Tag Archives: blanket

diy no-sew baby blanket

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Hi, friends! Hope your week has been splendid!

Last month I posted one of my goals was making a homemade baby blanket as a gift for my friend who is expecting her first bundle of joy later this summer. I was pleased how it turned out so I thought I would share it with you! It only took me about an hour or so one evening to complete it. You could obviously use this same technique to make a larger blanket, too!

Here’s the supplies you’ll need:

  • two identical squares of fleece {mine measured about 25 inches square}
  • scissors

And that’s it! Crazy, right?

baby blanket

Here’s how I made mine:

1. Lay out the pieces of fabric one on top of the other. Pin them together if desired. A large table is a good work surface for this project — or, in my case, the floor works too!

blanket fabric

2. Cut a small square in each corner, a couple inches wide. I found a post-it note is a good measurement guide!

measuring corners

3. Use the scissors to create a “fringe” on each side of the blanket, one side at a time. Try to only cut in as far as the square that you cut from the corner. But don’t worry — you don’t need to be exact. I just eyeballed it.

cut ties

4. Tie each of the pieces of fringe together in a double-knot. Make your way all around the blanket. If the fabric becomes bunched up from the knots, you can gently tug it flat.

blanket

5. {Optional} Sew a label in the corner to let the recipient know it was handmade with love by you! Aren’t these labels cute? My sweet dad gave them to me as a birthday gift. {I realize that sewing on a label technically voids the “no-sew” promise of this project, but feel free to eliminate this step if you REALLY do not want to sew!} 🙂

label sewn

Ta da! All done! A lovely, warm, soft, adorable baby blanket, made especially by you!

blanket finished

Have any of you made a no-sew tie blanket before? Any tips or suggestions? Anything I missed? This was my first one, so I’m still learning!

Have a great day, everyone —

Till soon,
Dallas

saturday upsides: a cozy rainy day

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Happy weekend, everyone! I hope all of you, especially those affected by Hurricane Sandy, are safe and sound. You are in my thoughts and prayers!

After a week of such devastation, I wanted to make sure to post a “Saturday Upside” today {inspired by my blogging friend Bonnie at Recipes Happen} because I think it is these times more than ever that remind us what really matters and to be grateful for all of our blessings. Amongst a million small daily gratitudes, today I want to take a moment to be grateful for the big things: all my wonderful friends and family, my health, my warm safe home, enough food to eat, the opportunity to pursue my dreams. Love and laughter and hope and more love.

Today is cold and rainy here today in West Lafayette. Ordinarily, I might look out the window and yearn for sun, feeling nostalgic for summer or my hometown in California, where my parents report it is indeed warm and sunny today. But there are upsides to cold rainy days. The 38-degree weather outside makes cuddling up at home feel luxurious. It makes a small apartment like mine feel warm and cozy. {Bonus upside to a small apartment: it doesn’t take much time or energy to heat up the whole place!} The rain pattering outside is such a comforting sound. I’ve got a blanket on my lap, a good book and warm cup of tea on the table beside me. What could be better?

Don’t we always want what we don’t have? In summer’s humid heat we yearn for air conditioning and cold weather; now, in the cold weather, we yearn for warmth and sun. I’m going to make an effort to be happy where I am, wherever it may be, and whatever the weather is like outside my window. My Saturday Upside is to relax and enjoy this cold, rainy, cozy and marvelous day in November!

Hope your weekend is wonderful,
-Dallas