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Spring and Summer are the perfect seasons to enjoy picnics and the great outdoors with family and friends in Australia.
Whether it’s a picnic by the beach where you can enjoy a swim, catch some waves, play a game of volleyball or have a bbq picnic at your favourite scenic park, picnics are an Aussie tradition!
When planning a picnic, one important item on the checklist is a picnic blanket or rug. This will be your spot to sit and enjoy the picnic spread, so it is important to choose one that is waterproof* (or water-resistant or water-repellant), comfortable, durable, easy to clean and of course stylish!
(*Saltwater Picnic Co have written an informative post on Water Resistant vs Waterproof Picnic Rugs).
For the picnic blankets in this round-up, we have taken the wording the Etsy listings have used to describe the ‘weatherproof-ness’ of their items. Please contact the respective companies if further clarification is needed before purchasing a picnic blanket).
We’ve selected 8 picnic blankets from Etsy (plus two other Australian brands we love) that fit the bill, perfect for your next outdoor catch-up with friends, family or a romantic date.
Cockatoo Oasis Picnic Mat
The Cockatoo Oasis Picnic Mat features a bold, colourful design capturing the magnificent natural beauty of the Daintree rainforest in Queensland.
This lovely picnic mat is designed by SolSeekers Australia. We love how this company uses 100% rPet recycled fabric (polyethylene terephthalate) sourced from post-consumer waste drink bottles to make their picnic mats.
Specifications
Material: 3 layers of 100% recycled polyester, no PVC or harmful adhesives
Size: 148cm x 200cm
Cleaning: Wipe down only. Do not machine wash.
Waterproof: Yes
Weight: 1.4kg and features 4x sand pockets and pegs to anchor the mat to the ground.
Construction: glue-free construction binds 3 layers of fabric keeping it compact.
Other: Has a hidden valuable pocket with a waterproof zipper, UV30+
Australian Native Animals Round Baby Picnic Mat
NeonNumbat has created a range of cute Australian animal-themed picnic mat designs. These are a fun, educational way for babies and toddlers to learn about Australian animals whilst playing on the mat. It’s suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
It also features a cord so you quickly gather up the toys on the mat and easily turn it into a bag to carry the toys back to the car or your next destination.
This lovely picnic mat is designed by NeonNumbat, an Australian business.
Specifications
Material: 100% polyester front, PVC anti-slip backing on reverse side
Size: 150cm diameter
Cleaning: Machine washable
Other: Transforms into a carry bag for easy carrying
Extra Large Boho Picnic Rug “Delilah”
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The Delilah woven picnic rug is handmade and features a gorgeous floral design combining pastels with warm oranges and pinks. It is designed by Wilder, a local business based in Sydney.
The picnic rug is reversible. If you flip it over, the other side shows the print in different colours. So you essentially have two designs in the one picnic blanket!
Specifications
Material: Cotton, polyester.
Size: Extra large picnic rug at 160cm x 200cm (comfortably fit 4 adults on the rug)
Cleaning: Machine washing. Cold machine wash. Wash by itself or with similar colours.
Eucalyptus Cotton Picnic Blanket
The Layzy range of picnic rugs exudes style, functionality and quality craftsmanship. They manufacture their products on-demand (to mitigate against overproduction) from their studio in Berlin, Germany.
The rugs also have padding to protect against hard surfaces, making them more comfortable to sit on.
Specifications
Material: 80% cotton and 20% polyester. Filling material is Oeko-Tex® Standard 100. Bottom is 100% polyester, waterproof.
Sizes: 3 sizes available. Small: 140cm x 140cm, Medium: 140cm x 180cm and Large: 140cm x 200cm.
Waterproof: The underside is water-repellent.
Weight: Small: 1.2kg, Medium: 1.4kg, Large: 1.5kg.
Cleaning: Gentle washing at max. 30°C, only spin in wool spin gear. Do not dry in the dryer.
Geometric Patterned Picnic Rug
This multi-purpose picnic rug features a bold geometric design. It also comes in a choice of 2 colours: red and blue. It’s sold by a local business in Sydney called OFFLINESAU.
Specfications
Material: Cotton
Size: 150cm x 150cm (sits 2-4 people)
Waterproof: the picnic rug features a water-repellent underside.
Cleaning: The top side can be cleaned with a brush and the underside can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Other: It comes with a stylish wrap-around harness for easy carrying.
Personalised Round Blue Picnic or Beach Blanket
This lovely blanket round picnic blanket would make an ideal engagement or wedding present as you can add a personalised message or lovely quote to the blanket. You have a choice of white or pink lettering with up to 30 characters of up to 15 characters per line.
It also features gorgeous white tassels along the perimeter giving it that extra style factor. You can also add a linen drawstring bag to the order for easy packing.
