Aden + Anais Knock-Off Swaddle Blanket

I’m a swaddling advocate. With a good blanket and a couple tight tucks you can turn your screaming newborn back into the sweet, chubby-faced cherub you brought home from the hospital. Finding the right wrap technique for your baby takes practice but the blanket is something entirely different and trust me when I say it matters. You want something lightweight and bigger than the average receiving blanket.

The best swaddling blankets on the market are those made by Aden + Anais. I have one myself and it’s awesome but it was a gift, a gift I don’t know if I’d have bought for myself, especially after I realized how easy it is to make my own knock-off version. Here’s a quick rundown of how I made my own for less than $10!


Material, material, material. The key to this swaddle is the material. I bought two yards of this cotton gauze. I chose white and I actually got it while it was on sale. (JoAnn stores always have great coupons so there’s really no reason to pay full price!) I trimmed the fabric until it was a rectangle 44” wide and about 50” long. As long as you keep the width you can really chose your own length, but try to keep as square a shape as you can.

Next up I washed the fabric-because it will shrink up, used a hemmer foot to put a 1/4” hem around the edges, and finally tie-dyed it grey. That was it.


I’m so happy with the results, I’ll be making more of these little beauties for myself and I think they’d make a great gift for any mother to be!