Our friends at Rover.com are hosting the 12 Days of DIY Pet Gifts and asked us to share a DIY gift for pets.
The holidays are a time for family, inspiration, and creativity.
If you are anything like the Dog People at Rover.com, involving the family pet in festivities is a given.
They have worked with 12 DIY bloggers to bring you a different daily craft for 12 days, for you to try at home.
So deck the paws and count down to a furry Christmas with us!
On the Ninth Day of DIY, your fur love did receive a Christmas Wreath Pull Toy.
On the Tenth Day of DIY, your fur love will receive a Fleece Holiday Blanket (made by us).
I was excited (and a little surprised) when Rover.com asked me to participate in their 12 Days of DIY Pet Gifts.
Maybe this would be the year I would finally make us matching holiday pajamas.
Kind of like the family in this photo, only instead of two kids I would have to make pajamas for one kid and five pets.
That is when reality set in and I wasn’t sure I could pull off that much cuteness or cheerfulness because bunnies and rats don’t like pajamas.
Oh, and there’s also the thing about me not knowing how to sew like AT ALL.
So, I put on my DIY thinking cap (only I don’t have a DIY thinking cap because I’m not really a DIY person unless duct-taping broken stuff together counts as DIY).
But I am no quitter so I searched high and low for an achievable DIY project for non-DIY pet parents.
And I found one – the no sew, no stress, no fuss fleece holiday blanket for pets!
Not only is it super simple to make, it is also something I can make in different sizes for multiple pets with multiple shapes.
Making A No Sew, No Stress Holiday Fleece Blanket For Your Pets
Visit your local fabric store and select your fleece.
You will need two different patterns.
I pretend-measured (as in, estimated) that I would need two yards of each color for dog, cat, bunny and mouse-sized blankets.
Yes, every pet is getting a one of these blankets since they are so easy to make.
I went for red and black but of course you can use any color scheme that works for you.
I was going for a theme to match my pets.
Stretch out your fabric and cut two identical pieces.
Obviously, if you are making multiple blankets for multiple pets you will need to plan ahead and cut several sets.
Make sure the right side of the fabric (the one you want people to see) is facing up and out.
Also, try not to get scratched by a bossy cat who doesn’t like sharing.
Cut out corners using an appropriately-sized square.
A five inch square worked well for the dog and cat beds, but bunny and mouse blankets are smaller so give it your best guess.
Just lay a sample paper over the corner and cut out that size section of the fabric.
I am challenged when it comes to using scissors (cutting is hard) so this is where I brought in my husband kicking and screaming who is actually quite crafty and very good at following directions.
Helpful hint: The addition of a Santa gnome makes things even more festive.
Cut the fringe.
Each strip should be about the width of a finger and the same length as the cut-out square corners.
It does not have to be exact but I recommend it being close for easy tying in the next step.
Cut all the way around both pieces of fabric.
The designated cutter should be careful not to trim the Santa beard on the gnome or poke the bossy cat.
Special note if you are making a rodent or mice blanket. It is important to make sure the fringe is long enough to make the knots.
My first try I did not make them long enough and had to go back and make longer cuts.
Tie the knots.
Line your fabric up and begin tying the knots – one strip from the bottom fabric and one from the top.
Double knots (I am told) are best so that they don’t come loose in the wash.
The smaller the blanket the trickier this gets, do your best and don’t stress.
Your pets don’t care if it is not perfect.
That’s it, you are finished.
This no sew DIY holiday fleece pet blanket is super simple, super fast and super adorable.
But wait, the cuteness does not end here.
Yes, I made one of these adorable blankets for my pet rat too.
I am pretty sure for an adopted rat, he hit the jackpot for loving homes.
I mean c’mon, how many rats are lounging on homemade fleece blankets made just for them?
Final Thoughts (and True Story): And when you are happily tying knots while waiting for your daughter’s holiday guitar recital to begin and another mother asks what you are working on and you reply proudly, “I’m making a holiday blanket for my mouse that I’m going to share on my pet blog.”
Don’t worry if she looks at you strangely and moves two seats down.
She clearly doesn’t have the holiday spirit and you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life anyway.
Not Just For Pets You Know
Shelters are always in need of soft comfy blankets for their pets.
If the cost of material is too much for you personally, ask a local craft store if they have extra fleece they can donate for you.
You can also hit up thrift shops for fleece clothing that can be repurposed.
If you are a knitter you can also check out our guide on how you can use knitting to help animals.
Shelter dogs and cats (and maybe even rats) will of course be so grateful for something warm and snuggly to lay their heads on.
This post was originally posted on The Daily Pip in 2017, but has been reposted here with the approval of the original author.
