How Not To Sew a Snuggle Blankie

Many of you may not be aware of my psychic abilities, because I am quite modest about sharing such things. But I just knew that I would be flooded with requests from readers wanting to know the secret to making no-sew snuggles, so I documented the process before anyone even asked. And now that the flood has begun (thank you, Dianne), I shall post the instructions, thus proving the power of my psychicness.

(I think this pattern originally came from JoAnn's. I learned how to do it by watching a friend make one)

Start with 2 pieces of polar fleece, 1 yard each, at 60" wide.

Line up the pieces together along one of the shorter edges, and smooth them out. Trim the selvage edge to make it even, removing about 1/2" of the edge. Keep these scraps.

Fold one corner of the edge over to touch the opposite (longer) side and smooth the fabric out. You should have an equilateral triangle.

Cut along the edge. Keep the leftover pieces.

Open the triangle and smooth the fabrics out into a square. Trim any really uneven edges.

Measure, mark and cut out a 4" square from each corner.

Next, you will be cutting 4"strips along the edges. I found it easier to divide the side into fourths first.

I then cut four strips in each fourth, for a total of 16 strips.

Repeat this on the remaining 3 sides.

Begin tying the bottom strip to the strip laying on top of it. Tie the knots tightly and then tie a second knot in the same strip. This is to keep the knots from coming loose in the wash or from chewing.

I found that the snuggle ended up straighter by tying first the corners, then the middle knot and working back to the corners vs. one after the next.

Repeat the tying process all the way around and voila! you have just not sewn an adorable and cozy snuggle blankie. How clever are you feeling right now?

Remember those scraps? Cut them into 1/2" strips lengthwise, not across because you don't want them to be too stretchy.

Take 4 of these 1/2" strips, fold them in half, and cut in the middle. You should have 2 groups of 4 strips.

Tie a tight double knot in the center of each group. Trim the ends evenly. Voila - washable tug toys.

It cost less than $10 for 1 snuggle (I bought a heavyweight fleece on sale for 3.99/yd.) and less than 2 hours to make 4 snuggles and 6 tug toys. I still have enough leftovers to make about 40 tug toys.

Now I'll make one more amazing psychic prediction. Whether you give the snuggle to an animal shelter, a new baby, or your own 2- or 4-legged child, it will be met with enthusiasm and bring lots of comfort. Just try this and see if I'm not psychic.