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It seems I need small baby gifts frequently, for soldiers, coworkers, or friends. And they seem to come in waves, so I needed something I can mass produce and be set for six months or so. Of course, I read there’s a Fifty Shades of Gray baby boom going on, with babies due in February, so who knows how many blankies I’ll need then!
I like to give these tag blankies for babies to use as teethers or tactile learners, along with a copy of one of our favorite books. It makes a thoughtful, yet affordable, gift.
About ten years ago, “tag” things were all the rage…books, blankets, teething cloths, you name it. I’m not sure if they’re still so prevalent, but I figured out how I could make them for next to nothing. (In this case, next to nothing adds up to about $3, if I have to buy ribbons and can’t just pull from my stash.)
To make these, you’ll need some soft chenille-type microfleece. One and a half yards of 60” wide fleece will make 6 blankets. I always buy it on sale or with a 40% off coupon at Joann’s. You’ll also need 10 or 12 different, closely wovan, fabric ribbons. You’ll need two pieces of each, 4” long.
Cut two pieces of fleece 14”x14” for each blankie. On the right side of one piece, fold each ribbon in half and pin he cut edges along the sides of the fleece.I do this assembly line fashion, cutting everything then pinning all the squares.
Next, place another square of fleece right sides together with the ribbon pinned one.
Stitch around the edges, leaving a space about 3 inches or so not sewn. Clip the corners, as shown above, then turn the blankie right side out, pulling the fabric through the unsewn part. Remove the pins, tuck the raw edges from the unsewn part inside, and topstitch around the entire square.
See? I told you it was easy! I try to make mine pretty unisex in color, since I make them to stock my gift trunk. You can make several of these in an afternoon (or an evening while watching mindless television) and when a baby is born, you’re ready to give a fabulous present!
I wish I had half f your domestic skills! We STILL read Gerald McBoing Boing weekly!
ReplyDeleteThanks! We read our copy frequently, too...does your "Boing Boing" still work? I keep thinking we'll wear it out, but not yet!
DeleteWe love ours so much! It kept Nikolai entertained in the car for a long time today (Taylor is practicing her driving skills and we spent about an hour parallel parking). And we read our book again tonight! Well, I tried to read it while simultaneous fighting with Nikolai not to eat it... It already looks well-loved. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great tutorial! I have been giving so many baby gifts lately, it will be great to save a little cash and give something a little more personalized. I've seen similar blankets on sites like etsy and always wonder the same thing...how do you keep the two pieces of fabric together closer to the center? I would think they would need to be tacked down somewhere other than the edge. Is this not an issue? I appreciate your feedback and look forward to making one of these cuties in the near future.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie...I don't tack them together anywhere, and they seem to be fine. All three of my kids played with theirs pretty exhaustively, and the layers didn't "let go" in the middle. These are only 14" squares, so maybe it would be different if you were making a larger one. Hope that helps...and that you try making one!
DeleteThis is absolutely fabulous. Thank you for sharing your talents!!!!
ReplyDeleteKimberli