Sweet and Salty Sugar Boys: Durable Picnic Blanket

I love the idea of going on picnics, but hate taking one of our blankets to sit on. Usually the grass is wet and soaks through the blanket or the boys get food on it... So as I was walking through the store with the boys in tow, I saw these beauties.

They will probably be a steal at the end of summer, but for three dollars each I couldn't wait to try this out. I thought, they might be good for a picnic blanket and can easily be hosed off when covered in food and we won't get wet sitting on the grass! They are about the same material as oilcloth, but way cheaper. I got the biggest rectangle size (60 by 102) and only ended up needing one, so the other will be going back to the store.

So for three bucks, we have a cute, durable picnic or all-purpose craft blanket that can be easily cleaned and stored. This project took less than 15 minutes (it took longer for the glue to dry on my ribbon), but I have included a short tutorial below.

This can be hosed off, but I bet it could go in the washer, too. We put our vinyl tablecloths in the washing machine on cold from time to time and let them hang dry, no problems. This blanket could also come in handy when we are doing messy crafts in the house, just lay it out and play, play, play.

If you want to make your own vinyl/oilcloth blanket, here you go:

Materials:
Vinyl tablecloth (or oilcloth)
Ribbon (optional)
Glue or Fray Check (optional)
Sewing Machine
Complementary Thread

Instructions:

I folded the tablecloth in half, wrong sides together and sewed up the three sides. The tablecloth already had a hem on it, so I sewed along the hemline. I already had black thread in the machine and used my regular sewing needle. I am kind of lazy and didn't pin, plus I was scared of holes left by the pins.
If you don't have any ribbon, you are done right now. Just fold up and enjoy whenever you want!
I like the idea of having it rolled up, so I folded it in half and half again, then rolled tightly like a burrito. Then I marked the spot where my ribbon could be sewed to keep it rolled up. I used some plain old glue on the ends of my ribbon because I had it and didn't want to buy anything else.