DIY: No-Sew Fleece Blanket

I was brainstorming low-cost, thoughtful Christmas gift ideas this past holiday season when I stumbled upon the perfect DIY cold-weather gift: a no-sew fleece tie blanket. I loved the idea of giving something handmade and personalized, but with no sewing machine and limited crafting experience, making my own blanket never occurred to me. I was at a jewelry party with a friend and the group was discussing homemade items they had made recently -- blankets, baby clothes, doll clothes. What a talented bunch of women they were! My friend told me about a blanket she made her daughter that was "sooo simple" -- no sewing, she said! Anyone could do it! She sent me a how-to link a couple of days later and I was ready to try it. I found suitable prints and complementary backing colors for 3 people on my list -- my sister-in-law, my dad, and my son (okay, so my 1-year-old wasn't really on my shopping list, but if I was already making some cozy blankets, why not make one for my own baby while I'm at it?). Joann Fabrics was having a major fleece sale just before Christmas, so the timing was perfect.

After reviewing the directions, I was pretty clear on everything but knotting the fringe. I scoured google and youtube for some examples of how others had tied their knots. I found that it's really a matter of personal preference, and there is no one right way to do it. I decided on a simple double-knot with the solid color fringe showing on the front of the blanket and the printed fringe showing on the back. I really like the effect of the solid color fringe framing the printed side and the printed fringe framing the solid backing.

For you visual learners, this lady (below) does a pretty good job of explaining the knots (about 4 minutes in).



I want to note here that while this project is supposed to be relatively quick (5-30 minutes), I spent 3+ hours per blanket due to my obsessing over lining everything up just right. I didn't mind taking my time on it, but if you're looking for a 5-minute project, you might want to keep looking.

Since making those first three blankets, I have since made one for my sister's birthday and another for a friend's baby shower. I've had a lot of fun picking just the right prints for each individual. In the course of my no-sew blanket research, I found quite a few other no-sew fleece projects that I'm excited to try out, like this pillow for my son's jungle-themed nursery:

Happy crafting!