DIY Blanket Hoodie Pattern – FREE!

How to Make a Blanket Hoodie

Blanket hoodies are all the rage this year, and it’s only natural as a sewer to want to make one for everyone in my family! So if you’ve been wanting to learn how to make a blanket hoodie as well, this is the post for you, because I’m sharing a Blanket Hoodie Pattern (FREE!) with you, and guiding you through all the steps to learn how to make a blanket hoodie for yourself and your loved ones!

New for 2023, due to the popular demand of this free pattern, we’ve also added a video tutorial that you can find below!

Fleece Sherpa Hoodie Pattern     DIY Blanket Hoodie  DIY Blanket Hoodie

And bonus, this blanket hoodie pattern will create a (very) oversized hoodie that is completely reversible, meaning no visible seams outside or inside the hoodie! You’ll be so proud of yourself when you see what you create!

DIY Blanket Hoodie

It’s no secret that you guys like to be cozy, and I’ve loved seeing the mermaid tail blankets you’ve sewn with our free pattern. So I couldn’t resist giving you another excuse to sew up another snuggly project, and especially one that everyone from your little ones to your teenage sons will love!

How to Make a Blanket Hoodie

The pattern comes in both adult and kid sizes, and you’ll find the finished measurements for each below. They are ROOOOOOOMY with a capital R, meant to truly feel like a wearable blanket that you can tuck your feet right up into!

How to Make a Blanket HoodieBlanket Hoodie Tutorial

I’ve made each of my kids a blanket hoodie for Christmas with this free pattern (shhh!), and I can already see my girls cuddling up for a movie with their Bellamy Nightgowns and blanket hoodies. They wore their hooded robes for years, and now that they’ve long outgrown them, will be so excited for something even better!

DIY Blanket Hoodie

If you’re making one for a gift, pair it with some DIY scrunchies and a some DIY personalized socks!

How to Make a Blanket Hoodie

Ready to get started? This post is packed with a lot of information about how to make a blanket hoodie, so I recommend you take the time to read through it first, then dive right in!

Kids Blanket Hoodie Pattern

Recommended Experience Level to Sew a DIY Blanket Hoodie

I recommend this free blanket hoodie pattern for confident beginners and beyond. The trickiest parts will be sewing through multiple bulky layers at once, which I’ve shared some tips to help with below.

The other tricky steps are attaching the cuffs and sewing the bottom hem in a way that will result in no exposed seam allowances, which is how we make this DIY blanket hoodie totally reversible. It’s one of those techniques that is difficult to wrap your head around while you’re sewing, but I share detailed photos each step of the way. You’ll be amazing with your skills when you complete it!

How to Make a Blanket Hoodie

Best Fabric to Make a Blanket Hoodie

This pattern is designed to be 2 layers, including a (faux) sherpa lining and a fleece exterior. Most are made out of polyester, although there are some cotton fleeces, and there are several different types of fleece you can use to make a blanket hoodie, from plush fleece (my favorite and what I use in this post), to polar fleece. It should have a little stretch to it (10% is enough). Sherpa is also considered a fleece, but for this post I’m going to simply refer to it as sherpa, and refer to the exterior fabric as fleece.

DIY Fleece Hoodie

You can of course substitute whatever other cozy fabrics you’d like, but my favorite trick to finding great fabric is to use a pre-made sherpa/fleece blanket for the fabric yardage.

For the blanket hoodies I’ve made, I used these sherpa and fleece blankets from Amazon. I purchased the king size (108×90″), and it was enough fabric to sew an adult blanket hoodie with some wiggle room. For the kid sized blanket hoodie pattern, the same quilt, but in queen size, provides enough fabric (90×90″) with some leftover. You can see below how both the adult and kid sized pattern fit on the quilts I linked above in the diagram below.

Whatever pre-made quilt you’re using, just be sure to double check that the yardage will be sufficient, accounting for any areas where the borders are stitched together.

Using pre-made blankets is often less costly than purchasing each fabric from a fabric store (you’ll want to watch for sales if using fabric off the bolts!), and I love that they’re already sewn together around the edges (make sure they’re only sewn around the border and not quilted together throughout the middle), so I even kept both the exterior and lining together and cut both out at once.

You can also find sherpa fleece blankets at most local department stores, and especially Costco! Costco usually has inexpensive sherpa fleece quilts, and even if you needed to purchase 2 to get enough yardage, it would still likely be less expensive than buying yardage from a fabric store (but again, watch for sales and coupons at your favorite fabric stores, and you might find some great deals!).

