Project Cuddle Bugs
Fleece Tie Blanket Instructions
Supplies Needed:
A pair of good scissors
4” x 4” piece of cardboard
Masking tape
Two pieces of fleece fabric approximately 1 1/3 yards each
Straight or safety pins, optional
Directions:
Start with two complimentary pieces of fleece material that are the same size. We recommend 1 1/3 yards but you can make your blanket any size you like up to the width of the material. You will end up with a blanket that is 8 inches shorter than the material you start with so keep that in mind.
- Lay the two pieces of fleece out on a table, wrong sides together, selvage sides together. The selvage edge is the side that is machine finished, not cut. Using straight pins or safety pins, neatly pin the material together about eight inches in from the edges. This is to keep your blanket in place as you work.
- Cut off the rough selvage edge on both sides. Trim only as much as necessary, usually not more than 2 inches on each side. At this point, make sure that your cut sides are relatively straight and the same size. They don't have to be perfect!
- Use the 4” x 4” cardboard square template to cut a square out of each corner. Place pieces of masking tape approximately 5" in from the edges of the blanket to be used as a cutting guide. See illustration.
- Make one inch wide cuts to the tape line on all four edges of the material. This will be the fringe.
- Tie overhand knots close to blanket edge by using one strip from the blanket top and one strip from the blanket bottom to create a finished fringe edge. Repeat around all four sides. The tying will look more even if you tie every other fringe all the way around the blanket, then flip the blanket over and tie the rest. This way neither side is really the front or the back! Remove the masking tape.
Tips:
The nature of fleece makes two of the sides stretchy. Don't fear! Just be gentle when tying those sides so that your fringe isn't stretched out of shape. The knots do not have to be tight to remain tied and keep the blanket together.
Fleece fabric is usually 54 inches wide or greater.
Double check the widths of the two pieces of fleeces to make sure they are the same. Cutting adjustments can be made for different widths.
Fleece panels usually do not work well for blankets.
This page is also available in PDF (Download)