By craft contributor Lauren

Picnics are one of the best ways to take advantage of the summer weather. Be prepared for a quick trip to the park or for a leisurely snack and refreshing drink while enjoying a sunset and make one of these handy roll up picnic blankets!

Keep reading for the full instructions…

I decided to use a durable shower curtain as they can be easily wiped down, perfect for spills or laying over a damp patch of grass. Plus it’s about 100 times easier to find an affordable and super cute shower curtain. I also added a pocket so all you have to do is pack your things, roll it up, and carry one easy bag to your picnic destination.

You can complete this tutorial with or without a sewing machine (only a few stitches i promise!), so don’t worry if you aren’t an expert sewer. Read on to make your very own and you’ll be on your way to lounging on your new creation as soon as this weekend.

Supplies: shower curtain, simple lightweight fabric for inner pocket, iron on hem tape, sew on snaps, thick ribbon, twine, a needle & thread (sewing machine optional) and an iron (not shown).

Step 1. Fold you curtain in half length wise, then again so that you have create 4 equal parts. This is how you will fold your finished blanket for tying up and carrying.

Step 2. Cut a piece of your lightweight fabric to create the pocket. The width needs to be slightly smaller than 1/4 of the full width (so you don’t fold the pocket when rolling up for transportation). The height can be as big as you’d like. Measure pieces of hem tape that are the length of the bottom edge and the height of both sides. Follow instructions on your hem tape, place under each edge of the “pocket” and iron on leaving top edge open.

Step 3. Sew on a few snaps at the top of the pocket to keep your stuff tucked inside

Step 4. Fold your curtain back up into quarters lengthwise as you did in step one and start loosely rolling up, starting at the edge where you have just created the pocket. Roll loosely as you will want to leave room to pack things in your pocket. Make 4 marks, 2 on each end of the rolled curtain. One each end, you will make a mark at the bottom edge and one just past the edge. At each of these marks, you will sew a short piece of twine down. These pieces of twine will be tied together and used to keep the roll closed.

Step 5. Next you will sew on the straps. Place one end down of your thicker ribbon and sew the edge over where you attached your twine. Measure how long you would like your strap, cut, and attach the other end of the ribbon on top of the second piece of twine. Repeat on the opposite side to create your second strap.

If you always start your roll at the end with the pocket, the ties and straps will line up every time.

Now take it out for a test drive. Bring your pup, family, or just yourself… and enjoy!