Free Blanket Hoodie Pattern Finished Measurements

This free blanket hoodie pattern download contains two sizes: adult and kids. The finished measurements are:

Adult: 39.25″ center back length, 78″ chest and waist width
Kid: 29.75″ center back length, 59″ chest and waist width (modeled kid size photos coming soon!)
*The kids size will fit a wide range of kids’ ages, from 4-13 depending on the child’s size and desired fit. This is NOT designed or safe to be worn while sleeping, and children should always be supervised while wearing it for safety.*

DIY Fleece Hoodie

Supplies to Make a Blanket Hoodie

(affiliate links below)
Fleece (exterior fabric – see fabric suggestions above) – 4.5yd (57″ wide) for adult size / 3yd (57″ wide) for kid size – this Sew Lush fleece from JoAnn is a great option
OR use pre-made quilt as described above (I love these ones because there are a lot of colors to choose from – the king size (108×90″) is enough fleece and sherpa fabric for the adult size blanket hoodie, and a queen size (90×90″) is enough for the kid size)
Sherpa (lining fabric) – 4.5yd (57″ wide) for adult size / 3yd (57″ wide) for kid size – this sherpa from JoAnn is a great option
OR use pre-made quilt as noted above
Cuff fabric – 1/4yd knit with at least 75% stretch and excellent stretch recovery – I used a rib knit, and ribbing would also be ideal
Size 14 or 16 ballpoint needle – important for stitching through bulky fabrics and layers and knit fabrics
Clips or pinsthese clips are my go-to for almost all my sewing projects, but they’re especially handy for sewing bulky fabrics!

ACCESS FREE PATTERN DOWNLOAD HERE (read info below before ordering).

Follow the checkout process at the link above (no payment info will be asked for), and once that’s complete you’ll automatically be emailed the download link (be sure to check your junk mail if you don’t see it in your inbox and that you spelled your email address correctly)!

Once ordered, you can also access the pattern downloads via your account by logging into your account under the “shop” tab of our site). Entering your email address on the right sidebar subscribes you to our newsletter (happy to have you!) but is not how you access our free pattern downloads.

Download will include 3 separate files:
– 1 for home printing on regular A4 (8.5×11″) paper and is 39 pages as the blanket hoodie pattern pieces are very large
– 1 for A0 copy shop printing (can send to your local Staples, etc to avoid printing the pages at home. PDF Plotting is an online print shop that will mail the large format pattern piece pages to your home).
– 1 for projector sewing (my very favorite way to cut out these large pieces!)

Tips for Working with Fleece and Sherpa

  • Keep a vacuum handy! I like to use the end of my vacuum to quickly vacuum around each piece after I cut it out, or give each piece a good shake on my table and then vacuum all the fluff that falls out. It a lot easier to vacuum as you go rather than try to deal with all the fluff at once after you’re done the project. Plus, it makes for a lot less inhaled fibers (if you know you know ;).
  • Be sure to use a stitch that will allow for stretch. You can use a long, narrow zig zag stitch, or a serger also works well. Because fleece and sherpa stretches, you need your stitches to stretch as well or you’ll end up with popped seams.
  • Pay attention to the nap of the fabric (which way the fibers lay – you can tell this by “petting” the fabric and noticing which direction the fabric lays smooth and which direction it is rough. Typically it’s best to have the nap laying down when the item is being worn, so you’ll want to cut your pieces accordingly.
  • Use a walking foot. Fleece and sherpa tend to shift against each other, and a walking foot will help them feed evenly through your machine, which will save lots of headaches for you! You can learn how to use one in my video here.
  • Don’t be afraid to use a lot of pins! If your fabrics seem to stretch unevenly, pinning or clipping often will be extra helpful.

Blanket Hoodie Video Tutorial

If you prefer to learn via video tutorial, we’ve got you covered! New for 2023, follow along with the detailed video tutorial below or view it and more videos tutorials on our YouTube channel to sew our free blanket hoodie pattern.

Fleece Sewing Project

How to Cut out Blanket Hoodie Pattern Pieces

Print pattern pieces using preferred file as described above. If printing at home, ensure that file is set to print at 100% (and not set to scale). You can double check this with the 2″ square on the first pattern page. Tape pattern pages together along borders.

Cut all pieces as directed on pattern pieces and make small 1/4″ snips inward at notch markings. Because fleece can be tricky to mark on, I recommend not marking the front pocket placement, and just using the pattern piece itself as a guide when placing the pocket.

