How Many Jelly Rolls to Make a Quilt (Lap, Twin, Queen, King)

Jelly rolls can make it so easy to quickly finish a quilt top, but how many jelly rolls to make a quilt? Jelly roll fabric strips are 2 1/2″ wide by the width of the fabric, making it pretty nice when it comes to sewing straight lines.

A jelly roll quilt using the strip set or long strip can come in many sizes – twin, lap, queen, king, giving you a great variety of finished quilt top sizes. Perfect for beginner quilters, using jelly roll strips makes it a great place to start and learn quilting.

Let’s explore a few things about jelly rolls and what they potentially can be sewn into. There’s a quick chart to help you figure this all out as well.

What is a jelly roll –

Jelly rolls are strips of fabric, typically 2 1/2″ wide strips by the width of the fabric (40″)

They are pre-cut strips of fabric, with a pinking edge making them not fray when sewn together or used.

After you have your strips sewn using the quarter inch seam allowance, you’ll find the finished width of the strips to be 2 inches.

How many strips in a jelly roll –

Typically they are cut from a line of fabric – each strip representing a fabric in the designers line.

The strips in a jelly roll can vary, depending on the fabric line. They can be the full fabric line and have 40-42 strips or they can be 21 or another collection of fabrics. While there isn’t a set number of strips, you’ll find how many are included in the roll you buy on the label.

How many yards is a jelly roll –

You’ll find 2 4/3 yards of fabric in strips in a jelly roll. It’s a lot of yardage, simply cut into 2 1/2 inch strips.

How large of a quilt will a single jelly roll make –

Using the standard 40-strip jelly roll, you will get a quilt that is 50″ x 64″ without any additional border. From this, you can have some fun with adding extra strips, adding border or sashing.

Jelly roll quilt size chart –

Keep the confusion away with this chart. It will tell you how many jelly roll strips you need to complete a specific sized quilt. Included are not only how many jelly rolls, but how many actual strips you need. Sizes shown are lap quilt or throw quilts, queen size quilt, king size quilt, twin size, and baby quilts or crib quilt.

How many jelly rolls are needed to make a baby quilt –

For a 32 x 50 sized crib quilt, you’ll need half a jelly roll or 20 strips.

Make your strips go the extra mile by adding a border to the outside. For one jelly roll, you’ll be able to get 2 baby quilts.

Jelly roll strips for a lap sized quilt –

This is the perfect size quilt if you are on a sewing or fabric budget. All you will need to make a 50 by 64-inch lap quilt is 1 jelly roll. This uses all your strips, so you may want to add a few strips from your stash just in case you make a mistake. But this is the best use of a jelly roll pack.

Jelly roll strips for a queen sized quilt –

Some people figure it will take about 2.4 packages of jelly rolls to make one queen size quilt. As you can see the actual figure is 105- 40 inch strips which will leave you with about 15 strips for your stash or if you need to make any corrections.

How many strips for a king sized quilt –

If you follow the size mentioned in our chart above, you will need 3 complete packages to make one king-size quilt. 120- 40 inch strips are required and this figure leaves you in the same boat as if you were making a lap quilt. This is really tight, similar to the queen sized quilt – so adding a few strips from your stash to go along is perfect to help if you make any errors in sewing.

How many jelly roll strips for a twin quilt –

For the twin, you’ll need 70 strips which is more than one jelly roll – but less than 2. So you will end up with some extra strips in the end. Perfect for adding a pillow case or something else fun to go along with the quilt. Or, set those aside for another quilt.

Can you make a rug using a jelly roll – YES!

One jelly roll will get you a beautiful rug, here’s a few tutorials to help you make a jelly roll rug.

Jelly roll table runner –

You definitely won’t use as many jelly rolls in a table runner as they are much smaller than a lap quilt. You’ll find a variety of sizes – but for the most part you’ll need around 10 or more strips. Because it’s a smaller project, you can have some fun with the design. Like a bargello, a braided table runner, ect.

Here’s a quick table runner you can use your jelly roll with.

Some additional fabrics or pre-cut fabrics you can add to your jelly rolls – adding separate pieces of fabric will make your jelly rolls go farther!

layer cakes (10 inch squares) – free layer cake patterns

charm packs (5 inch squares) – free zippy baby quilt pattern

fat quarters (18 inches x 21 inches) – free fat quarter fun

Common questions –

Do I need to prewash the jelly roll strips before sewing? NO. This will end up in a big mess. They are ready to be sewn together right when you purchase them. No prewashing required or needed. Avoid doing this.

Can I make my own strips? YES! It’s a lot of fun to dig around your stash and cut up your own 2 1/2 inch strips. While it’s nice to buy them ready to go, you can totally use your stash to build a custom or scrappy jelly roll for your next project.

Can I split up the jelly roll? YES! Don’t worry about using all the strips in one project. A smaller project is great, and you can do multiple small projects using the same jelly roll.

Are jelly rolls available in different sizes? Yes and no. You can find roll sets in 1 1/2 inch widths or even 3 inch widths – they aren’t called a jelly roll, but can be exchanged for one. Just make sure you catch the difference in the size and make any adjustments when sewing.

What is the size jelly roll race quilt? Using the strips in the jelly roll, the quilt will be 50″ X 64″

Looking for a perfect quilt design or free pattern using a jelly roll? Here are a few –

Free Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns

Lumber Jack Scrappy Quilt Pattern

Simple – jelly roll race quilt tutorial

scrap quilt (make your own jelly rolls using leftover strips!)

50+ Jelly Roll Quilt Patterns

Whether you are starting off with a pre-cut jelly roll or cutting from your own stash and building your own jelly roll, they are a great place to start.

They can be used for a modern look, a patchwork quilt with a unique look (no jelly roll quilt will look the same). You’ll end up with gorgeous quilts and most importantly – a finished top!

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