Make No-Sew Fleece Blankets*
Cozy up with a winter act of kindness.
These fuzzy fleece blankets are fun to create together, and they provide comfort to a child in need. No sewing required!
Possible recipients
Any number of local organizations would appreciate your donations of these simple “no-sew” fleece blankets. Check with hospitals, homeless shelters, care facilities, or police and fire stations to gauge interest.
Or deliver them to your local chapter of Project Linus or Binky Patrol. These two groups will distribute them to organizations with the greatest need.
What you’ll need
Fleece fabric (amount varies with blanket size) or a fleece blanket kit
Optional but helpful: masking tape and a T-shaped ruler
Instructions
Gather your family to watch this 90-second video about a fifth grade class that made no-sew blankets for children, and why this project is so important.
Take your children to the store (or search together online) to buy soft fleece fabric with patterns you like. Or buy a fleece blanket kit.
See blanket-making instructions here:
Reflections
Do you have a blanket or something soft and cuddly that you love? How do you feel when you hold it?
Why would a blanket bring comfort to a child who is scared or having a difficult time?
How would you feel if you had to spend the night at the hospital, or had to be separated from your parents for some reason? What would help you feel better?
How else can we make children who are hurt or scared feel safe and loved?
Resources
Project Linus and Binky Patrol are national organizations that collect blankets for children who need to feel secure. Their websites explain their work and list your nearby chapter.
Geraldine’s Blanket by Holly Keller
It seems as though nothing will keep Geraldine from her tattered blanket, perhaps not even a brand-new doll. Baby-preschool.The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
A young girl’s quilting project with her grandmother becomes a family effort as grandma feels ill. Ages 4 - 8.Changing Places: A Kids View of Shelter Living by Judy Wallace and Glen Finland
Eight homeless children talk share true, poignant stories about life in a shelter. This is a wonderful resource for helping children see the human experience behind the issues of homelessness and poverty. Ages 6 - 12.
Take it further
Blanket-making can involve many friends and family. Purchase yards of wild and woolly fleece fabric and spend an afternoon tying blankets over a holiday gathering. It can be a great opportunity to visit while infusing your festivities with extra meaning.
Make a blanket together each year on your child’s birthday. One recipient could be the hospital where he or she was born.
Host a “Bink-A-Thon,” where you gather many hands to make a load of cuddly blankets to donate to Binky Patrol.
*Cost can vary greatly on some projects depending on the way you approach them. Consider asking friends and neighbors to “sponsor” your effort if you get excited about a project that may be out of your price range. You might end up with a big-hearted community at your side!
Still looking?
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The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.