DIY No-Sew Blanket

Hey guys!

Mom and I were in a crafty mood the other day and decided to take a trip to Joanne's.  We wanted to make some no-sew/ tie blankets to use when we transport dogs (they deserve something soft and cuddly for their long car ride!).  Plus, the fleece was on sale for $3.50 a yard!!  Needless to say, we bought a ton of the stuff.  I figured I would do a DIY post while I was working on the second blanket :)

This is a quick, easy, and really relaxing.  What a great way to start the weekend!

Just as an FYI, you can use any amount of fleece for this project; I would suggest using around a yard and a half, or even 2 yards if you are making this for a kid or as a throw.  Because these blankets are for dogs, I made them a bit smaller.

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Supplies

1/2 yard of fleece for the front

1/2 yard of fleece for the back

Scissors

Rotary cutter (optional, but very helpful)

Cutting mat

Ruler (preferably an acrylic one)

Maker

Instructions

1. Pick out the patterns/ colors for your blanket.  Most people tend to use a colored fleece for the backside and a patterned piece of fleece for the front; I chose to use two patterned pieces just to make things more interesting.  There are whales on the front of my blanket and green chevron on the back.


2. Lay out the pieces of fleece and make sure to trim off any access if they don't line up.  This doesn't have to be perfect, but make sure your lines are as straight as possible.  A rotary cutter and acrylic ruler comes in handy at this point (especially if you're like me and can't cut a straight line to save your life...).

3. Using the ruler, measure out and draw a 2in x 2in square in each of the four corners of the fleece.  I used a paint marker and lightly drew on the fleece, but chalk, eyeliner, pencil, etc. will also work.



4. Measure 2in up from the bottom of the fleece and make a mark.  Take the ruler and mark off every inch or so (see picture below).  These will be the tabs that you will tie off at the end of the project.  If you are making a bigger blanket, you can choose to make the tabs bigger, but I wouldn't recommend making them any smaller than 2in tall- if the tabs are too small, it's really difficult to tie them together.

Continue making these marks around all four edges of the fleece.

5. With your scissors or rotary cutter, begin cutting strips using the marks you previously made as a guide.  DO NOT START TYING YET!  Make sure you have made all the necessary cuts before you start knotting.

6. After all of your cuts are made and your fleece is lined up, you can finally start knotting!  I like to tie all of my knots the same way because I'm a little OCD, but feel free to tie the tabs any way you want.  Also, I make double knots just to make sure everything is nice and secure, especially since I plan on washing these blankets every now and again.

The Finished Blanket

Charlee and Howie love their new blankets!  I'm glad I cut the fleece in half; it makes the perfect size for doggie blankets :)

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I really enjoyed making these blankets, and I can't wait to start working on some more!  This project probably took me 30-45 minutes for each blanket, but it may take you a bit longer if you have never done this before.  Either way, it's a quick project and it's a ton of fun!

Hopefully I'll talk to you guys again very soon :)

Keri <3