Fabric Layouts for 57″ Wide Fabric:
*All pieces to be cut from both exterior and lining fabrics.
*Cuff pieces to be cut from ribbed knit or ribbing are not included in diagrams.

DIY Blanket Hoodie

How to Sew a Reversible Blanket Hoodie

*All Seam allowances are 1/2″ unless otherwise noted.*

Assemble Blanket Hoodie Exterior

Place lining and main fabric front pocket pieces right sides together (RST), matching raw edges. Pin or clip raw edges together and stitch around entire edge, leaving 3-4″ opening on bottom edge. Trim corners.

Blanket Hoodie Pattern Blanket Hoodie PatternBlanket Hoodie Pattern

Turn pocket right sides out through opening.

Blanket Hoodie Pattern

Finger press flat along edges. Topstitch 1/4-3/8″ from edge along each angled side.

Blanket Hoodie Pattern

Pin pocket to hoodie front as marked on pattern piece, tucking raw edges at opening 1/2″ toward wrong side of pocket. Because the fabrics have stretch, it’s helpful to use a measuring tape to check that pocket is centered and evenly spaced from all edges.

Blanket Hoodie Pattern

Topstitch pocket to hoodie front along top, side, and bottom edges, 1/4-3/8″ from pocket edge, leaving angled edges open (this is where your hands will go!).

Optional: If desired, stitch another row inside first topstitches. I like to do this to make sure the turned under opening lays flat against the hoodie front, but if you stitched closer to 1/4″ with the first topstitches, it’s likely not necessary.

RST, stitch front main fabric piece to back main fabric piece at shoulders.

RST, pin one sleeve top to one armsyce, matching sleeve center notch with shoulder seam. Stitch along pinned edge, gently easing armsyce curves to fit sleeve curves.

How to make a blanket hoodie

Repeat steps above to attach remaining sleeve to opposite armsyce.

RST, match and pin one sleeve and side edge of hoodie, continuously from sleeve bottom to hoodie bottom edge. Stitch along pinned edge.

Repeat for other sleeve and side edge of hoodie.

Blanket Hoodie Pattern

How to make a blanket hoodie

RST, pin and stitch hood main fabric pieces along back center seam.

DIY Blanket Hoodie

RST, pin and stitch hood lining fabric pieces along back center seam.

RST, place hood main fabric and lining together and pin along front raw edges. Stitch together along pinned edges.

Blanket Hoodie Pattern DIY Blanket Hoodie

Turn hood right sides out fingerpress along front seam. Topstitch 1″ from edge (I prefer to add some clips to keep the fabric in place before I topstitch to prevent shifting of the fabrics).

Blanket Hoodie Pattern

Match bottom raw edges of hood main fabric and lining and baste together, 3/8″ from raw edges.

Assemble Blanket Hoodie Lining

RST, pin and stitch the lining front and back pieces together at shoulders.

RST, stitch one sleeve to one armsyce on each side, following same instructions as the main fabric assembly.

RST, match and pin one sleeve and side edge of hoodie lining, continuously from sleeve bottom to hoodie bottom edge. Stitch along pinned edge.

Repeat for other sleeve and side edge of hoodie, with the exception to leave a 6″ opening along the hoodie side seam. This opening will be used later to turn the finished hoodie right side out!

Attach Hood to Lining

With hoodie lining wrong side out, place hood inside, with lining side of hood against right side of lining (which means sherpa against sherpa in this pictured hoodie). Pin center back seam of hood to center back notch on hoodie neckline, and overlap each front point of hood 1/2″ past center front notch of hoodie neckline, pinning in place (there should be 1″ of overlapped hood at the front neckline). Pin hood to neckline evenly along remaining raw edges.

Stitch hood to neckline along pinned edges. I prefer to stitch bulky areas like this on my regular machine rather than my serger, but that’s just my preference and either is okay!

Blanket Hoodie Pattern

Attach Blanket Hoodie Exterior to Lining and Hood

Turn blanket hoodie exterior right side out, and hoodie lining wrong side out. Place hoodie exterior inside lining, matching center front and back notches and pinning along necklines.

Stitch along pinned edge, attaching blanket hoodie exterior to lining and hood (the photo below is after turning the exterior to the outside).

