How to turn an old sweatshirt into a no-sew cuddly pet blanket.

By DIY Maven

Here’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!

Tagged:
pets furry pet-beds diy no-sew recycle Reuse

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September 20, 2007

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DIY Maven

October 27, 2007

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

October 26, 2007

Thanks so much for posting this! The Fall '07 pledge class of Alpha Phi Omega at George Mason University will be using this tutorial to make blankets for the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation (ldrf.org). :)

DIY Maven

October 02, 2007

Here's a link to an easy sweater. I used it as inspiration to make my own patterns.

joye68

October 01, 2007

Wasn't looking for any particular size. My stepdaughter and my niece like animals. I figured it would give them something to do toward a good cause.. much like the blankets! Perfect for a young child.

DIY Maven

September 27, 2007

Hey East Teak, for larger animals, you can use fleece. It's available at just about every fabric store--even the discount ones where it's very inexpensive.

eastteak

September 27, 2007

interesting...although I would need a bunch of these for my large dog.

DIY Maven

September 25, 2007

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

September 25, 2007

Excellent idea on the doggie sweaters! Do you happen to have a pattern laying around you can share that's quick and easy? If not, can you make recommendations for one?

DIY Maven

September 20, 2007

'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

September 20, 2007

What's a woobie?

You Make Me Smile

September 20, 2007

yay! I love animals, and I LOVE your idea to donate to an animal shelter. There is a thrift store up the street from me; I'm totally going to hit it up and get to work!