How to turn an old sweatshirt into a no-sew cuddly pet blanket.
By DIY MavenHere’s an fun, no-sew way to turn an old sweatshirt into great cuddlies for our fur-children. For those of you who frequent fabric stores, you’ll recognize the technique; for those of you who don’t know fleece from flannel, don’t worry. It really is an INCREDIBLY fast and easy project.
What you need:
One old sweatshirt...the biggest you can find. It doesn’t even matter if it’s stained.
A scissors.
A ruler and a bit of cardboard.
What you do:
First, cut the bottom, arms and yoke off the sweatshirt, but be sure to SAVE the arms for a project we’ll be tackling in the near future. You should have a square-ish sandwich when you’re done.
Because the sweatshirt I used was stained, I turned the pieces inside-out, as it were, so the right sides are now together. (My apologies to any Packers fans out there.) You could also only turn one side inside-out for a two-texture effect, if you know what I mean.
Next, using your ruler, cut 3" squares from each corner of the fabric sandwich.
No, kitty, your woobie isn't done yet.
Cut a 3/4" by 3" piece of cardboard for a template. Place the template at one of the corners like so....
...and, using the template, cut ‘fringe’ on all four sides of your sandwich. Cut through BOTH pieces at the same time.
Finally, double knot both sides of your fringe together. Before you knot the final side, you could slip inside batting or a cushion to make the blanket more 'pillow-y'.
You’ll probably end up with lint/fabric ‘bits’ when you’re done. To get rid of them, shake your blanket outside or wash and dry it as you would have when it was a sweatshirt.
My assistant seems to approve.
In the giving mood? Make a bunch of these and donate them to your local animal shelter; they, and the animals, will love you for it!
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DIY Maven
Oh, Michelle...I'm speechless. And slightly teary-eyed. Animals and animal shelters have been my chosen 'cause' for a while now, so this really means so much. And how fabulous that the kids were so enthused. Perhaps they'll carry the experience with them and continue to lend support to such worthy causes in the future. Thank you for sharing the story! It made my day.
designcamppdx
Hi! I just wanted to tell you that I was inspired by your post and held an event at my studio in Portland Oregon where we made 30 blankets for our local shelter. Thanks for posting the project! It was a ton of fun! I posted some pictures on my blog michellefreedman@blogspot.com
DIY Maven
annemarie--You are VERY welcome!!! Knowing that you'll be using the tutorial for such a good cause has left me all verklempt! I'm sure the animals will love you for their new blankets!! My best to Alpha Phi Omega--I hope you have fun with the project!!!
annemarie
DIY Maven
Here's a link to an easy sweater. I used it as inspiration to make my own patterns.
joye68
DIY Maven
eastteak
DIY Maven
All the patterns I found on-line were really time consuming. I needed something that would be quick to make, so I made my own patterns, using two strands of yarn with a big hook. Are you looking for a specific size? I have written instructions, for xs, s and m, which I really should type up...and then post. The smallest ones I think I could make in about an hour. (I started timing myself...heh.)
joye68
DIY Maven
'What's a woobie?'....??? A woobie is a security object, like a blanket or a stuffed animal. Around here 'woobie' is code for 'blanky'.
Hey, You Make Me Smile... That's fabulous! Another alternative would be go to to your local fabric outlet store and pick up some inexpensive polar fleece. I volunteer for the local AHS, and last fall I crocheted a dozen or so doggie sweaters for their holiday boutique. I was churning out sweaters like crazy!
Chrisjob
You Make Me Smile
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