Assemble and Attach Blanket Hoodie Cuffs to Sleeves

RST, fold each cuff piece in half in the opposite direction it was when cut, and stitch along each side edge (if you’re using a ribbed knit, the ribs should be going vertical). Fold each cuff in half along original folds, matching raw edges.

Note: The technique to construct this hoodie with no visible seams, even at the wrist cuffs, requires a little head scratching, but follow my instructions closely and trust the process and you’ll feel like a magician! If you don’t mind having seams where each sleeve/cuff meet, you are welcome to skip ahead and I’ll share a photo of a simpler way to attach each cuff (but I encourage you to give the seamless method a chance!).

You can also pin along the seams first and then turn the blanket hoodie right side out to make sure you’re going to stitch it correctly before doing so. Just be careful so the pins don’t cause any snags in the fabrics.

Now that I’ve freaked you out, let’s get right to it!

Turn both the exterior and lining wrong sides out, and lay out in mirror images of each other, with the sleeves folded toward each other as pictured. Make sure there are no additional twists in the sleeves other than one fold.

RST, place one cuff inside lining at sleeve opening, matching raw edges and matching at seams. Pin together along raw edge, stretching cuff to fit sleeve opening.

Optional: If you consider yourself a beginner sewer or you’re not super confident sewing through bulky layers, you might prefer to sew the cuff to the lining sleeve opening at this point (sew along the pinned edge, gently stretching the cuff to fit the sleeve opening), instead of waiting to sew the exterior sleeve opening, cuff, and sleeve lining openings all together as I do in the next steps.

Fold sleeve lining and cuff upward approximately 4″.

Place adjacent exterior sleeve opening around cuff and sleeve lining, matching raw edges and seams. Pin in place, stretching cuff to now fit both lining and exterior sleeve openings.

You can add in additional pins, or use the existing pins and just add the exterior sleeve to each area. I find it easiest to use clips and then sneak the exterior sleeve edge under each clip that’s already placed.

Blanket Hoodie Pattern

Notice that each sleeve is only folded upward once and that there are no additional twists in either!

Blanket Hoodie Pattern

Stitch along pinned edges only (there will be 4 layers – the exterior sleeve opening, two layers of cuff, and the lining sleeve opening), gently stretching cuff to fit sleeve openings. Be sure to keep the rest of the sleeve fabric of the way while stitching – it will feel awkward to maneuver and the hoodie will seem twisted, but if you focus on simply stitching along the pinned edges and moving the rest of the hoodie in a way that you can keep stitching around the pinned edges, you’ll do it correctly!

If you want to be sure that this sorcery worked, you can now pull that sleeve right side out through the blanket hoodie bottom and have a look at your handiwork! It will look like this when turned up (but you’ll only have one sleeve and cuff sewn at this point) – no exposed seams and you might have just unlocked a new level of sewing!…

How to make a blanket hoodie

Repeat steps above to stitch remaining cuff to other exterior and lining sleeve openings.

How to make a blanket hoodie How to make a blanket hoodieHow to make a blanket hoodie

Still wrong sides out, the blanket hoodie will look like this:

How to make a blanket hoodie

Turned right side out, you’ve now made this blanket hoodie pattern into this:

How to make a blanket hoodie

Now, since I did offer an alternative sleeve cuff option where the seam allowances do show, this is the time you can compete those.

With the blanket hoodie right side out, layer each cuff around each exterior and lining sleeve opening, matching the seams and raw edges (the exterior and lining fabrics will be wrong sides together). Pin the edges evenly, stretching the cuff to fit the sleeve openings, and stitch in place. When you fold the cuff down, you will have a visible seam allowance on the inside, but not the outside.

DIY Blanket Hoodie

Hem Blanket Hoodie Bottom Edges

Okay, there may be a little more magic involved in making our last fully enclosed seam in this DIY blanket hoodie tutorial, but if you made it through the sleeve cuffs, the hem is gravy.

First, ensure that you left a 6″ opening in the lining side seam as instructed. If you forgot to do this, you will soon sew the entire blanket hoodie shut with the wrong sides out ;), so go back and seam rip as needed to create that opening. That opening will allow the entire blanket hoodie to be turned right side out after the bottom edges are stitched together, so is important.

Turn the entire blanket hoodie wrong side out once again, with the exterior and lining apart from each other and spread out as pictured.

Fold the lining bottom edge up toward wrong side 4-5″.

(You can see why it’s a good idea to keep a vacuum handy – the fluff just keeps coming!)

Clasp the exterior bottom edge at the side seam closest to you, and bring it toward the side seam of the lining closest to you.

