Quilting looks intimidating right up until the first one is finished, and then it turns into a habit. These 27 easy quilt ideas for beginners start with the simplest builds, like strip quilts, rag quilts and a one hour triangle quilt where the fabric does the piecing for you. From there they work up to coin quilts, rail fence, chevron and a pixelated heart. Some are small wins, like a mini quilt, a chicken block and a round play mat, and some are bigger, like a denim picnic quilt and a patchwork duvet cover. Most come with free patterns or full measurements. Pick one, grab a rotary cutter and start with straight lines.
1. Make A Photo Quilt
A photo quilt is a hug from home for anyone heading off to college, and this version keeps the piecing dead simple: 48 squares of 9 inches each, laid out in 8 rows of 6, photo blocks included. Photos print onto printable fusible fabric, which does not come 9 inches wide, so each print gets fused to a larger white square to fit. Choose fabrics that match the dorm bedding or mean something to the person, and back it with 2 yards of soft 60 inch wide fabric. The tutorial also covers what went wrong, which is the useful part.
Get the full tutorial at The Polka Dot Chair.
2. Chevron Quilt For Beginners
Chevron looks tricky, but it is nothing more than half square triangles. Cut 88 five inch squares, eight each from 10 fabrics and four each from 2 more for the ends, then slice every square corner to corner into two triangles. Lay them out in the zigzag (the tutorial includes a layout graphic), sew triangle pairs into squares, then sew the squares into rows. The finished baby quilt is 45 by 34 inches, and adding squares makes it bigger. This tutorial exists because the pattern once went wrong for its author, so read the warnings.
Get the full tutorial at Making Things is Awesome.
3. One Hour Triangle Quilt
The secret behind this one hour quilt is fabric printed with full size triangles, so there is no piecing at all. Order 2 yards of the custom printed fabric, trim it up, sew on a backing and bind it. Every point is perfect and every line is straight because the printer did the hard part. Technically it is a quilted blanket rather than a pieced quilt, but it looks like the real thing, and metallic gold bias tape makes the binding feel special. The only real wait is the shipping.
Get the full tutorial at see kate sew.
4. Strip and Flip Baby Quilt
Bright strips, one white accent band and a clever cutting trick make this baby quilt look harder than it is. Cut 27 color strips 2 inches by the width of the fabric and two white strips 1.5 inches wide. Sew them into pairs, then pairs together, switching direction each time so nothing stretches, and press the seams open. Trim to 35 inches wide, cut out a 5 inch section 8 inches in from the right, add a white strip to each side, rotate it 180 degrees and sew it back in. It finishes at 36 by 41 inches.
Get the full tutorial at Cluck Cluck Sew.
5. Make A T-Shirt Quilt
Old T-shirts hold a lot of memories, and a T-shirt quilt keeps them in use instead of in a box. The catch is the knit. The same stretch that makes a tee comfortable makes it warp under the needle, so every shirt gets stabilized first with a fusible backing that holds its shape while it is cut and sewn. The softer and more worn the shirt, the more it needs that backing. The full how-to is a step by step video tutorial embedded on the post, and it is the easiest way to see the process.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
6. Stylish Quilted Tote Bag
A quilted tote with a wide open top, so everything inside is visible at a glance and nothing gets lost at the bottom. A purse organizer drops right in because the shapes match. It works as an everyday purse or for books, groceries or knitting, and choosing two favorite colors (red and turquoise, in this case) makes it go with everything, jeans included. It is also a strong gift or a good seller for a craft fair table. The how-to is a step by step video from a well known quilting show, embedded on the post.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
7. Modern Denim Quilt
Old jeans make a tough picnic quilt, and strips go together much faster than small squares. Cut 6 inch wide strips from adult jeans in light, medium and dark washes and arrange them so the color fades from one end to the other. A soft flannel back with no batting keeps it warm without getting too thick, and lets a regular machine quilt straight lines about an inch apart. Prefer tying? That works too. Garage sales are the cheapest source of denim, so shop with the full color range in mind.
Get the full tutorial at It's Always Autumn.
8. Make A Rag Quilt
A rag quilt skips traditional piecing. Blocks are layered and sewn, and the edges are left to fray into a soft, shabby chic finish. Start by picking a block size; 12, 10, 9 and 6 inches are the traditional ones, and smaller blocks mean more fraying and more fabric. A rag allowance of 3/4 inch is a good default, or 1/2 inch for less fluff. For a first quilt, flannel, batting and flannel is the easiest and lightest combination to sew. Ragging shears are optional but save your hands. A free yardage guide is included.
Get the full tutorial at Fleece Fun.
9. New Address Mini Quilt
A mini quilt that celebrates a move with a topographic map of the new neighborhood. The lake shoreline is printed as a 16 inch template, traced onto fusible web, fused to blue fabric and set on a green background, with a red map pin and tiny house cut out the same way. Then the walking foot does the fun part, stitching contour lines across the whole piece, with four shades of blue thread on the water and the lightest along the shore. A clever housewarming gift, and a great way to use up scraps.
