A fleece blanket with a knotted fringe border is a simple craft that’s great for your kids. These low-cost fleece blankets are ideal for giving as presents or donating to charitable organizations.
It’s possible to use this tutorial to produce a fleece blanket of any size, whether it is small fleece blankets or large fleece blankets. Simply changing the cloth size doesn’t impact any of your sewing skills!
In fact, you can build a no-sew cushion using the same method. This fuzzy blanket is suitable for children aged 8 and up. From start to end, it will only take around 30 minutes.
In this post, I will show you how to make a fleece blanket.
Supplies for Making a Fleece Blanket At Home
It takes 1.5 yards of Deluxe fleece to make a regular fleece throw size fleece blanket. For taller folks, a two-yard blanket will provide enough space for a comfortable night’s sleep.
Consider taking advantage of bargains or coupons when purchasing your yardage of this fabric since it isn’t inexpensive. You’ll also require a little bit of trimming.
How to Make a Simple Cheap Fleece Blanket
Sewing a Hem
The fleece blanket may be folded over and pinned if needed. The plush blanket’s raw edge may be sewn along instead of folding over the blanket’s edges to make a hemmed blanket edge.
Ultimately, you have the power to decide. 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) of material on each of the four edges of the fleece blanket should be folded over and pinned in place if you opt to fold it over. In general, folded hems aren’t essential for fleece since it doesn’t seem to fray quickly.
ZigZag Sewing
Your sewing machine should be set to zigzag stitch mode. To complete the edges of a fleece blanket, you may either use a zigzag stitch or sew over the raw edges.
The stitch type should be selectable through a dial or digital control. Zigzag stitch length and breadth may be increased by adjusting the width and length to its highest settings.
Sew the Edges
The blanket’s edges should be sewed together. Place the fleece fabric beneath the presser foot of your sewing machine.
Begin sewing the zigzag stitch over the raw edges of your cloth by lowering the presser foot. Take your time and keep the fabric tight as you stitch.
Position your needle approximately 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) from the folded edge of the cloth. Using this method, the needle will travel right up to the folded fabric’s raw edge.
Sew around 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) from the raw edges of the cloth if you have left the fabric open. Place a piece of wax paper or tissue paper beneath the fabric and over the feed dogs if you have difficulty keeping the fabric moving evenly under your presser foot.
When you’re done stitching, you can peel the paper away from the sewing machine’s feed dogs.
Backstitch at The End
To secure the last few stitches, push down on your sewing machine’s reverse direction lever while maintaining a little pedal pressure, and then release.
Pull the lever forward approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) and then release it to begin sewing. Once you’ve finished sewing the blanket’s last edge, stop the machine.
To end, cut the extra thread that’s hanging off of your fleece blanket.
How to Make a Fleece Blanket with Knot Edges
Cut the Corner
It’s necessary to cut off a piece of cloth in each of the corners for a double-layer fleece blanket to lie flat. Each corner of the plush blanket should have a 3 to 4 inch (7.6 to 10.2 cm) piece of cloth cut out of it.
A fabric marker or pen may be used to measure and mark the area to be cut. The corners of a single-layer fleece blanket do not need a fabric square to be cut out.
Cut the Fringe
To cut the fringe, draw a template on paper. To guarantee that all fringe pieces are the same length, you need a guide to help you.
Draw 2 inches (5.1 cm) lines on a sheet of construction paper or cardstock using a ruler. The spacing between the lines should be 0.5 inches (1.3 cm). The lines should be drawn using a black pen or marker so that they can be seen clearly.
Using the template, cut a ring of fringe around all four corners. The template should be taped or pinned 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) from the blanket’s edge.
To make a single-layer blanket, you only need to trim fringe on two of the four sides.
Knot together the fringe pieces
To complete the blanket, knot together all the fringe pieces near each other along its edges. After tying the first two pieces of fringe together, knot the following two pieces together. Wrap the fleece blanket in this manner around and over again.
Keep in mind that double-layer fleece blankets need the fringe to be layered, so you’ll have to tie four sections together at once.
How to Make a Fleece Blanket with Braided Edges
Prepare two layers of fleece
Using two layers of fleece, sew 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) from the edges. Two equal-sized pieces of fleece will be needed to create a braided edge, so make sure the print sides are towards each other.
Then, sew a straight stitch 0.25 inches (1.3 cm) from each edge, except for a 6 in (15 cm) space through which you may flip the fleece pieces. Slowly push down on the pedal to keep your stitching from going too fast. With fleece, stitching slowly is recommended.
It’s critical not to stitch all the way around the fleece blanket’s edges since you’ll need an opening to draw the blanket fabric through. Keep the fabric tight while you sew to avoid the fabric from becoming trapped in the machine’s feed dogs.
Place a piece of wax paper or tissue paper on the feed dogs if the fleece still gets snagged or doesn’t move smoothly. Once you’ve sewn through both layers, remove the paper from the seam and finish.
Working on the inside
Turn the fleece blanket inside out. Begin working the blanket fabric through the opening by reaching in through the gap you’ve left.