How to make a blanket hoodie

When your hand reaches the lining side seam, turn the exterior fabric up, matching the side seams and bottom edges (RST) of the exterior fabric with the lining fabric. Pin those two edges together at the side seams and bottom raw edges.

This will be the starting point to be able to continue to pin the entire bottom edges together. Starting on one side of the first pin, work your way outward, pinning the exterior and lining bottom edges together.

Continue until you’ve pinned around the entire bottom raw edges, matching opposite side seams. Because you’ve pinned continuously from one point, you may want to go back and adjust the pins as needed for evenness.

The blanket hoodie bottom pinned edge is not going to lay in one flat circle at this point. It will seem twisted, but as long as you pinned from the first point and worked your way outward, pinning continuously along the edges, you’re on the right track!

How to make a blanket hoodie

Stitch along pinned edge around entire bottom of blanket hoodie, attaching exterior and lining together.

DIY Blanket Hoodie

If it looks like you have a twisted mess, you’re once again probably on the right track and it’s time for some more magic!

Carefully turn the blanket hoodie right side out through the opening in lining side seam. Pull each sleeve cuff away from sleeves.

And voila!! Can you even believe that that twisted mess turned into this?!

A few last steps and you’ll be done sewing this blanket hoodie pattern!

Finger press bottom edge at seam and pin if desired. Topstitch 1″ away from bottom edge around entire bottom of hoodie blanket.

DIY Blanket Hoodie

With hood turned up, topstitch 1/4-1/3″ from hood/neckline seam around entire neckline for added stability along neckline.

DIY Blanket Hoodie

Close Lining Opening of Blanket Hoodie

At opening in lining, turn each raw edge under 1/2″. Use a hand sewing needle and ladder stitch to stitch closed, tying a knot on each end to secure.

Great job! Be sure to share your finished DIY blanket hoodies with us on Instagram (tag @sewmuchado)! If you loved this pattern, be sure to check out our pattern shop for more sewing fun!

DIY Blanket Hoodie

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23 Comments

    1. The pattern instructions are not included in the printable file, they are meant to be read on this blog post. Hope that helps!

      1. Thank you for the free pattern – but I would have liked to be able to print the instructions in pdf. Gosh when I copy and download the instructions – it comes to 104 pages to print. I am going to save the trees this time. Thanks

        1. Hi Leann, you’re welcome! Our free pattern instructions are designed to be followed via a computer/device, as that is what allows us to offer the patterns for free. Thanks for understanding!

  1. How come there’s no instructions with the pattern? So is everyone suppose to keep coming back here just for instructions?

    1. Hi Kathy, yes the instructions are intended to be read on your computer or personal device, as that’s what allows us to offer the patterns for free :).

  2. This looks great your instructions are very clear thank you, just need to go back through them to look for the pattern to download.

  3. Looks like a fantastic pattern. I have this wearable blanket that I got 10 years ago. Now, I want to make my own. I love that this has a hood, but I will probably modify to add a zipper.

  4. I love this so much and appreciate all the time you took to make the detailed instructions and take all the helpful pictures. I followed your advice and got sherpa/ fleece blanket to use. How does this change the cuff attachment?
    I love your site and will be coming here often and will also purchase patterns, as well. I firmly believe in supporting such generous sewists such as yourself. Thank you, thank you! Please know that you are appreciated for your skill, kindness and generosity.
    Teri Looney

    1. Thanks so much, Teri! The cuff attachment is the same regardless of whether you buy fabric yardage or a blanket, as the blanket pieces will be separated :).

    1. Hi Shirley, you can access the pattern by following the instructions under the “supplies” section of this blog post :). Hope you enjoy it!

    1. Hi Sandy, click the link under the supplies section, which will take you to a page where you can “order” the pattern. Once you complete that process, you’ll be emailed the download link, and you can also access the pattern at that point by logging into your account that you’ll create during the checkout process.

    1. If you’re wanting to make it shawl like, I’d probably recommend a different pattern, hehe! But realistically you could use the hood from my pattern and add whatever shawl shape you’d like to it.

  5. Do u have instructions if u have a material that has the Sherpa on one side and the kinky on the other already? Without sewing two pieces together? Cos I have material like this already? Do I just sew seams? Etc?

    1. Hello, you could basically just sew the outer pieces, and finish the seam allowances as desired. Just be sure to read through the instructions first in case you need to make any adjustments before cutting.

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