Make a Crochet Rainbow Baby Blanket for that extra special person in your life who is expecting their rainbow baby. It's easy to make and will be a cherished gift for years to come.
Whether you are crunched for time or want the rainbow colors to have a more subtle appearance, my free rainbow baby blanket pattern is for you.
I love how the rainbow crochet blanket turned out; it almost looks as if the rainbow is sitting among billowy crochet clouds. The blanket is also pretty gender-neutral, making it suitable for a baby boy or girl. You can even create a larger crochet rainbow blanket for an adult, perfect for someone in the LGBTQ+ community. A crochet pride-themed blanket would make a thoughtful gift for June!
One of my favorite ways to start baby blankets is with a solid granny square, like in my Crochet Sunflower Blanket Pattern. I find that making baby blankets in the round is the easiest method, ensuring that all sides are equal. This technique is perfect for crochet swaddling and stroller blankets.
Baby blankets, including crochet baby blankets, vary in size depending on their intended use. By working in the round, you can easily determine whether to add another row or two before creating a more intricate border. Borders can be elaborate or as simple as a round of Single Crochet Border in a contrasting color. In my rainbow baby crochet blanket pattern, I use a crochet shell stitch border.
The crochet shell stitch is a favorite of mine and can be found in various projects, with or without modifications. You can see it in my Crochet Pumpkin Pie Potholder Pattern, Crochet Grit Stitch Blanket Pattern, Crochet Strawberry Blanket Pattern, and Crochet Heart Coaster Pattern, just to name a few. Did I mention I love the crochet shell stitch? LOL!
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✏️ Things To Note:
- Yarn Choice. I used acrylic yarn for the crochet baby blanket pattern. Acrylic is suitable for baby blankets; just ensure it isn't the old, scratchy variety. Most modern acrylics are soft and comfortable for babies. With Red Heart yarn, remember to wash the finished blanket first, as they often use a stiffener in the yarn that softens after 1-2 washes.
- Base Color. I chose white as the base color for my multicolored crochet baby blanket to resemble billowy clouds, but you can use any color as the base.
- Blanket Size. The baby blanket measures roughly 36 x 36 inches (depending on your tension). If you need it larger, just keep adding rows to your solid granny square before starting the rainbow. The crochet rainbow border and shells add approximately 6 inches (or 3 inches on each side) to the total width and length of the blanket.
🪡 Materials Needed
- Small ball of Red Heart - Hot Red Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Carrot Orange Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Bright Yellow Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Spring Green Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Pool Blue Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Royal Blue Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Medium Purple Yarn
- Roughly 700 yards of Red Heart - White Yarn
- 5mm hook
- Tapestry Needle
💭Abbreviations to Remember (US terms)
- Chain - ch
- Single crochet - sc
- Double crochet - dc
- Increase - inc
- Slip stitch - sl st
🧋Variations
The crochet baby blanket pattern can be easily adapted to create a larger or smaller blanket depending on your needs.
🍵Instructions for Crochet Rainbow Baby Blanket Pattern
The rainbow baby crochet blanket pattern is worked in rounds.
Round 1: Make a mr, ch 2 and then dc x3 in the circle. Ch x2, dc x3, ch x2 and dc x3, ch x2 and dc x3, ch x2 and join the first dc. You should have 4 sides. Then pull the magic circle closed and you can see you have a small square.
Round 2-22: Ch x2. Dc in each dc stitch from the previous round. Then dc x2, ch x2, dc x2 in each chx2 corner stitch. Then join to the first dc you made when you get to the end of each round.
This is the size you need for a baby blanket (22 rounds), if you want the blanket bigger make more rounds until the size you want is reached.
When you get to the size blanket you want ( -6 inches for the rainbow border), fasten off the white yarn and switch it to purple. We will be working the colors of the crochet rainbow border in reverse order.
Crochet Rainbow Border
For the first round of the rainbow blanket border and for every row hereafter make a sc in every previous round stitches. Then when you get to the corners sc x3.
For the next 7 rows you will follow this process but change the colors after each row.
- Medium Purple
- Royal Blue
- Pool Blue
- Spring Green
- Bright Yellow
- Carrot Orange
- Hot Red
After completing the rainbow, you will do 1 round of white single crochets, so the shell border has a nice white line to sit on. Then sl st to the first white sc you made.
