DIY Weighted Dropcloth Picnic Blanket

This dropcloth picnic blanket project is part of a sponsored post for Grass Seed USA as part of the Mom It Forward Influencer Network.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love springtime where I live.  The trees become lush, the flowers start blooming, and the grass becomes green again after a brown winter.  Before it gets crazy hot {as it definitely will!}, I love to plan a picnic or two.  This DIY weighted dropcloth picnic blanket is the perfect thing to grab and go!  It’s big enough for a pile of people, the gingham screams picnic, and it’s the perfect way to set up a picnic on the lawn!

To make a weighted picnic blanket, you’ll need a large dropcloth {I used a 6×9 foot cloth from the hardware store}, wide painter’s tape, red spray paint {I used about four cans for the gingham pattern on this blanket}, and four large washers.

Lay the dropcloth flat on the ground and use the painter’s tape to create stripes across it.  I used the tape width as markers between each stripe so the stripes would all be uniform.

Once taped off, I spray painted the entire cloth with red paint.  When it was dry, I removed the tape and taped the entire cloth the opposite way, perpendicular to the first set of stripes, and spray painted again then removed the tape once dry.

The final step was the addition of weights.  No one wants the picnic blanket lifting up and blowing around so I hot glued large, heavy washers on the back of each corner to weigh it down.

That’s all there is to it!  Now we have a large gingham picnic blanket that’s perfect for our big family!

We tested it out with a simple backyard picnic!  We kicked off our shoes and settled in.  Don’t you love the feeling of of cool grass on your feet on a warm day?  It’s a feeling that takes me back to childhood!  Did you know that grass actually has a natural cooling effect?  On hot days, grass is much cooler than asphalt, cement, and dirt, which trap heat.  A study done at Mississippi State University showed that when the temperature of a sidewalk is 100 degrees, the temperature of the lawn next to it will be 75 degrees.  That’s great news for our Texas summers and another great reason to have a picnic!

I like to keep picnics easy and our picnics often have storebought goodies that we grab on the way.  Lemonade is a must but I also love to pack a baguette, some good cheese, a roll of summer sausage, and cookies. 

You really can’t go wrong with anything you pack because the best part of the picnic is being outside and enjoying lying around on the lawn.

In addition to the beauty and functionality of grassy areas, they’re also naturally calming and stress relieving.

The visual appeal also contributes to improved mental health.  Pretty great reasons to have a picnic, right?  Make your own DIY picnic blanket and head outdoors!

What’s your favorite outdoor activity?