Get the full tutorial at Slice of Pi Quilts.
10. Quilt Made From Vintage Sheets
Vintage floral sheets are a cheap fabric jackpot, and a single sheet holds a lot of yardage. This quilt uses about 10 different floral prints, many hunted from pay by the pound thrift outlet bins, and stains are easy to cut around. Old sheets also become the binding, the backing and even the middle layer in place of batting, which makes a light summer weight quilt that does not need close quilting. Straight lines finish it. One tip learned the hard way: spread the darkest prints out so they do not clump.
Get the full tutorial at Swoodson Says.
11. Round Quilted Play Mat
A round play mat for tummy time takes 1 yard each of printed cotton, solid cotton and cotton batting, plus 3 yards of double fold bias tape. Prewash it all, stack the layers smooth and trace a 34 inch circle from a parchment paper template, then pin just inside the line and cut the circle out. Quilt a center line with a longer stitch, add lines every 4 inches, then repeat across them for a grid. Trim the edge, pin on the bias tape and fold the end under for a clean join. Two layers of batting make it plusher, and a walking foot keeps them from bunching.
Get the full tutorial at A Beautiful Mess.
12. Strip Tango Quilt
A fat quarter friendly baby quilt built entirely from strips. Trim nine fat quarters to 20.5 inches and cut four strips of 4.5 by 20.5 inches from each, 36 in all. The one rule to remember: five strips sewn side by side equal one strip’s length, which keeps the proportions right. The quilt finishes at 48 by 60 inches. Play with the layout until it looks right, then snap a photo before sewing so a pet cannot scramble it. Pressing can wait until the very end, which is a rebel move.
Get the full tutorial at My Quilt Infatuation.
13. Crayon Box Patchwork Baby Quilt
Bright little squares marching in tidy rows, just like a fresh box of crayons. This free pattern alternates 2.5 inch squares of cheerful print fabric with white squares, then adds white sashing between the rows and a white border around the edges. You get eight rows, and the finished quilt is 38 inches square, a sweet size for a newborn or a toddler lap quilt. It’s all straight seams, which makes it a really friendly first quilt for beginners.
Get the full tutorial at A Spoonful of Sugar.
14. Gingham Baby Quilt
Gingham, made from nothing but plain squares. This 36 inch baby quilt is 11 rows of 11 four inch squares: rows of navy alternate with grey, rows of white alternate with grey, and the check appears on its own. It takes 1 yard of grey (60 squares), 2/3 yard each of white (25 squares) and navy (36 squares), 1.5 yards of navy flannel for a cozy back and 1/3 yard of goldenrod for the binding. Straight line quilting keeps it simple, and it can come together in two afternoons.
Get the full tutorial at Gluesticks Blog.
15. Easy Strip Quilt
This tutorial is written by someone who says flat out they are not a quilter, which is exactly why it works for beginners. Fabric strips stack into a quilt, each one a different height or all the same, and only 1/8 to 1/4 yard of each print is needed, so scraps work beautifully. Poster board templates set the size of each strip, with 1/2 inch added for seam allowance. A flat sheet makes an easy backing and cotton batting goes in the middle. Pick the fabrics first; that is the fun part.
Get the full tutorial at Lu Bird Baby.
16. Colorbrick Beginner's Quilt
A full beginner quilt-along that teaches the basics while making one real quilt: rotary cutting, chain piecing, spray basting, quilting along the lines and machine binding. Ten fat quarters become the bricks, and a solid neutral covers the sashing and backing. The large pieces mean it comes together quickly but looks more interesting than a simple block quilt. The only skill assumed is sewing a straight line on a machine. Follow the linked posts in order and it can be finished in a few weeks, bumps and all.
Get the full tutorial at Stitched in Color.
17. Big Block Patchwork Duvet Cover
Big patchwork for the biggest thing in the bedroom. This duvet cover mixes a dozen fabric cuts from seven designers, sized into just three patchwork panels, with a pop of fleece for texture. Cutting plans are included for king, queen or full, and twin, so the math is already done. Expect to handle a lot of fabric even for a twin: a clean floor with the furniture pushed back makes the best workspace, and clamps help on long seams. It is a great lesson in mixing prints by color and scale.
Get the full tutorial at Sew4Home.
18. Easy Half-Square Blocks Quilt
Built for 10 inch precut squares, this quilt can go from start to finish in a day. Pair 20 squares into contrasting pairs, right sides together, draw a line down the center and sew 1/4 inch on each side, then cut on the line for two blocks at once. Trim each to 9 1/2 inches and lay them out 4 by 5, alternating the direction. The sample uses plush cuddle fabric, which takes a 1/2 inch seam everywhere else and sheds fuzz when cut, so keep a hand vacuum close. Any layer cake works.
