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How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

Our women’s group at church just participated in a little service project for the local children’s home.  When the kids leave the children’s home, they get a drawstring bag with a blanket, a stuffed animal, a book, and a hygiene kit.  We got together about a week ago to sew the bags and some blankets.  One of the women from church makes and sells fleece blankets, so she donated a huge bag of scraps for us to use.  My challenge:  figure out how to make fleece blankets from just the scraps.  So if you’ve got a bunch of fleece scraps laying around, here’s something that you can do with it!  Also take a look at these easy homemade blanket tutorials.

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

Cut the fleece into 16 10 x 10 inch squares.  You can make them any size you want, you’ll just end up with a different size blanket or need to cut more or less squares.  This makes a blanket that would be a good size for a baby or toddler.  Just cut more if you want it to be bigger.  Lay the squares out in an arrangement that looks nice.  I’m a little OCD, so I always try to make a pattern.  I’ve already done some of the pinning here, but you get the idea.

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

We didn’t have any pieces that were big enough for a backing, and I didn’t want to have to piece together a front AND back of each blanket.  I could have sewn the pieces together like to you would a quilt, but then you would have a pretty front and an ugly back.  Instead, I decided to overlap the pieces about 1/2-inch and zig-zag stitch down the middle.  Keep reading to see what I mean.

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

Start by pinning and sewing each of the rows together first.

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

I did the overlapping in a pattern so that one square was on the bottom, and the next square was on top.  Take a look at the photos to see what I mean.  I didn’t really even measure.  Just try to be consistent and overlap about 1/2-inch each time.

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

I find it very helpful to use a walking presser foot if you have one.  It helps the thick, stretchy fabric get through the machine more evenly.  After all of the rows are done, you can pin and sew the rows to each other.

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

Make sure that the seams from all of the squares line up with each other.  The nice thing about the fleece being stretchy is that you can make the seams line up by giving the fabric a little tug before pinning.  Again, just a zig-zag stitch here, and I used the same pattern of overlapping that I did with the squares.

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

When all of the rows are sewn together, you’ve got your blanket.  The edges seemed to be lacking something, so I went around the outside with this curvy, decorative stitch.  You could also put some kind of binding on it.  Fleece doesn’t fray, so you could just leave it as-is if you want.

machine_stitches

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

I was a little worried how my “method” would work out, but I think the blankets we made turned out really cute.  What do you think?

How to Make Fleece Blankets from Scraps

Need more things to makewith fleece scraps?  Check out this post:

Also learn how to make no-sew fleece blankets with a braided edge.

Also take a look at How to Make a Blanket for a Baby.

You might also enjoy these other projects from Cutesy Crafts:

father's day crafts DIY Burp Cloths with Appliques Picnic Quilt Superhero Capes

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Pamela S Fein

Saturday 11th of December 2021

Such great ideas....I am involved with the Linus Project here in Bakersfield and had our church...womens night...make several for it.

Carolyn Knight

Monday 1st of February 2021

I save my scraps from the blankets I make from all the blankets I make do the scraps have to be all the same size?

Jessica @ Cutesy Crafts

Monday 1st of February 2021

You can make it with any size scraps. You'll just have to figure out how to piece it together so it ends up blanket shaped. :)

Cathy Dougherty

Monday 29th of June 2020

Hi, I run a chapter of Project Linus and we receive donations of stuff all the time. I have 2 tubs of 5" fleece squares and was trying to figure out what to make with them. Rag quilts won't work the squares are too small. This type of blanket seems to be perfect to use them for infant size blankets. Can't wait to get started. Thank you for the tutorial.

Jessica @ Cutesy Crafts

Thursday 2nd of July 2020

So glad this was helpful!!

Barbara Zacchigna

Friday 14th of February 2020

I've been thinking of this idea for a while now. I've made a ton of those tie blankets where you cut out a square on each corner, and was trying to think of how I could them to make a quilt. Thanks for the reminder and sewing suggestion.

Margaret Danaher

Tuesday 19th of February 2019

Using this pattern how would I line it?

Jessica @ Cutesy Crafts

Tuesday 26th of February 2019

You could make two identical blankets and sew them together. You could also get a solid piece of fleece and sew it on the other side.

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