Easy DIY Fleece Tie Blanket

These blankets have been around for years....I've been making them since I was at least 14....so I have 10 years of experience with these babies.  They were go-to gifts in our family for many years...actually they still are.  

Who doesn't like a soft cuddly blankie?  I mean really now....

You're feeling comfy just looking at this picture....admit it. 

Anywho....I have made a few for gifts just this past year alone.  I took pictures of the process but never got around to making the tutorial until now.  

Here's what you do.   First off you will need to buy your fleece.  I usually like to do one side patterned and the other side a solid coordinating color....but you can do whatever you want of course

I usually buy 2 yards of each fabric...that is my go to size.  The blanket I am making in this tutorial was for a new born baby so I made it only using 1 yard of each fabric

One thing to take into consideration though....the first Christmas me and The Boy were dating I made him a 2 yard blanket since it was my usual.  He LOVES that thing to death (in fact it's so ratty now I owe him a new one) but it's a little too small for him.  My husband is 6'2 and a big guy....his feet stick out the bottom.  So lesson learned....if it's for a giant like my boy..try going  3 yards

Ok, so you have your two fabrics....lay them down sandwiched together so that the good sides are both facing "out"  You'll especially notice with the printed fabric, one side will be sort of blurry and one side more crisp.  Obviously the side with the clearer picture faces outward

Trim the fabrics to get rid of any printed words that sometimes shows as well as to get them to match up as closely as possible

Next, cut a 6 inch square out of each corner

Then cut one inch strips that create a sort of "fringe" that are about 1 inch wide and go up the 6 inches in to meet the cut from the corner.  You could use a ruler or yardstick if you would like, but I just eyeball it and move across and it has always worked well enough for me

Repeat this around all 4 sides

Then begin tying the fringe

 

These aren't tied like shoes....it's the kind of knot where you take both fringes together and wrap them around your finger,then pull the ends through the hole

I'm sure you could knot them together however you like...this is just what I've always done

Just keep working all the way around.  It isn't hard....just time consuming, so put on a movie or something while you work.  One side will be very easy to tie because it's the stretchy side of the fabric.  The other will be much harder because it doesn't have any "give" so the knot is much harder to tie.  

Forewarning:  Your fingers WILL hurt by the end of the project.  But at least you'll have a super cute blanket to show for it

And just because I think they're cute and funny....here is MoMo supervising as we worked on a different blanket.  She was all up in it the entire time

Man she's tough.....she was workin me like I was in a sweat shop!