No-Sew Blanket Tutorial

I love making no-sew blankets. They're super easy to put together, I don't have to drag out the sewing machine and best of all, they're warm and cozy! I've made seven blankets - all as gifts except the one in the photo above. That one is mine. The first blanket I ever made was a February birthday gift for my adult stepdaughter. My kids - her younger siblings - were so jealous that I made each of them a blanket the following Christmas. Happiness. My son Adam used his so much it wore thin, not to mention he grew so tall that it became too short for him. Emily still keeps hers on her bed and sleeps with it every night. A few years later I made a red & gray blanket for my husband's birthday. I think I used it more than he did. I decided at that point that it was about time I made one for me. I bought solid green and bright striped fleece on sale at Jo-Ann's. I took it home and put the bag in the corner of my bedroom with my other projects. There it sat while other stuff became a priority. Last Christmas I made Adam a new, longer blanket to accommodate his now 5'8" frame. I ordered the fabric online from Jo-Ann's and they sent an extra yard of each piece. Bonus! I used the extra fabric to make a blanket for the cats, yet I still didn't have mine. *sigh*

Fast forward to last Wednesday when my kids were both home from school sick. I took the day off because Adam was running a temp. I don't mess with fevers. Anyway, what better opportunity to finally make my blanket than on an unexpected day off from work. I opened the bag of fabric and discovered an old Jo-Ann's flyer tucked inside. It was dated February 2007. It took three and a half years but I am finally getting my very own blanket!

I decided to spread the joy and post a tutorial right here on my blog. There really is no sewing involved. I've gotten so good at these that I can whip one up in less than two hours. I work on my bed while I watch TV to make the time go by faster.

Here's what you'll need to make a blanket:

1. Two pieces of fleece. I like to use a solid and a pattern or two contrasting colors. You can make whatever your little heart desires. I make big blankets. I use 2 yards of each color for a child or to use as a throw. If you're making it for a taller adult or want to use it as a blanket on a bed, I suggest getting 2 1/2 to 3 yards of each color. I used 3 yards for Adam's newest blanket. It's very long but he uses it on his bed and he needs the extra length. Jo-Ann's has their fleece on sale a lot. If it's not on sale, bring two coupons and make two separate purchases (a single cut piece of fabric counts as one item).

2. Scissors, tape measure or ruler, straight pins.

3. A large flat area to spread out your fabric. I always use my queen size bed.

That's it.

1. Lay out your fabric so it's smooth. Place one piece on top the other so the edges are lined up. 

2. I didn't worry about the lettering on the edge of the striped fabric. (though I don't know why they did that) You'll see at the end that it actually ads more color to the fringe. I also don't trim the curled edge but you can if you want to. It's one extra step I prefer not to do.

3. Hold the fabric in place by placing pins 4" from the edge around all four sides (you'll be using the pins as a guide for cutting). See my little ruler in the photo? I've had that since 7th grade. It still has my name written on a piece of masking tape on the back. It's hard to believe I was Emily's age when my mom bought me my first sewing kit for home ec class. Anyway, moving on...

4. Cut the corners out through both layers like this. You should be cutting off a 4" square.

5. Cut the edges into strips, about 1" apart. Use the pins as a guide as to how far in from the edge to cut. The width doesn't have to be perfect but keep them all the same length.  

6. Start tying. I tie in double knots. Do your corners first. I do one or two knots on each side of the corner, then do a few more to hold it in place. I gently tug and smooth out the fabric as I go so it lies smooth.

Hey, that's me! I usually cut and tie one edge at a time so I don't get bored just doing one thing.

7. See how colorful the fringe looks? This is the edge with the letters that I mentioned earlier. You can't even tell what it looked like before.

All done! Emily took this silly pic of me wrapped up in my new, toasty warm blanket! The nights are getting pretty cold so I'm happy I finally got around to making this.

These make great gifts! Watch for sales on fleece so you can make a warm and cozy blanket for a loved one. If you start now you've got plenty of time to make a few before Christmas. This would also make an awesome baby shower gift.


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