Crochet Shell Border:
Skip a stitch and then make 5 dcs in one stitch. Next skip a stitch and then make a sl st. You just made a shell stitch. Repeat for the rest of the round.
Then when you reach the end of the shell round sl st to where the first shell stitch begins.
If for some reason the shell border has 1 or 2 extra stitches, you can fudge the last few shell stitches a little bit to make it fit. You can’t even really tell if you end up making a few stitches sit closer together.
And there you have it! An easy to make crochet rainbow baby blanket that will be cherished for a long time.
If you are looking for other interesting border patterns to try instead of the crochet shell stitch edge, add a bit of flair with the Crochet Pom Pom Border or Crochet Bobble Border Pattern for added texture.
🐌Expert Tips
- Weave in Ends: Weave your ends in as you go to save time later, especially for the rainbow border.
- Use Soft Yarn: For baby blankets, always choose soft, washable yarn. This is crucial for a blanket that will be frequently used.
- Test Your Tension: If you're unsure about your tension, make a small swatch before starting the blanket. This will help you determine if you need to adjust your hook size.
🧵Pattern FAQs
Any yarn that is soft, warm, and easy to wash is preferred for crochet baby blankets. Essentially, you can use any type of yarn.
The double crochet stitch! It works up quickly, has small holes to prevent fingers and toes from getting stuck, and provides warmth while remaining stretchy with a great drape.
Baby blankets come in various shapes and sizes depending on their intended use. I typically make mine 36"x36", but they can range anywhere from 18" to 40".
🧶More Crochet Baby Patterns
If you tried this Crochet Rainbow Baby Blanket Pattern (or any other pattern on my website), please let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Crochet Rainbow Baby Blanket Pattern
Materials
- Small ball of Red Heart - Hot Red Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Carrot Orange Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Bright Yellow Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Spring Green Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Pool Blue Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Royal Blue Yarn
- Small ball of Red Heart - Medium Purple Yarn
- Roughly 700yrds of Red Heart - White Yarn
- 5mm hook
- Tapestry Needle
Abbreviations (US terms)
- Chain - ch
- Single crochet - sc
- Double crochet - dc
- Increase - inc
- Slip stitch - sl st
Notes
- I used acrylic for the crochet rainbow baby blanket; modern acrylics are soft and suitable for baby blankets.
- Wash Red Heart yarn before use, as it softens after 1-2 washes due to stiffener.
- I used white as the base to resemble clouds, but any color works.
- The blanket measures about 36 x 36 inches (depending on tension); add rows to the granny square for a larger size.
- The rainbow border and shells add about 6 inches (3 inches on each side) to the blanket's dimensions.
Instructions
- This pattern is worked in rounds.
- Round 1: Make a mr, ch 2 and then dc x3 in the circle. Ch x2, dc x3, ch x2 and dc x3, ch x2 and dc x3, ch x2 and join the first dc. You should have 4 sides. Pull the magic circle closed and you can see you have a small square.
- Round 2-22: Ch x2. Dc in each dc stitch from the previous round, dc x2, ch x2, dc x2 in each chx2 corner stitch. Then join to the first dc you made when you get to the end of each round.
- This is the size you need for a baby blanket, if you want the blanket bigger make more rounds until the size you want is reached.
- When you get to the size blanket you want ( -6 inches for the rainbow border), fasten off the white yarn and switch it to purple. We will be working the colors of the crochet rainbow border in reverse order.
- For the first round of the rainbow blanket border and for every row hereafter make a sc in every previous round stitches. Then when you get to the corners sc x3.
- For the next 7 rows you will follow this process, but change the colors after each row.
- The entire color order is: Medium Purple > Royal Blue > Pool Blue > Spring Green > Bright Yellow > Carrot Orange> Hot Red
- After completing the rainbow you will do 1 round of white single crochets so the shell border has a nice white line to sit on. Sl st to the first white sc you made.
Shell Border:
- Skip a stitch and then make 5 dcs in one stitch. Next skip a stitch and then make a sl st. You just made a shell stitch. Repeat for the rest of the round.
- When you reach the end of the shell round sl st to where the first shell stitch begins.
- If for some reason the shell border has 1 or 2 extra stitches, you can fudge the last few shell stitches a little bit to make it fit. You can’t even really tell if you end up making a few stitches sit closer together.
- And there you have it! An easy to make rainbow baby blanket that will be cherished for a long time.
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