Today I am creating one of those popular no-sew tie fleece blankets.
I am sure all of you have seen the handmade fleece blankets some where in your life. Either you made one in high school, maybe you made one for a niece or nephew, either way, I am sure we've all seen them and they have been around for a while. I have never owned one or have I ever made one in my life. Truthfully, I always thought they were kind of ugly! :/
I'm sorry, but the tacky "tie" sides really turned me off! I always thought they were kind of childish looking I guess. However, my roommate in college had one, and we always fought over it because it was the MOST comfortable and warm throw blanket in the house. So, secretly, I loved it!
My husband randomly started begging for a new winter blanket this year for the couch. He thought we needed a new Christmas blanket, something more festive for the holidays! God love him! I can't say no to getting something new for the house. I think I will always be one of those people who have a blanket thrown across the back of the couch. It just makes my living room feel more warm and cozy. And, yes, like pillows, they should be seasonal. I change out different colors, weights, textures throughout the year.
So, I started looking around -- Pottery Barn, West Elm, Home Goods, and Target, just to name a few.
They all had some great options, but were so expensive! I didn't want to spend anywhere from $40 to $100 just for a throw blanket. I immediately thought back to that no-sew fleece blanket that was so warm and cozy in the winter. I thought, I will make my own blanket, on the cheap, just the way I want it, with a really awesome fleece fabric!
And then, I started to have some reservations, and thinking back to why I always hated the fleece blanket in the first place. My initial turn-off of all of these fleece blankets I see are the colors! If you are not familiar, two large pieces of fleece are put together back-to-back to create one large blanket. But the fabrics, the colors, I have seen people put together to combine this blanket are just plain HIDEOUS! Not all, but most. Now, a lot of that problem comes from the local fabric stores providing hot pink, neon green, or camouflage fleece. No! I cringe when I see these at the fabric store! So I always just thought, these are ugly!!
So enough bashing and talking, here's to making a beautiful no-sew fleece blanket and banishing the ugly blanket stigma! I want to prove that this great DIY project can be done tastefully because it really is a great project for anyone of any age. They are so easy to make! (so I hear, we'll see how this goes)
Finding the perfect fabric!!
Before heading out the door to look at fabric choices around all of my favorite local fabric stores, I checked out what I could find online! Mainly, so I could compare pricing. And, wow, did I find a lot of choices that I loved!!
All of these options are from fabric.com
Who knew there would be SO many great options in fleece?!?! Plaids, aztec prints, moose patterns, buffalo check! My head was spinning with patterns! And now I was really confused on what colors and patterns to put together!
I finally decided on a classic, red and green Christmas patterned fleece that you would see on a vintage blanket maybe at your Grandma's house! The opposite side will be a solid color.
I also used this fabric as a table runner on my buffet table as you can see here!
I also used this fabric as a table runner on my buffet table as you can see here!
Most people suggest using 2 yards of fleece to make an adult throw blanket, I
opted for 3 yards. There's nothing worse than a blanket that isn't long
enough and your toes keep poking out!
I found most fleece fabrics range from $3 a yard to $9.98 a yard in both the stores as well as online. The prices didn't vary much from in-store to online, but online had many more options in patterns.
If you aren't familiar, here's how to make a no-sew fleece blanket:
Things You'll Need:
SharpScissors
(mine weren't very sharp and it made it kind of difficult to get through this project!)
Tape Measure
2 pieces of fleece anywhere from 2 to 3 yards each (depending on preferred length)
Step 1: Put the 2 pieces of fabric together back to back
*If you have enough floor space to spread this all out on the floor, it makes it much easier.
Step 2: Cut 4 inch squares out of all of the corners.
Continue by cutting 4 inch strips of fabric down all sides leaving about an inch for each strip. Be sure to cut through both fabrics every time. It's hard to see, but the gray fleece is under there too!
Keep cutting the 1 inch strips, 4 inches into the blanket ALL the way around...
2 sides down, 2 more to go!
Once all of the cutting is done, all of those strips get tied together.
Tie each strip from the top of the fleece to the corresponding bottom piece of fleece to create the fringe end. I triple knotted each of mine to be sure it stayed together.
After about 5 hours of cutting and tying, one nail biting Indianapolis Colts football game, and a homemade pot of potato and cauliflower soup in the Crockpot later, my (my husband's) blanket was complete!
A break down of costs to see where I came in...was it worth it to make a blanket or should I have just bought a pre-made blanket?
3 yards red plaid from Fabric.com at $7 per yard = $24
3 yards solid gray fabric from Hancock Fabrics at $3 per yard = $9
Grand Total of $33
So
I may have spent a little more money than expected to get the more expensive, nicer plaid
fleece fabric, and extra money on extra material to make a longer blanket, but in the end I think it was worth it! I have a warm, beautiful
winter blanket that was made with love!
With all of that said, I had to give you the back story on my love/hate relationship with these tie fleece blankets! I
went for it. And decided to make a really great, cozy winter blanket!
And I LOVE how my version of the no-sew tie fleece blanket turned out! These can be beautiful blankets when the right fabric is used and they would make terrific Christmas gifts for anyone of any age!
I love this blanket and would love to have one!
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