This picnic blanket is designed and personalised by Jonny’s Sister, a business based in Somerset, UK.
Specfications
Material: 100% cotton
Size: 190cm diameter
Extra Large Faux Wool Herringbone Waterproof Picnic Blanket
This lovely picnic blanket exudes a feeling of luxury and romance. It features a classic herringbone pattern in brown with oatmeal coloured tassels. It also has chestnut brown faux leather harness straps and bronze metal buckles so you can carry it around in style. It features a thick, soft faux wool upper layer for extra comfort and insulation.
It’s an extra large-sized blanket making it perfect to lay down on with your date and still have room for your wine glasses and charcuterie board.
Komorebi is a small family-owned business based in the U.S.
Specifications
Material: thick, soft faux wool upper, 100% waterproof oxford polyester backing to keep you dry
Size: 200cm x 150cm when flat (can fit 2-4 adults), 40cm x 20cm when rolled up.
Waterproof: Yes and sand proof.
Weight: 1.7kg.
Cleaning: Top layer: use tissues to absorb the spilt liquid till the surface becomes dry. Stubborn stains: wipe the surface back and forth with warm water and mild soap and then line dry. Bottom waterproof layer: wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Warranty: 12 months manufacturer’s warranty.
Water Repellent Picnic Blanket Featuring Your Personalised Photo
This cute picnic blanket is customization to the max! Your blanket is sure to be unique and won’t get mixed up with other picnic blankets. This would make the perfect gift too!
You can have a photo of your fur baby, family, favourite place, food or anything else printed on the blanket. You can even add multiple photos to the blanket if you like, for an additional $5 per photo. The possibilities are endless!
The picnic blanket features a soft fleece on the top side making it comfortable to sit on at the beach, park or at concerts. The underside features a waterproof polyester shell making the blanket water-resistant and sand proof.
There are 19 blanket background colours you can choose from including teal, royal blue, hot pink and yellow. There is also a gingham pattern available in red, blue or black.
The picnic blankets are custom made-to-order from Los Angeles, California by Custom Cooper’s Products.
Specifications
Material: Plush microfiber polyester with water-repellent polyester Oxford lining.
Size: 127cm x 150cm
Waterproof: It’s water-repellent and sand proof.
Cleaning: Machine wash and dry
Saltwater Picnic Co: Water Resistant and Water Repellent Picnic Rugs
Saltwater Picnic Co is an Australian business who manufacture a range of luxurious, beautiful, large, eco-friendly picnic blankets. The picnic rugs are also water, sand and stain proof as well as machine washable. The picnic rugs have a 150gsm filling for extra sitting comfort.
They only manufacture 250 pieces of each design so you won’t see your picnic rug everywhere you turn. Each rug is crafted from a single piece of material so you won’t see any joins in your picnic rug.
Beyond the gorgeous print designs, we especially love Saltwater Picnic Co’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Their picnic rugs are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Each rug saves 96 water bottles from landfill and ocean pollution. Other initiatives include a partnership with Ecologi where one tree is planted for each picnic rug sold.
Specifications
Material: 100% recycled fabrics made from recycled plastic water bottles.
Size: 200cm x 200cm. Rolled up they measure approx. 35cm x 17cm.
Cleaning: Machine washable. Line dry.
Waterproof: The picnic rugs are water-resistant.
Warranty: 12-month limited warranty if any defects occur during the normal use and care of your picnic rug.
Other: The picnic rugs are stain proof meaning they utilize a liquid repellent technology that causes anything spilt on them to bead up rather than soaking in, making them easy to clean and impossible to stain.
kollab: Water Resistant Picnic Mats
Kollab is an Australian brand offering a range of everyday products including market bags, cooler bags, lunch boxes and picnic mats. They have a beautiful range of print designs for their products. These designs include collaborations with talented artists including Maggie Stephenson and Maria Vashchuk of The Tiny Garden.
In the picnic mats category, we’re especially digging the Playground print at the moment, and we also love the Safari and the Dots designs.
The mats come with an adjustable strap so you can fold or roll up your picnic mat any way you like without any fuss.
Kollab picnic mats have also been manufactured with a sustainability objective The picnic mats are partly made from recycled rPET materials. The mats also have a seam in the product to minimise fabric waste (rather than trying to pattern match for a picnic mat of this size).
Specifications
Material: Oxford cotton/polyester material on the front, a polyester backing and a comfortable foam lining.
Size: 200cm x 200cm (fits 4 people comfortably). Size folded: 37cm x 27cm x 9cm
Waterproof: Polyester water-resistant back keeps the underside dry.
Cleaning: Spot-clean with soapy water and hang out to fully dry before storing.
Hopefully you’ll love this selection of beautiful and functional picnic blankets we’ve found (which have also received great customer reviews), and will be inspired to organise a lovely picnic gathering outdoors with your friends and family.
