Places To Donate Baby Blankets In The U.S. (Plus, Fun Ways To Repurpose Baby Blankets!)

Baby Blanket Donations 101

I counted 18 baby blankets while cleaning out my son’s closet the other day.

Most of them are unused (except for a couple of ultra-lightweight muslin swaddle blankets).

Living in East Tennessee simply didn’t provide many opportunities to use these beautiful blankets — because it’s so hot.

I know that I’ve kept these swaddle blankets for much too long. But each one has sentimental value. Every single one of them was either handmade or given to us out of love from friends and family at our baby shower over 2 years ago.

I wasn’t sure if my baby blanket abundance was an anomaly or not, but I knew they needed to be donated to a special cause.

I was eager to find places to donate baby blankets for other newborns in my area.

Are you, too, wondering where to donate used baby blankets?

Here’s my feel-good story about donating baby blankets to charity. Plus, fun ways to repurpose baby blankets and other newborn items — to find good uses for them around the house!

My Experience Donating Baby Blankets

I discovered the perfect charity after attending a recent benefit concert, where my friend Monet Maddux was playing at The Shed (a concert venue in Maryville, TN).

At the time, I didn’t know much about the Rock the Cradle benefit — but I was curious to find out more information after Monet announced that the national foundation had saved 4,014 babies already (104 of them in Tennessee).

What on earth could they be saving babies from?…

The next day I did some research and checked out the website. I contacted the local organization here in my community via email (A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee) and asked if they accepted used baby blanket donations for their cause. I received an almost immediate response that they would gladly accept my blankets.

A Secret Safe Place helps to protect newborn infants through community education of the nationwide Safe Haven Law. (In Tennessee, this law gives pregnant women an option to safely surrender their unharmed baby — up to 3 days old — for whatever reason.) The mother can remain anonymous and without fear of persecution after surrendering her baby to an employee at any hospital, birthing center, community health clinic, and various other approved facilities.

I really like how organizations like this are in place to help inform women (who are more than likely scared, unsupported, and feeling hopeless) of their options… and reduce infant abandonment.

I was happy to donate a large bag of blankets so the babies in their care could be swaddled in love. I hope that our handmade blankets will serve as a warm hug of love for each and every baby.

Here in Tennessee, Helping Mamas is another worthy organization that accepts gently used essential items for children ages birth to age 14 — and maternity clothes.

Places To Donate Baby Blankets

No matter where you live in the United States, you can donate used baby blankets through National Safe Haven Alliance organizations all across the country.

Here’s a list of places to donate baby blankets near you:

• Find your local Buy Nothing group – where your neighbors are seeking FREE donations and donating FREE items every single day.
• Similarly, there are Buy Nothing groups on Facebook – choose the one nearest you.
• With chapters in all 50 states, Project Linus accepts baby blanket donations.
• Some YWCA’s accept in-kind donations.
• Find your local Freecycle group – where people who live near you are seeking specific items and donating gently used items (FREE stuff only).
• Likewise, there are Freecycle groups on Facebook — choose the one nearest you.
• If you happen to live in the Midwest, you can schedule a FREE pickup of items you wish to donate through Donate Stuff.
• Pickup Please is another organization that allows you to schedule a FREE pickup of donated items all across the U.S.
• If you’re an animal lover, keep in mind that local animal shelters are always in need of blankets and more.

Here’s a list of other organizations that may also accept used baby blanket donations locally:

• Churches – Call churches in your community. Some of the bigger churches have missionary trips and other outlets that could distribute donated blankets. Church and ministry groups often have connections that can get used baby blanket donations to the places where they’re needed most.
• Hospitals – Some hospitals will accept baby blanket donations. Check with your local hospital, especially if they have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or if the majority of patients are below the poverty line.
• Pregnancy Centers – Contact your local Pregnancy Center or Birthing Center. I would imagine the staff at these centers tend to develop a relationship with their clients and probably know of a family in need of some used baby blankets.
• Homeless Shelters & Women’s Shelters – Domestic Violence Centers and Homeless Shelters would more than likely accept donations of gently used baby blankets, or at least know of families in need who may be experiencing a temporary hardship.
• Elder Care Facilities – The softness of baby blankets will be appreciated and used as lap blankets.

Ways To Repurpose Baby Blankets

Now, for those of you who are looking for ways to upcycle some of your cherished blankets, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite ways to repurpose baby blankets.

1. Make an adorable basket from several used baby blankets — these would be so cute in a storage cube! (here are the step-by-step instructions more here)
2. Make a dog bed from used baby blankets — similar to a patchwork quilt.
3. Make a cute pillow for your toddler — it’s soft and child-size. (Here’s how: simply fold a baby blanket in half, sew around the edges leaving a small opening, stuff with polyfil, then whipstitch it closed. Here’s another way to make it.)
4. Turn your baby’s hospital blanket into a stuffed animal keepsake — you get to choose from a variety of shapes & sizes, and your child gets to have a keepsake for life! (Or to pass down to their own children.)
5. Make a weighted blanket for your child — using the child’s own receiving blankets, sew them together to make a brand new blanket with a purpose! Weighted blankets help kids in a number of ways, from alleviating stress and anxiety to helping them deal with sensory issues.
6. Make a reading pillow for your child — with pockets and a handle, it’s the perfect reading pillow for your child’s reading nook.
7. Make a large winter blanket from several used baby blankets — this could be for your toddler or for yourself!
8. Hang them on a baby blanket ladder — display a few of your child’s favorite baby blankets on a blanket ladder for decor… and to remind you and the kids to use them.

Old baby blankets can also be used as a backdrop for your baby photos, as nursing covers, burp cloths, tummy time blankets, changing mats, car seat covers, face wipe cloths, muddy puppy paw cloths, baby doll blankets, or even as a playmat when you’re on the go.

If you like to sew, then you could also sew them in such a way as to make little pockets for all of the “small things” that your child plays with.