Get the full tutorial at Pieces by Polly.
19. Easy Baby Coin Quilt
A coin quilt sews up in a hurry and shows off a lot of different prints at once. Cut 17 patterned strips 2.5 by 9 inches, arrange them in a column, sew with a quarter inch seam and press. Add side panels about 34 by 6.5 inches and 34 by 18.5 inches, but measure the pieced column first, since seam allowances can shift its height by an inch. Back it with a panel at least 2 inches bigger than the top, then machine quilt, hand quilt or tie it, whatever you like.
Get the full tutorial at Simple Simon and Company.
20. Rail Fence Baby Quilt
Rail fence is one of the friendliest blocks there is: three strips sewn together, cut into squares and turned in alternating directions. A jelly roll of precut strips takes the cutting out entirely. This baby quilt sorts the strips into cream, pink and blue, grouped in threes for a soft variegated fade, with a solid flannel back and a pink floral binding. It finishes around 38 by 44 inches, which is just right for a baby, and a curvy stitch over each vertical seam handles the quilting.
Get the full tutorial at daisyeyes.
21. Easy, Thrifty, Pretty Rag Quilt
A rag quilt that can be finished in one very long evening, and precision is optional. Cut fabric squares at 7 inches and batting squares at 6, sandwich the batting between two fabric squares and stitch an X across each one. Do not fuss over lining the layers up perfectly; just trim each finished block with a 6 1/2 inch cardboard template and a rotary cutter. This one is 10 rows of 13, so 130 batting squares and 260 fabric squares. Remnants keep it thrifty, and the result is anything but.
Get the full tutorial at Imperfect Homemaking.
22. US State Map Quilt
A road trip quilt with the whole country appliqued across it in scrappy calico prints. Print the free map as a paper grid 7 sheets across and 4 down, tape it together and cut the states apart along the lines. Then each state is cut from fabric backed with lightweight fusible webbing, about 5 yards of it, and fused onto 2 yards of ivory background. Mark places you have visited with a little embroidery or tiny hearts. A free Canada map connects at the top for anyone who wants to head north.
Get the full tutorial at Flamingo Toes.
23. Chicken Quilt Block Tutorial
A pieced chicken block for a farmhouse quilt, a pillow or a whole row of hens. It finishes at 6.5 by 7.5 inches inside a quilt (7 by 8 before sewing in), with quarter inch seams throughout. The corners are made by stitching on the diagonal of small squares and trimming, so there are no tricky triangles to cut. The comb is two small rectangles sewn wrong sides together around a drawn shape, cut out and tucked into a seam, and a 1.25 inch square becomes the beak. Make a whole flock from scraps.
Get the full tutorial at Sew Inspired.
24. Stair Step Quilt
A big, soft throw that finishes at 54 by 70 inches and can be made in a single day, which makes it a great Father’s Day or graduation quilt. It is sewn from 10 inch width of fabric strips, cut into rectangles and squares that step across the quilt in alternating colors. The sample uses plush cuddle fabrics, including a vintage car print, so every seam is 1/2 inch rather than the usual 1/4. Choose prints for whoever it is for and the same layout works for anyone. Stargazing blanket, sorted.
Get the full tutorial at Pieces by Polly.
25. Easy Cathedral Window Quilt
Cathedral window quilts have a fiddly reputation, and this method makes them approachable. Cut a stack of 2.5 inch squares, fold two of them on the diagonal and press, lay them on a third square and sew a quarter inch seam that catches all the corners. Opened up, it looks like fabric origami, or like something went wrong. It did not. Join the sets into a base and the machine sewing is finished. Contrasting window squares then sit on point between the folded edges. Any square size works.
Get the full tutorial at Regaling From Windy Ridge.
26. Easy Bandana Quilt
Four bandanas and a piece of fleece make a quick, bright quilt. The bandanas are cut into triangles, sewn in pairs and then into four matching blocks of four triangles each, with quarter inch seams pressed open. Turn the blocks so the warm colors meet in the middle and form a pinwheel, sew them into two rows and join the rows. Add batting and a fleece back and it is finished. The design was planned and sewn by a young sewist, which says everything about how beginner friendly it is.
Get the full tutorial at Sylvia's Stitches.
27. Modern Square Garden Quilt
One charm pack, 2 yards of gingham and simple sashing make a fresh square quilt that finishes at 38.5 by 51.5 inches. Cut sashing at 2.5 by 5 inches between the squares and 2.5 by 31 inches between the rows, plus 4 inch borders. Lay out 35 squares, sew the short sashing between them in seven rows, join the rows with the long sashing, then add side borders before top and bottom. The same gingham becomes the bias binding. Cut the big pieces first, small ones last, and nothing runs short.
Get the full tutorial at Tea Rose Home.