Continue sewing along the borders of the fabric until the seam you just stitched along the two layers is on the inside of the two layers. If the fleece throw blanket’s corners begin to bunch up, use your fingertips to push out the fabric gently. Close the gap by sewing it together.
The raw fleece edges may be tucked in and sewn in place once the pieces have been flipped. Make sure you use the same straight stitch to sew the blanket’s other edges together. Try to sew the seam as evenly as possible to get a smooth finish.
Make the Fringe
Fringe may be added to any fabric by using a template to cut it out. When braiding the borders of your fuzzy blanket, a template will guarantee that the fringe is correctly placed.
Using paper or cardstock, draw up a template using a grid. 2 inches (5.1 cm) length and 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) spaced are the recommended spacing for the lines. Cut from the fabric’s edge to the template’s edge. Cut the fringe approximately 3 inches (7.6 cm) away from the fleece throw blanket’s raw edges.
Tape the template to the fuzzy blanket if necessary.
Sew the Inside Edges
When the fringe finishes, sew a straight stitch along the fleece throw blanket’s inside edges. Using a straight stitch setting on your sewing machine, sew around the fringe’s edges to keep it in place. This is where the fringe and the plush blanket cloth meet.
Start Looping
Using a crochet hook or your fingers, pull one loop through the other. Using a plush polar fleece blanket corner as a starting point, draw one loop through the loop on the right and continue braiding until you have completed the fringe.
Pull the second loop through the previous one you just pulled. Once you have intertwined all the loops on the fuzzy blanket’s edge and have only one loop remaining, you’re done!
Finishing
To keep the braid in place, sew through the first and final loops. The last loop should be tucked inside the first one you pushed through.
Then position the loops beneath your presser foot, and ZigZag sew. To reverse the direction of your stitching, push the lever on your sewing machine and sew across the loops again.
Remove the cloth from beneath the presser foot by releasing the pedal on your sewing machine. The fleece blanket is ready to use after the superfluous threads are cut away from the fleece throw blanket.
To keep the loops in place, you may hand stitch them together. With 18 inches (46 cm) of thread threaded into a needle, draw it through until both ends are even. Sew through the two loops a couple of times after tying the ends in a knot. When you are completed, tie the thread in a knot and snip the surplus thread.
How to Make a Ric Rac Fleece Throw Blanket
Prepare a Big Size Blanket
I used three packets of giant ric rac for a two-yard blanket (2.5 yards per package). The top thread in your machine should match the ricrac. You can match the fabric for the bobbin thread, but because the Luxe fleece is so thick, the thread on the back is not really noticeable.
Straight Stitch
A simple straight stitch is all you need. The ric rac should be arranged to cover the whole edge of the fleece, starting at any point on the blanket. As illustrated in the picture below, you want to see only a sliver of fleece beneath the ric rac at each curve.
Using a straight needle, sew down the center of the ric rac. There should be just enough fleece visible beneath each bend to ensure that you’re sewing directly to the fleece.
Sew and Backstitch
Continue to stitch, paying attention to the corners as you go. Whenever you run out of ric rac, add extra from another packet and keep sewing. Overlap the ric rac one more, clip the excess, and then sew across and backstitch to ensure it’s secure.
When sewing with ric rac, I fold it over and stitch it into the cloth. Sewing around fuzzy blankets will take around 20-30 minutes if you go gently. Your overall time commitment will likely be the same whether you pin it first or not.
Making the Corners
But there’s one thing to keep in mind: The fleece should not be stretched as you make your way around the corners. To avoid having uneven corners, don’t do it.
So, be mindful of that and take care not to strain or tug the fleece as you stitch those corners; instead, gently guide it into the sewing machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many yards of fabric for fleece blankets?
- Baby Size (small fleece blanket): Cut one yard of each fabric in half to make two 28-30″ X 36″ baby blankets. Two fleece blankets may be made out of it.
- Kids Size (medium sized fleece blanket): To make a child’s fleece blanket, cut two pieces of fabric, each about 1 1/2 yards, from a complementary pattern.
- Teenager or Adult (large fleece blankets): To make a fleece blanket large enough for a teenager or an adult, you’ll need two yards of each cloth. 2 1/2 yards apiece for tall persons would provide more coverage.
Is it necessary to wash the fleece before using it to make a blanket?
I don’t wash fleece before making polar fleece blanket, but that’s just my preference. I don’t think it’s essential to include that.
Feather is usually made of polyester and doesn’t become smaller. But if you’re allergic to any of the chemicals used during production, you’ll want to wash it first.
How do you make a fleece blanket soft again?
You’ll use distilled white vinegar or baking soda instead of a fabric softener that is incompatible with fleece fibers on the dispenser. However, to wash your fuzzy throw blankets, you will need to dissolve the powder first.
Final Thoughts
Fleece throw blanket is a very commonly used daily necessities, which has the function of warming. A cheap fleece blanket is very suitable for the elderly and children in the family. This article explains in detail how to make a fleece blanket. If you have any questions about how to make a fuzzy throw blanket, please feel free to contact us!