What to do with your finished blankets
If you can't sew, knit or crochet, you can still make a blanket for a child in foster care by creating quick, easy "no-sew" fleece blankets from our fleece blanket kits. Order kits: To pick up. To be shipped to you.
Our kits (shown here) contain pre-measured and cut fleece (1.5 yards) with sample fringe cut at each end of 2 opposite sides of the blanket, our special tag already attached to a back corner, a fringe-cutting template and instructions.
Our kits (shown here) contain pre-measured and cut fleece (1.5 yards) with sample fringe cut at each end of 2 opposite sides of the blanket, our special tag already attached to a back corner, a fringe-cutting template and instructions.
You can make an MVOB fleece blanket with fleece that you purchase and by purchasing our special tags. You will need to remove the selvedges from two sides of the fabric. A little sewing is needed. You will need to sew the tag onto the blanket if you will be donating the finished blankets in your community. Please follow the guidelines below for purchasing fleece and making a knotted fleece blanket.
Guidelines for purchasing your own fleece
Oops! Things to Avoid
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT OUR FLEECE BLANKETS:
Our kits contain fleece in a wide variety of colors, themes and patterns appropriate for children & youth.
Blankets should not have any embellishments such as pockets, beads, zippers, buttons, ribbons or other items that are more than 4" long. All blankets should be machine washable and dryable.
Guidelines for purchasing your own fleece
Oops! Things to Avoid
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT OUR FLEECE BLANKETS:
- Use only one layer of fleece.
- Cut fringe at TWO opposite ends, not all four sides.
- Tie one knot in each fringe. Do not tie fringe together.
- Special tag is already attached when you purchase our blanket kit.
- On the tag, fill in YOUR first name on the SECOND line after "Handmade by."
- On the tag, leave the top line BLANK for the child to complete.
- On the tag, add a short note to the child who receives your blanket. Examples
Our kits contain fleece in a wide variety of colors, themes and patterns appropriate for children & youth.
Blankets should not have any embellishments such as pockets, beads, zippers, buttons, ribbons or other items that are more than 4" long. All blankets should be machine washable and dryable.
Guidelines for purchasing your own fleece
We use high quality, plush, anti-pill fleece in our kits so that our blankets will hold up to being well-used and loved by a child living in foster care. We hope that our blanket angels will use similar fabric to provide a long-lasting, soft and sturdy blanket.
If you purchase your own fleece, please choose from the hundreds of child-friendly patterns, colors and themes that are available. Avoid themes related to violence or war (guns, knives, soldiers, etc.), drugs/alcohol, or logos/images related to causes (such as cancer ribbons).
"Almost-no-sew." When you purchase your own fleece and our special tags, you will need to sew the tag to a back corner of the blanket. If you do not have a sewing machine, the sewing can be done by hand.
We use high quality, plush, anti-pill fleece in our kits so that our blankets will hold up to being well-used and loved by a child living in foster care. We hope that our blanket angels will use similar fabric to provide a long-lasting, soft and sturdy blanket.
If you purchase your own fleece, please choose from the hundreds of child-friendly patterns, colors and themes that are available. Avoid themes related to violence or war (guns, knives, soldiers, etc.), drugs/alcohol, or logos/images related to causes (such as cancer ribbons).
"Almost-no-sew." When you purchase your own fleece and our special tags, you will need to sew the tag to a back corner of the blanket. If you do not have a sewing machine, the sewing can be done by hand.
Remove selvedges. Before you cut fringe into your fleece, you need to remove the selvedges (machine-finished edges, different in appearance from the rest of the fabric) from two sides of the fabric. Lay the fabric out flat. You can fold it in half, aligning the edges so you can cut both selvedges off at once, if you wish. With your scissors, carefully cut along the inside edge of the selvedge, remove it from both sides of the fabric, and discard. Watch video below, How to Make a No-Sew Fleece Blanket, to see selvedges being removed.
The selvedge on your fabric is a machine-finished edge with a different texture and appearance than the rest of the fabric. It frequently contains printing. The two selvedges need to be removed with scissors or rotary cutter before you cut fringe in two sides of your fabric.
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The selvedges on this fleece were not removed before the fringe were cut, leaving an uneven end on each piece of fringe.
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How to make a no-sew fleece blanket
Here are some of our faithful Blanket Angels with the fleece blankets they made.
Special tags – Our fleece blanket kits include a special tag already attached to a back corner of the blanket. If you purchase your own fleece, you can order tags online, to be picked up from our workshop or shipped if you live more than 30 miles from Westerville. You can sew them to the blankets, and they will be ready for you to donate to children in foster care in your area!
It’s simple to do. Here’s how:
Sign your first name with permanent marker on the second line (the first line is for the child to write their name) of our special tag after the heart that says “Handmade by.” We encourage you to add a message to the child if you wish. This will show the child in foster care who receives your blanket that someone truly made this “just for them!”
To sew the tag on the blanket:
The tags are sewn on the back of the blanket, near a corner, at least 2” from both edges.
You can use a straight or zigzag stitch, sewing ¼ - ½” in from all four edges of the tag. You can use white thread or thread that coordinates with the blanket color.
It’s simple to do. Here’s how:
Sign your first name with permanent marker on the second line (the first line is for the child to write their name) of our special tag after the heart that says “Handmade by.” We encourage you to add a message to the child if you wish. This will show the child in foster care who receives your blanket that someone truly made this “just for them!”
To sew the tag on the blanket:
The tags are sewn on the back of the blanket, near a corner, at least 2” from both edges.
You can use a straight or zigzag stitch, sewing ¼ - ½” in from all four edges of the tag. You can use white thread or thread that coordinates with the blanket color.
What to do with your finished blankets
If you do not live near our workshop, we encourage you to donate your blankets directly to an agency in your area that helps children in foster care. We have made contact with at least one agency in each state in the U.S.
Check out our DELIVERING BLANKETS AGENCY LIST to find an agency near you and for suggestions and options if you cannot find a nearby agency.
If you do not live near our workshop, we encourage you to donate your blankets directly to an agency in your area that helps children in foster care. We have made contact with at least one agency in each state in the U.S.
Check out our DELIVERING BLANKETS AGENCY LIST to find an agency near you and for suggestions and options if you cannot find a nearby agency.
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