and on the size of the baby, but the most common size is around 34 X 60 inches or 30 inches square.
That said, the best size for your baby may be a preemie blanket in a much smaller size or a swaddling blanket in a lightweight, breathable square measuring 40 X 40 inches.
You will want to consider the baby’s age before making or buying a blanket, too. A one-year-old baby will be much bigger than a baby at two months of age, or even six months of age!
You can also check out the size chart earlier in this article to find out the most common measurement for each type of baby blanket.
How to Make an Easy Flannel Baby Blanket
If you’re new to making baby blankets, why not start with this easy flannel blanket?
To start, you will want to purchase about 2 yards of fun, velvety cotton flannel. If you want a contrasting front and back of the blanket, buy one yard each in your contrasting designs. You can find a good selection of baby-print flannels perfect for the nursery at most sewing stores, or you can browse online at Etsy or Amazon!
You don’t even need a pattern for this simple type of blanket! To make the blanket, just follow these steps:
- Cut out two squares of fabric, one square three inches bigger than the other. If you bought two yards of fabric, you can easily cut one square 36 X 36″ and the other 33 X 33 inches. For the best results, use sewing scissors to get a nice, crisp cut.
- Next, spread out the larger square flat on the floor or a large table. Put the right side (the side with the pretty design) facing down.
- Arrange the smaller square on top of the larger square, nicely centered. Place this square with the right side facing up. You should have a 1 1/2 inch strip of the larger square all the way around the smaller square at this point.
- Insert a few sewing pins to keep the squares together.
- Next, use an iron on its lowest heat setting to press the cut edge of the larger square inward by half an inch. Then fold over this folded edge so that it overlaps the cut edge of the smaller square. This larger fold should measure just over one inch.
- If you want to get fancy, you can use a mitered corner as you fold. If not, you can just overlap the folded edges at the corners!
- Press the large, folded edge into place. Then use pins to hold it down.
- Stitch along the inner edge of the fold, as close to where the big and small circles intersect as possible.
This simple blanket stays nice and warm because of the double layer of flannel, but it also remains quite breathable because it doesn’t need any batting! Plus, it only takes a few minutes to cut out and sew this basic baby blanket.
Conclusion
Baby blankets come in a wide range of sizes, depending on the kind of blanket. Some popular types of baby blankets include stroller covers, crib blankets, loveys, swaddle blankets, and receiving blankets.
Baby blankets make excellent DIY presents because you can make them quickly and they mean so much to the recipient! Baby blankets should always contain safe, soft materials such as cotton flannel or muslin. If you plan to knit or crochet a blanket as a special gift, make sure you select a simple design that has a solid texture without any lacey holes.
Have you ever made a baby blanket? What kind of material did you use? Leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out!