In today’s Sewing Basics post, I’m sharing how to sew a crinkle blanket for cats. This is a beginner-friendly, patchwork sewing project that you can make in an afternoon. This textured crinkle blanket will provide hours of enrichment and fun to your cat — or, for an infant!
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. This post is sponsored by Baby Lock and I’m a Baby Lock Brand Ambassador. This post is part of our ongoing collaboration but all opinions and words are my own. Additional supplies were provided by Oliso and Sewing by Sarah.
Longtime readers know that I love cats. I currently live with two black cat brothers we rescued 10+ years ago. My kitties love texture and sound and crinkle toys — and handmade gifts — so I decided my next project would be a textured crinkle blanket for cats!
As you can tell from the photos, my cat is in love with this blanket! When I am ready to play with him, I scrunch the crinkle side and he comes running right away. He will stomp and “hit” the crinkle, or I can put a toy on it and he will roll around on the crinkle. I left one side of the blanket without crinkle material so he can take a nap after playing undisturbed.
This project is beginner friendly and you only need basic sewing skills to make it. If you’re a more advanced sewist, you can take it to the next level by using a more complex patchwork pattern or adding embroidery. If you use a variety of fabrics, as I did, you’ll need to pin A LOT. That’s because the different fabrics behave differently and without a lot of pins, the fabrics will shift around as you sew.
If you make your own Crinkle Blanket, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Bluesky as @UndergroundCrafter, Facebook as @UndergroundCrafter, or on Instagram as @ucrafter. You can also share a picture in the Underground Crafters Facebook group. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and private access to my vault of subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!
How To Sew a Crinkle Blanket for Cats or Babies
Sewing Tutorial by Underground Crafter
Cats love the sounds of crinkles. Nowadays you can buy crinkle material that can be washed and dried in a washing machine and dryer for your home sewing projects. This simple patchwork blanket combines different fabric types and crinkle material into an easy-to-sew textured crinkle blanket for cats. By the way, infants love crinkle blankets, too, so you can also make this project for a baby shower gift.
Finished Size
- Pet Blanket/Baby Blanket: 32.75” (83 cm) square.
Tools
- Sewing machine with straight stitch and leveling foot or walking foot, such as the Baby Lock Bloom with J leveling foot (zigzag foot). Check out my unboxing of the Bloom below.
- If you can’t see the Bloom unboxing above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- Use my coupon code SAVE10-A424 to get 10% off all machines, accessories and software at Baby Lock.
- 45 mm rotary cutter, cutting mat, and acrylic ruler.
- Sewing by Sarah Wool Press ‘n Lock Tiles™.
- Oliso Mini Iron.
- Dritz Non-Stick Pressing Sheet.
- Dritz quilting pins.
- Universal needle.
- Class 15 bobbin (or size needed for your machine).
- Basic sewing supplies (seam ripper, thread snips, etc.).
Materials
- 5 different types of fabric for the patchwork top – 1/4 yard each.
- I used 1/4 yard each of fleece, flannel, minky, and canvas along with parts of 1 pair of upcycled adult-sized jeans.
- New to these fabrics? Check out my tips for sewing with fleece, for sewing with minky, and for cutting and sewing with upcycled jeans.
- 1 yard of 100% cotton quilting fabric for the back.
- 100% polyester thread for top spool and bobbin.
- Crinkle material – I used 1 piece (15”/38 cm x 36”/91.5 cm) so only one section of the blanket crinkles. This allows my cat to rest peacefully after playing on the crinkle side.
Instructions
Prepare the Fabric
- Machine wash and dry the fabric for the top and back as you plan to clean the finished blanket. Don’t skip this step! Because you are using different fabric types, some of which shrink, it’s important to wash before sewing so your fabrics are ready for use in the same project.
- Press the fabrics to remove wrinkles, using a non-stick pressing sheet if necessary for the fabric type.
- With your rotary cutter, acrylic ruler, and mat, cut each of the 5 fabrics for the patchwork top into 5 (five) 7” (18 cm) squares. If you’re new to working with a rotary cutter, the video below demonstrates how to use one safely.
- If you can’t see the video above showing how to use a rotary cutter safely, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- You will have 25 squares in total.
- Cut the fabric for the back into a 34” (86.5 cm) square.
Assemble Patchwork Top: Make 5 Rows of 5 Squares Each
- I used the layout below for my patchwork top.
- You will be assembling 5 squares into a row, then joining the assembled rows together. You can also pick fabric randomly from your pile of squares for an unplanned look.
- Position 2 squares with right sides together. Pin along one side. With straight stitch and 1/4” seam allowance, seam squares together, removing pins as you sew.
- Repeat by positioning a third square to the second square with right sides together and seaming.
- Repeat by positioning a fourth square to the third square with right sides together and seaming.
- Repeat by positioning a fifth square to the fourth square with right sides together and seaming.
- You have now finished 1 row. Set the row aside and continue in the same fashion until you have 5 completed rows (each with 5 squares).
Assemble Patchwork Top: Join Rows Together
- Press the seams of the squares in each row open, using a non-stick pressing sheet when necessary for your fabric fiber. Throughout this section, start and end sewing with reinforcement stitches.
- Position the first row and the second row with the right sides together. Start by pinning at the seams of each square so your rows are lined up. Then add more pins to each square until the squares on each row are aligned. With straight stitch and 1/4” seam allowance, seam rows together, removing pins as you sew.
- Repeat by positioning the third row to the second row with the right sides together and seaming.
- Repeat by positioning the fourth row to the third row with the right sides together and seaming.
- Repeat by positioning the fifth row to the fourth row with the right sides together and seaming.
- Press the seams of each row to the same direction, using a non-stick pressing sheet when necessary for your fabric fiber.
Assemble The “Sandwich” of Blanket Layers
- Position the fabric for the back on a flat surface with the right side facing up. (I took this as another chance to choose an option from my Star Wars fabric collection.)
- Position the patchwork top on the back fabric with the right sides together and the wrong side facing up. The back fabric will be slightly larger than the patchwork top.
- Position one strip of the crinkle material along one side of the blanket.
- Pin all 3 layers together thoroughly. Start by pinning at the seams of the patchwork blocks on the outside perimeter of the blanket.
- Throughout this section, start and end sewing with reinforcement stitches.
- With a straight stitch and 1/2 inch seam allowance from the shortest fabric edge, start sewing all layers together at the center of a side without crinkle material. Sew around all sides, ending with an opening approximately 3″ (7.5 cm) for turning.
- Trim the excess fabric and crinkle material and clip the corners.
- Turn the blanket right side out through the opening on the final side.
- Press the edges flat, using a non-stick pressing sheet when necessary for your fabric fiber.
Secure Crinkle Layer and Finish Blanket
- Start and end with reinforcement stitches throughout this section.
- Topstitch around the entire blanket with a 1/4″ seam allowance, closing up the opening.
- Secure the layer of the crinkle material by sewing from one topstitched edge across to the other at the bottom of the crinkle section and at the top of the crinkle section. I did this freehand but you could also use your acrylic ruler and a marking tool to create a line.
- Trim any remaining threads with your snips and let the fun (and crinkling) begin!