I wanted to make something snuggly for Popsicle to keep him cozy, so I went to my go to snuggle item a no sew fleece blanket. I headed to JoAnn where they just happened to be having a huge fleece sale and picked up a grey for the back and a red, white, and grey for the front... or Ohio State colors, duh!
I suggest washing your fleece before you get started, this will help make sure if it's going to shrink at all it shrinks before you tie it all together, plus you want to get the store off of it. There is nothing cozy about a blanket made with fabric that 500 people have touched or dropped on the floor, eww.
If you are using a patterned fleece it most likely has this little strip along one side, just chop that off. Check the other edges to see what kind of shape they are in, trim as needed to get nice looking edges, they DO NOT have to be perfect. Trust me.
Repeat with second color. Also, this is a much bigger blanket than I usually make. This is 3 yards of each color because I wanted it to be bed length. I usually use 2 yards for a couch blanket so that it's long enough to tuck under you and snuggle up around your arms.
Line up your fabrics as close as possible. You can trim the edges so the fabrics are the exact same size if you want, but if they are close that isn't really necessary.
Next you will fringe the edges and then tie a whole bunch of knots, this is the "no sew" part.
Start by cutting out a corner. As you can see this doesn't need to be perfect either. Promise. I usually use about a 3-4 inch square depending on how thin I plan to make the fringe pieces, If you plan to make your fringe closer to an inch wide then they can be shorter, if you prefer wider fringe then make them longer. If you're nervous about this part cut shorter and you can always cut a little extra if you have a hard time making knots.
Once the fringe is done you use each fringe pair to tie a knot. So here I tied the grey piece to the plaid piece, repeat a million times.
TA DA! A no sew fleece blanket. These are super easy to make and go pretty quick if you're an eyeballer like me. I had help making this one, Chris tied most of the knots while I cut. If you work in a pair like this, make sure to always be working on different edges. I started cutting and he didn't start tying until I "turned the corner". Together we made this giant blanket in about 45 minutes. Usually I can make a regular size one alone in 30 - 45 minutes.
This is a great project to do with kids, or when you don't have a lot of time, or if you just want to give a nice homemade gift that everyone (except my brother Josh) loves! Fleece can be hella expensive so use a coupon or buy it on sale. Happy no sewing!
Just in case:
Supplies & Tools
- 2 - 3 yards of each color fleece (2 colors) depending on desired length
- scissors
- fingers for knot tying
- masking or washi tape for marking fringe (optional)
- large table if possible (optional but super helpful)
