Free Printable Quilt Care Card
Get this free printable download that provides washing and care instructions for a handmade quilt
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Give that new quilt some love!
Isn’t gifting a quilt to someone you love one of the greatest things ever?! There’s nothing quite like pouring love and happy thoughts into all those cuts, trims, and stitches that make up your quilts.
But here’s the thing…you and I (and all the other lovely quilters out there) know that a quilt is made to be used and loved. It really only gets better, softer, and more crinkly with lots of snuggles. Oftentimes, though, our quilt recipients don’t know that! They might not know exactly how to wash, dry, and care for a brand new handmade quilt. And out of respect for all the hard work you put in on it…they put it in the (collective GASP here!) CLOSET! Aaagh! In my humble opinion, there’s nothing worse than a beautiful quilt being relegated to a closet shelf.
But never fear! I’ve got you (and your quilt) covered!
Quilt care instructions
As you gift your quilt, be sure to tell your recipient that you want them to actually USE the quilt! Tell them you expect it to get dirty…and that the quilt will only get softer and snugglier every day. Be sure to print out and share the quilt care card so they can feel confident using and washing the quilt. Give them these secrets to keeping a quilt in great condition, from quilt washing and drying instructions to tips for keeping it in top-notch shape!
Print off as many quilt care cards as you need (remember to save the downloaded file to your computer for future use!), and viola! You’ll have an extra-happy quilt recipient who can actually use and enjoy their quilt…regardless of their previous experience with washing a handmade quilt! Your loved ones will 100% appreciate the extra effort you put into helping them learn how to care for a handmade quilt.
Want to really wow them? In addition to your beautiful handmade quilt and the quilt care card, make them a quilt care kit! A few items you might want to include are:
The Quilt Care Card, of course!
A gentle laundry detergent (I like All Free & Clear)
Shout Color Catchers (These are a must, especially if you’ve got bright colors!)
How to treat a quilt stain
But what to do if there’s a quilt stain emergency? As much as no one wants it to happen, actually using a quilt means that it will most certainly be exposed to more staining substances than it would if it were on a closet shelf! While this quilt care card doesn’t have all the answers for specific stains, it provides enough information for basic quilt care. A bit of Google research can take care of the rest (and maybe, in the future, I’ll share a post about my experiences here on the blog)!
I will say I’ve successfully used Shout Triple Acting, OxiClean MaxForce, Goop Hand Cleaner, and the ever-fabulous Dawn dish soap as stain removers - BUT - be sure to test a small, inconspicuous area first before using ANYTHING on your handmade quilt.
All that said, go ahead and click the button below, sign up for the download, and you’ll be on your way to gift in style, ensuring that the beautiful quilt you made gets used and loved!
One last thing: Add a quilt label!
It may seem like a long time from now, but as your quilt gets passed down from generation to generation, be sure that those who love it know whose creative genius was behind all the work (that’s you!) so they can appreciate the quilt even more.
There are so many options for quilt labels, and I’ll share a post in the future about several of them. However, my two favorite methods are simply writing on a scrap piece of fabric or pre-printed label and attaching it OR using custom labels from a place like Ever Emblem. I find the satin ones (shown below) very easy to attach and use, and couldn’t recommend them enough! If you’d like a little more guidance, check out this helpful blog post by Amy Smart over at Diary of a Quilter: How to Add a Label to a Quilt.
Full transparency here: In the photo above for my daughter Meredith, I used pens recommended on several other quilt blogs. After washing it fades somewhat, and looks like the images below. My plan is to go back and embroider the same message in a coordinating color…just need to learn embroidery first (small detail)!
It’s still definitely readable, but not as super-sharp as it once was. Regardless of how you choose to label your quilt, don’t forget your quilt care card (get it by clicking the button below) and happy quilt gifting!