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DIY Animal Roll-Up Blankets…a quick and simple gift idea!
December 12, 2014 - By Sara 6 Comments
Oh guys, Sara from The Aqua House is back today, sharing an absolutely darling sewing project for the little ones in your life! These Animal Roll-Up Blankets are so fun and snuggly……..and are quick to whip up! Such a fun little gift idea! -Ashley . . . . . Hey everybody, its Sara from
The Aqua House and I’m here today with a tutorial on how to make these fun roll-up blankets. They are the perfect quick project for your favorite baby, toddler, or child of any age! And with Christmas right around the corner, these would make fabulous gifts for your little ones.
These are a child size fleece blanket, but when you roll them up they reveal a fun animal face. You can toss that little animal face on your little ones bed or they can snuggle it like stuffed animal.
I have two different styles to share with you, a sly little fox…
…and a cute a fuzzy little owl. (Both blanket styles include free patterns pieces, which you can find below.)
These blankets are the perfect size for your toddler to snuggle up in or for you to wrap around your new little baby.
Are you ready to make your own Animal Roll-up Blanket?
Here’s what you’ll need.
Supplies:
Take the fleece for your fox and/or owl blanket and cut them down to 24 inch by 36 inch rectangles. If you’d like, you can use a round object such as a plate, to trace around and curve the edges. I don’t suggest curving the edges if you use satin binding like I did because it’s harder to sew. A straight edge is much easier for mitering the corners.
Print out your Fox and Owl Pattern pieces and cut them out. Pin them on your fleece and cut. Directions for Fox Blanket: These are the pieces you will need to cut out for your fox blanket.
On the bottom left corner of the blanket, pin your head pattern piece about 3-4 inches away from each edge of the blanket.
Sew the head piece into place using the stitch of your preference. (I used a blanket stitch on my sewing machine.) Next, line up the two face pieces as pictured below. On your pattern directions it will tell you to reverse the face pattern piece. You need to make sure that you cut two mirror images of the face piece…not two of the same piece. Pin the face pieces into place and sew them on.
Last, add on the eyes and nose.
You will finish up your blanket by choosing the binding of your choice. (Binding directions will be given at the end of the Owl blanket instructions.)
Directions for Owl Blanket:
These are the pieces you will need to cut for your owl blanket. Arrange the pieces on your blanket about 3-4 inches from each edge on the bottom left hand side.
We will start by assembling the wings. On your pattern you are directed to cut four wings, two for each side. Take two wings and sew them together (right sides together if your fleece has a nicer nap on one side). Leave a small opening at the top on the wings. Pull the wing through this hole so its right side out.
Once the wing is right side out, tuck in the un-sewn seam edge towards the inside. Next, starting on the right side of the tucked in edges, fold the wing back as pictured below.
Fold the wing over and pin it as shown below. You will sew it on at 1/4 inch from the folded edge.
You will continue to pin the rest of the pieces of your pattern on as pictured below.
For your body, start at the bottom and pin the scallops on, overlapping as you go up.
Sew all pieces into place, one at a time. Now you are ready to bind your blanket. You can choose any binding you’d like (I went with satin) or you can hand stitch the edge in a blanket stitch. Since this is a fleece blanket and won’t fray, you can also do any sort of finish you’d like (such as cutting the edges into strips and tying them in knots or just leaving it how it is). If you choose to use a pre-made binding, you will need to pin it to your blanket and when you come all the way around to the end to finish it off, fold the raw end under a 1/2 inch and then continue sewing it down.
Optional instructions (not pictured): You can add a button closure to the blanket so when you roll it up it will stay in the rolled up position. This can be done by rolling the blanket up and determining where you would need to add your button and button hole. I chose not to add a button to mine, as both of these blankets are going to brand new babies. Now fold your blanket in half, and roll it up. You are done!
A quick and easy project that would make a fabulous gift for the little ones in your life!
Enjoy! -Sara
Check out Sara’s blog HERE, her Facebook page HERE, and her Pinterest Boards HERE.
