No Sew Fleece Blankets
Starting the blanket
These are literally the easiest you'll ever make. I had seen the technique before and actually tried it on a pillow but I made a couple errors that caused me to think this is far more difficult than it is. I re-learned how at my Mothers of Preschoolers program today, and I wanted to share. Take two pieces of fleece, the size depends on who you are making the blanket for. An infant would probably need a yard, a toddler a yard and a half. Two yards for a lap blanket would be great. Pick two colors that go well together - you can see that my materials for two blankets are pink & blue with white for a background.
Cutting the fleece
Cut the selvege edges and line the piece of fleece up, right sides out. Trim if needed. Cut a 4 inch square out of each corner. You can make this 5 or 6 inches if the fleece is huge, but smaller than 3 inches makes it difficult to manipulate. You'll notice that I pinned the edges at the cuts, just to stabilize things as I worked.
Making the cuts
The nice thing about this blanket is it's very forgiving. A little uneveness or rough cuts aren't a tragedy - as the old folks say, it will never be noticed on a galloping horse. Now start on any side you like and line your yardstick (or appropriate inch-marked material, I used my cutting mat) up four inches in.
Now cut up at roughly 1 inch intervals across the edge.
Now tie the blanket off
After you've cut, tie the top and bottom strips one by one. You judge whether or not you need to tie one or two knots. As it's washed and used the fabric will work together and prevent any untieing.
Finishing the blanket
I highly recommend cutting and tieing one side then moving on to another. It makes it much less likely to have an accident where the thing falls apart (another reason I pinned the corners). It's quick and easy, and one small blanket will not take more than an hour to complete. Get your friends and a pile of fleece and make a bunch to donate to a birthing center or pregnancy center - that's what my MOPs group did.