Illustrator, surface designer and mom (to the cutest babies we’ve ever seen) Natalie Malan stops by the blog today to show us how simple it is to make a cozy fleece blanket—no sewing required! To make this blanket, Natalie printed one yard of our low loft, double-faced fleece using a watercolor design she created herself. (Note: As of March 2023, we are phasing out our Fleece fabric and launching Polartec® Fleece, which will also work great for this project!) This super simple blanket is perfect for spring picnics, adding a pop of color to your couch or bed, or swaddling a sweet little one! Check out her video tutorial below to find out how you can make one, too.

Natalie Malan swaddles her baby in soft, cozy Fleece. Learn how to sew up a cozy no sew blanket with Fleece!

Use your own design or one from the Marketplace to customize your new Fleece project

Fleece on a cutting mat. This fabric has a medium weight and is like butter to cut into!

Pro tip: use masking tape or a disappearing fabric pen to mark your cut line and ensure all your fringe is even. 

low loft, smooth, double-faced Fleece has a soft, cozy hand

Designs printed on fleece pop with crisp, vibrant detail. Colors are long lasting and won’t fade in the wash. 

babies love no-sew Fleece blankets

sibling love

soft and snuggly no sew fleece blanket!

If you want to line your blanket with a coordinating fabric (faux fur would be so much fun!), simply lay the two pieces of fabric together with right sides facing, pin, and sew all the way around the edges. Leave about a 4″ gap on one side so you can turn the blanket right-side-out. Hand sew the gap closed using a blind stitch. Natalie’s blanket is only knotted on the two short ends as she’s using it for infant swaddling. You can choose to go all the way around the blanket with knots if you like (great for picnic blankets), or choose a braided technique like this one.

Try it yourself! Be sure to share your no-sew blankets with us and all of your fleece projects using the hashtag #Spoonflower. Have a cozy day!


Natalie Malan

Natalie Malan is a freelance illustrator who loves to draw and design. She’s a mom to four kids under the age of 6 who love to draw and paint. Natalie is married to fellow illustrator Dave Malan, who also happens to be kind of ok at drawing 😉

After earning a BFA in illustration from BYU in 2003, Natalie worked for an educational software company called Imagine Learning as an illustrator.  She then changed jobs and became Creative Director for Provo Craft until 2009 when she started freelancing full time. See more of Natalie’s designs in her Spoonflower shop, and follow her on Instagram for a daily dose of joy, color, and inspiration!