An Everyday Parent’s Advice for Buying the Perfect Baby Blanket – You don’t always have to buy the perfect baby blanket – Handmade, crocheted blankets are my all-time favorite
Lisa, 33, Eastgate, Ohio
Proud mom of Nolan, Rylie and Ashlynn
Of all the baby blankets I’ve owned, I would have to say my overall favorites are crocheted blankets. I’ve never made one myself, but I’ve received many as gifts.
I love that crocheted baby blankets are:
1) handmade by special people (a great heirloom for you or your child)
2) breathable (The natural holes from crocheting make the blanket breathable, as well as the often used cotton yarn. However, if the crochet pattern is too loose, little fingers and toes can get stuck in the blanket.)
3) great for use as a blanket or for decorating (I love the look of crocheted blankets and often drape them over the crib or hang them on the wall)
4) unique (Since no two handmade blankets are exactly alike, they are always unique. I have several made with unique colors or patterns. The yarn used may also have a unique texture or be made from an organic yarn like wool or organic cotton.)
I am a photographer and one of the crocheted baby blankets I own is featured in a picture in my portfolio. You can view it on my website. Just follow this link to the Hezlep Photography site.
Filed under Baby Blankets, Cotton Baby Blankets, Crochet Baby Blanket, Info, Interviews, Organic Baby Blankets, Unique Baby Blankets, Wool baby blanket, homemade baby blankets | Tags: advice from parents, Cotton Baby Blankets, crocheted baby blankets, handmade baby blankets, Hezlep Photography, photographer, Unique Baby Blankets | Comment (1)An Everyday Parent’s Advice for Buying the Perfect Baby Blanket – Unique, personalized blankets with the baby’s name embroidered make great gifts
Lisa, 33, Eastgate, Ohio
Proud mom of Nolan, Rylie and Ashlynn
If was going to buy a unique baby blanket for a friend, I would buy a personalized blanket embroidered with the baby’s name.
I received a personalized blanket as a gift from a client of mine for the birth of my third child. It is made of a very soft, pink, fleece material and has an attached bunny. My baby loves to play with it and hold on to it. The picture below was taken of her with the bunny blanket and is featured on my website, http://hezlepphotography.smugmug.com/, under “Portfolio” and then the “My Kids” tab.
When buying a personalized blanket, it is still important to purchase a blanket that the baby will love to cuddle with and that the parent will actually use. Blankets can be unique and practical at the same time. See the following post featured on blanketmybaby.com for my general blanket-buying advice:
You may have noticed that she is laying in a basket with another homemade, crocheted baby blanket. I do not usually give crocheted blankets as gifts because I do not know how to make them. If you would like to read why crocheted blankets are my all-time favorite baby blanket, visit the following post:
Filed under Baby Blankets, Crochet Baby Blanket, Embroidered Baby Blanket, Fleece Baby Blankets, Info, Interviews, Personalized Baby Blankets, Pink Baby Blankets, Play Blankets, Unique Baby Blankets, homemade baby blankets | Tags: crocheted baby blankets, embroidered baby blankets, Personalized Baby Blankets, photographer, photography, Unique Baby Blankets | Comment (0)An Everyday Parent’s Advice for Buying the Perfect Baby Blanket - Swaddling blankets and multi-purpose blankets - Babies need different blankets as they grow
Lisa, 33, Eastgate, Ohio
Proud mom of Nolan, Rylie and Ashlynn
Below, Lisa, mom of three, explains that babies will require different types of blankets as they grow and as their needs change. To help other parents and blanket shoppers in their baby blanket searches, she describes her criteria for swaddling blankets and her preferences for blankets for swaddle graduates (older babies).
Swaddlers
For newborns you need a great swaddling blanket! Look for blankets that are:
1) perfectly square
2) stretchy
3) big (when I’m using them to swaddle, most regular receiving blankets don’t feel big enough)
I own a receiving blanket made of thermal material that I would recommend. It’s made by Koala Baby and can be purchased at Babies “R” Us. The blanket is green, made of 100% cotton, very stretchy and pe
rfectly square. You can easily swaddle a baby with it and it keeps the baby warm during the colder seasons. A great swaddle would keep my baby comfortable and sleeping.
Koala Baby Thermal Receiving Blanket – Babies “R” Us (pictured)
I would not suggest buying regular, cheap receiving blankets for swaddling infants. At my house, they just ended up being used as burp cloths.
Swaddle Graduates (older babies)
As babies get older and more active, I recommend blankets that are:
1) breathable
2) soft (babies LOVE soft materials for cuddling and playing, especially silk or satin)
3) durable (during this stage, babies become attached to certain items—namely their blankies—so you want one that will hold up)
4) big (it’s nice to have a blanket big enough to throw on the floor at other people’s houses and let the baby play)
One word of warning: In my experience, the blankets that have a solid silk or satin side with the opposite side made of a soft material tends to make babies sweat profusely. The sweating is usually worst if they are touching the silky side of the blanket. This is one of the reasons I recommend breathable material.
Filed under Baby Blanket Stores, Baby Blankets, Cotton Baby Blankets, Crochet Baby Blanket, Info, Interviews, Play Blankets, Receiving Blankets, Satin Baby Blankets, Security Baby Blankets, Sleeping Blankets, Swaddle Blankets, Swaddling, homemade baby blankets | Tags: advice from parents, Baby Blankets, Play Blankets, silk blankets, Swaddling, swaddling blankets | Comment (1)An Everyday Parent’s Advice for Buying the Perfect Baby Blanket – Mom of 5 tells us some things to avoid when buying a baby blanket
April, 35, Burlington, KY
Proud mom of Kelsey, Jackson, Sydney, Elisa and Kaira
• Avoid baby blankets that are not intended for everyday use
Wash-ability is important! Someone gave us a dry clean only blanket once. It was beautiful to look at, but I never actually used it as I was afraid I would ruin it.
• Avoid baby blankets made of coarse material or that your baby will get stuck in
I received a crocheted baby blanket for my son at one of my baby showers. It was hand crocheted with a course yarn and had fringes on the ends. When he was a baby, he didn’t mind it that much (although it was not his favorite to cuddle with). Now that he’s older, he doesn’t like it because the fringes tickle his face. We also avoid crocheted or knitted baby blankets with holes larger than baby fingers/toes. In playing, they often get stuck and require a lot of getting out from mommy!
• Avoid having only one type of baby blanket
You will need different types of blankets, made of different fabrics and in different sizes depending on the situation. As you build your collection of blankets consider preparing for weather, uses, age, growth, nursing and more.
