#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--NO-SEW FLEECE BLANKETS

Toddlers and young children don’t always want to take naps, even though, as every daycare center and nursery school knows, they need these rest periods in the afternoon. Without them, they often become cranky “little monsters” later in the day. If your little ones or grandchildren are resisting rest periods, try enticing them with a special fuzzy no-sew blankie that requires absolutely no skill other than using scissors and tying knots.

First, make a special trip to the fabric store with the child. Allow him or her to choose a favorite from the myriad patterns of no-pill fleece available. Most fabric stores carry a wide variety of prints with everything from cartoon characters, cars, trains, unicorns, rainbows, and more. Since you’ll need two pieces of fabric, you can make the blanket reversible if the child can’t choose between two patterns. Or you can suggest a print for one side and a coordinating solid, stripe, plaid, or polka-dot for the other side, as in the photo.

 

Note: fabric lengths are for a toddler-size blanket. If an older brother or sister also wants a blanket, you’ll need 2-yds. of fleece for each side, and depending on the age, they can probably cut and tie their own blankets.

 

No-Sew Fleece Blanket

 

Materials: 

1-1/2 yds. 58-60” wide no-pill fleece (or 3-yds. If using the same print for front and back)

1-1/2 yds. 58-60” wide no-pill fleece in second pattern or coordinating color or pattern

Fabric shears or pinking shears

Yardstick

 

Place the fleece on a flat surface. If you don’t have a table large enough, use the floor, but make sure it’s clean! With long, smooth cuts, carefully trim the selvage from both sides of each piece of fabric. If using one pattern for both sides of the blanket, cut the fabric in half for two 1-1/2 yds. lengths.

 

With wrong sides together, line up the two pieces of fabric. If the pieces are slightly different in size, trim them even.

 

With the two pieces of fabric still together, cut a 6” square through both layers on each of the four corners.

 

Place the yardstick across the fabric, 6” from the edge. Using the yardstick as a guide and cutting through both layers of fabric, cut 1” wide strips of fabric, 6” long across each of the four sides of the blanket. Move the yardstick along the fabric as needed to maintain the 1” width of the strips.

 

Leave the blanket on the flat surface with all fringe lined up. Beginning at one corner, cross the end of each double strip over itself, forming a loop. Knot the strips together by bringing the ends through the loop and sliding the knot up to the edge of the blanket. Continue knotting, working your way around all four sides of the blanket.