How to Make Ruffle Trim For a Blanket

With a delicately sewn ruffle trim, you can transform what would otherwise be a basic baby blanket into a boutique-style baby shower gift. Adding a satin ruffle trim to the blanket instantly creates a soft, playful feel and look. It takes only minutes to make the ruffle border, but this easy embellishment can make the difference between a ho-hum gift and one that says to the recipient, "Your are truly special."

Measure the perimeter of the fabric you are going to use to make the blanket. (The two pieces of fabric should be of the same size.) To calculate the perimeter, measure all four sides of the fabric and add their measurements together. For a blanket that is 24 inches by 48 inches, the perimeter is 144 inches.

Measure and cut a piece of satin blanket binding 1 ½ times the length of the perimeter. For the blanket with a 144-inch perimeter, you need a piece of binding that measures 216 inches long.

Fold each end of the binding 1/4 inch. Sew the ends closed with an 1/8-inch seam allowance to create clean ends to the ruffle.

Loosen the tension on your sewing machine all the way. Adjust the stitch length on your machine to roughly a 1/4-inch; use a scrap piece of fabric to test the stitch length.

Sew along the edge opposite the folded edge of the satin blanket binding with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Leave the tails of thread at least 6 inches long at each end of the seam.

Pull the bobbin thread at end of the seam to gather the blanket binding along the seam. Keep gathering the binding until it is only an inch longer than the perimeter of the blanket fabric.

Knot the top and bobbin threads together at each end of the gathered binding to keep it gathered.

Place the ruffle between the two pieces of blanket fabric, with the gathered edge of the ruffle flush with the edge of the fabric, before sewing the two pieces of fabric together to attach the ruffle to the blanket.