If you and your kids/teens are looking for a great hands-on project to occupy a weekend, consider making these very easy fleece blankets. They're a fantastic service project to pass out to homeless folks along the streets as the temperature drops, or donate to another charity of your choice, and the best part is that we get to be creative doing it!
Here are a few easy steps to follow with no sewing required!
• Visit the fabric store with your kids/teens to pick out and purchase fleece. You can vary the design by picking two different colors or patterns. The size of your blanket is up to you.
• To begin, cut two pieces of fleece material, exactly the same size.
• Lay your two pieces of fleece out on a table, back to back.
• At each corner, cut out a four inch square from the edge.
• Next, cut fringes around the entire outer edge of the fabric that are four inches long, one inch wide. You can 'eye-ball' this or use a yardstick for help.
• When you are finished, start at one corner and begin to tie the fringe of the two layers together in a double knot until completing the entire blanket.
* TIP: For a two-colored blanket alternate your knots by passing one fringe under and over, then reverse it for the next knot.
This project can be paired up with an Orthodox lesson as well. We made red & orange blankets to accompany the story of the 3 Holy Youths in the fire; Shadrach, Mishach, and Abendago. When it came time to donate them, our group decided to send them to the Orthodox fire victims in Greece.
To tailor your blankets for a worldwide cause, visit www.iocc.org http://www.orthodoxyouthoutreach.net/ or www.ocmc.org for ideas.
Can anyone crafty out there suggest a way to add-on a Cross, Icon, or Orthodox decal?
Our Catholic homeschool group makes these "Linus Blankets" each year to donate to patients in the local children's hospital. Even little ones can be guided through the fringe tying steps to help out. God bless!
ReplyDeleteHope you & baby are feeling well!
~ Patricia
What a beautiful idea!
ReplyDeleteWe have a few blankets like that that were given to our children as gifts. Instead of two colored fabrics, it was one colored fabric and a patterned fabric. If you can find fleece with a Christian theme on it, that might be nice too.
This will help me occupy my oldest when school lets out over Thanksgiving and Christmas break!
We've made a few of these blankets for gifts and on one of them we cut out some butterflies from some extra fleece and used fabric glue to glue them on. It's been washed and re-washed with no problems.
ReplyDeleteYou could cut out whatever shapes you wanted and do the same.
Another great idea Eleni!