Winter is finally showing its face here, with some desperately needed rain! It has been quite ridiculous that in December my kids were still able to go to school with no coats! I'm very happy to say that is no longer the case, and it's time to start thinking about scarves and hats, hopefully, which brings me to fleece! Last year I posted quite a few no-sew fleece projects that I thought I'd dig up, for those of you who never saw them, and for the rest of you, who might like a little reminder that no-sew fleece projects make great winter gifts, and are fun projects for non-sewers of all ages. Even kids can join in on the fun— it's that simple!
Both of these scarf ideas are so simple and still look great style-wise this year. And you could also make some wrap/shawl size too, which would be so yummy and warm! The no-sew fleece color block scarf, on the left, and the no-sew fleece delicate ruffled scarf on the right are both quick projects that make wonderfully unique gifts. (I did these with a group of women and it was a big success!)
This no-sew fleece pom-pom hat is super cute, in just about any size, and while you're at it, why not make some cozy ruffled border pillow covers? Mmmmm.
And speaking of pillows, how about this two-color no-sew fleece bow-tie pillow? Just flip the pillow over to enjoy another color (or pattern) anytime.
How about keeping your coffee and tea warm with some no-sew fleece projects? I just love tea cozies, and though I really don't have much use for them, I just had to make this no-sew fleece color block tea cozy for the fun of it! The same goes for the no-sew fleece coffee press cover and mug warmers.
And making n0-sew fleece clothes for stuffed animals and dolls is a great winter project for kids. Could keep them busy for days! Can't get much cuter than this, right?
And here it is, the traditional no-sew fleece cozy ruffled blanket that you've probably seen a million times by now, and which was the inspiration for all the projects above. I made blankets like these for the whole family two years ago, and they're still going strong!
A note about buying fleece: It just so happens that in my little town the only fleece sold by the yard was in solid colors, so I resorted to buying patterned blankets to use as yardage, which actually can be much less expensive than buying by the yard, and you can get some great patterns. Just beware, with fleece, generally speaking, you get what you pay for! (And read the dimensions of the blanket on the package to know what you're really buying, they've been selling here twin fleece blankets that aren't even big enough to cover our small sized twin beds!)
I've also noticed that the quality of many fleece items have declined noticeably from year to year as they figure out how to make thin cheepo fleece in China. So while I even saw some little fleece blankets in the dollar store the other day, I didn't even go near them, as I already know they'll be really thin, and just for the record, that thin fleece doesn't tie nicely and stretches out too much when you cut it.....so try to find the thicker stuff if you can, but if thin cheep blankets are what you have in your neighborhood, so just use those rather than putting off these fun projects!
That's all for now, I do have a bit of patterned fleece that I picked up in the US this summer, so stay tuned for some more fleece projects soon, as long as the winter stays around for awhile! Yes, please!
