Want a new blanket, but cannot afford to buy one? Here’s 3 ways to get an inexpensive fleece blanket, ranging from “no sew” to “minimal sew” options.
Materials
The first thing you’ll need is your material. I recommend polar fleece, brushed wool, or any other fabric of a suitable weight and thickness for your requirements.
Measurements
Unless you have a specialty fabric store nearby, chances are your width will be determined by the maximum width you can buy. Measure the bed you wish to cover, and add an allowance at the sides and bottom for the blanket to drape over the edge.
As an example, a standard double bed mattress is approximately 74″ by 57″ (or 1880 cm by 1400cm). I would generally allow around 4″ allowance (or 10 cm) on 3 of the 4 sides. That means my fabric would need to be 77″ by 63″ (or 1890 cm by 1420 cm).
The No Sew Method
The simplest blanket to make without sewing is a fringed blanket.
Two of your 4 sides will have “selvedge” edges – this means that they have been treated so that they will not fray or curl. Leave these edges alone.
With your other two edges, take some masking tape, and place it along the edge of your fabric approximately 2″ (or 5 cm) from the edge. Now cut your fringe along the entire length of each edge up to the masking tape. Be sure to use sharp scissors, and not cut beyond the start of your masking tape.
The Manual Sewing Method
The manual sewing method involves doing a wide blanket stitch around the entire outside of your fabric. Use fine wool in a contrasting or darker shade to add extra oomph!
The Little Bit of Sewing Method
My favourite method for creating blankets is to use some wide ribbon or satin fabric in a matching colour to edge my blankets (like a woolen blanket). This is very simple to do, but is a little more expensive as you will require a long piece of ribbon or matching fabric about 3½” to 4″ wide (or 9 – 10 cm).
Simply cut the fabric or ribbon to length (one piece for each side) and stitch to the blanket about 1½” from the edge. Now turn over the blanket, and fold the ribbon over and pin in place. Make sure when pinning that you get the new seam as close as possible to the other seam. Now stitch in place and you’re done!
The Author:
Diane Ellis has been sewing since she was very young and got her first sewing machine at 6 years old (albeit a miniature one!). She sews purely for friends and family, and enjoys making her own patterns, and using her skills to decorate her home. She is the co-author of the website Sewing4Dummies.com