This post may contain affiliate links.
If you can make only one size, make your crochet baby blanket 36 x 36 inches (91 x 91 cm). It is big enough for the stroller, the car seat and tummy time, and it stays useful long after the newborn photos are over.
Need something else? Make it 30 x 36 inches for a stroller or car seat, and 40 x 60 inches for a crib or toddler bed. Below you will find the full size chart, how to work out your starting chain, and how much room to leave for the border.
The best all-round size: 36 x 36 inches
A 30 x 30 inch blanket looks generous while it is still on your hook. Then it gets washed, spread out for tummy time, tucked around a stroller or dragged around by a toddler, and suddenly it feels more like a big lovey than an everyday blanket.
That is why I recommend 36 x 36 inches as the smallest size for a blanket you want to last. It leaves room for a border, it forgives small differences in your gauge, and it is still light enough to carry around and easy to wash.
The blankets that get used most are not always the prettiest or the biggest. They are the ones a parent can grab quickly for the stroller, the car seat, tummy time and nap time on the go. A 36 inch square does all of that.
Crochet baby blanket size chart
Pick the blanket’s job first, then the size. These sizes are guides, not rules, so a few inches either way is fine.
| Blanket type | Size (inches) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Lovey / security | 15 x 15 | A small comfort blanket a toddler can carry everywhere. |
| Preemie | 18 x 20 | Tiny babies and hospital donations. |
| Receiving | 30 x 30 | Wrapping and cuddling in the first weeks. |
| Stroller / car seat | 30 x 36 | Covers baby without trailing on the ground or in the wheels. |
| Baby (my pick) | 36 x 36 | The all-round gift: stroller, car seat, tummy time, play mat. |
| Swaddle | 40 x 40 | Square and large enough to wrap. |
| Crib / toddler bed | 40 x 60 | For when the family wants a crib or toddler-bed blanket. |
Choose the finished size before you choose a pattern
This is the one thing I want you to take away. The most common beginner mistake is to make a random starting chain, crochet until the yarn runs out, and end up with a blanket that is too small, too heavy, or one ball short.
Do it the other way round:
- Decide what the blanket is for: stroller, receiving, everyday gift or crib.
- Look up the finished size in the chart above.
- Only then pick a pattern, and adjust it to that size.
Remember that your starting chain is not your finished size. Stitches shrink or stretch the width, and the border adds to it.
How to work out your starting chain
Don’t count on “chain 120” from someone else’s pattern. Your hands, your hook and your yarn are different. Use your own gauge instead:
- Make a small swatch, about 6 x 6 inches, in the actual stitch and yarn you will use for the blanket.
- Measure how many stitches you get in one inch, in the middle of the swatch.
- Multiply that by the width you want, before the border. For example: 3 stitches per inch x 34 inches = 102 stitches.
- Round up or down to fit the pattern’s stitch multiple. If the stitch repeats over 4 stitches, 102 becomes 100 or 104.
- Add the extra chains your pattern asks for at the start (often 1 to 3 for turning).
It feels slow to swatch, but it is much faster than ripping out half a blanket.
Leave room for the border and buy a little extra yarn
- Border: keep 1 to 2 inches of the finished size for the border. For a 36 inch blanket, make the body about 34 inches wide.
- Yarn: buy about 10 to 15 percent more than the pattern says. It covers gauge differences, weaving in ends and any changes you make. Running out of a dye lot halfway through is no fun.
- Weight: a bigger blanket in thick yarn gets heavy fast. For 36 x 36 and up, a soft DK or worsted weight yarn keeps it light enough to carry and wash.
Not sure which yarn to use? Our guide to washing crochet blankets explains why soft, machine-washable yarn is the safest choice for anything a baby will use every day.
A quick word about safe sleep
Whatever size you make, a crochet blanket is for cuddles, tummy time, the stroller and the car seat while someone is watching. Safe-sleep advice from pediatricians is to keep loose blankets out of a baby’s crib or bassinet during the first year. A crib-size blanket is lovely for later, when the child is old enough to use one.
You don’t need fancy yarn or a hard stitch
A beautiful, practical baby blanket needs three things: the right size, soft washable yarn and a simple stitch you will enjoy finishing. That’s it.
If you want a pattern to start with, these are the ones our readers love most:
- Easy Crochet Baby Blanket in One Color, a dense, cozy stitch with a video tutorial. Make it 36 x 36 inches and it is the perfect gift.
- Crochet Baby Blanket for Beginners, if this is your very first blanket.
- Easy crochet baby blanket patterns for beginners, a whole collection of simple repeats.
You will find hundreds more in our baby blanket patterns collection.
See how to size a blanket, step by step
If you learn better by watching, this short video from Crochet With Tiffany Hansen shows how to measure your work and figure out how many chains you need.
Baby blanket size questions
What is the standard size of a baby blanket?
Most crochet baby blankets are between 30 and 40 inches square. My recommendation for an all-round blanket is 36 x 36 inches.
What size is a stroller or car seat blanket?
About 30 x 36 inches. It covers the baby without hanging down into the wheels.
What size should a crib blanket be?
Around 40 x 60 inches, for a crib or toddler bed. Keep it out of the crib until the child is past the first year.
How many chains do I need for a 36 inch blanket?
It depends on your gauge. Measure stitches per inch on a swatch, multiply by about 34 inches (leaving 2 inches for the border), then round to your pattern’s stitch multiple.
How much yarn do I need for a baby blanket?
Check your pattern for the amount, then buy 10 to 15 percent extra. Thicker yarn and textured stitches use more.
