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Tomball library shows how to make fleece blankets and Christmas packages
  
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By ANNA SCHUMANN
For people who are trying to find that perfect gift to buy friends and family, staff at the Lone Star College- Tomball and Community Library have the perfect solution: don’t buy a gift, make one.
Gail Cooper, reference assistant at the library, likes to make fleece blankets to give as gifts individually or in packages with other personalized gifts.
The blankets, made out of two two-yard pieces of fleece, require no sewing, only cutting and tying. Depending on the type of fleece, a blanket can be made for as little as around $12. Fabric choices can be as creative and personal as the gift’s recipient.
Cooper said for her younger nieces and nephews, she will package a movie and popcorn inside the blanket. For teenagers, she’ll package her home-made gift with movie rental gift cards. For a teacher, she has packaged a blanket with tea packets, a book and slippers.
Another upside to giving these blankets as a gift, Cooper said, is that they are light-weight, so they don’t cost very much to ship.
Donna Schardein, assistant branch librarian, came to an adult Christmas crafts class at the library to make her first blanket. She said not only are the blankets easy to make, but she looks forward to giving them as gifts.
“It’s nice to give someone a personalized gift,” she said. “They know you put a little bit of time in it.”
How to make a fleece-tie blanket
Begin with two pieces of fleece, with the wrong sides facing each other. For an adult’s blanket, the pieces should be two yards each. For a child’s blanket, they can be as small as one yard.
Cut off the rough edges of both pieces of fabric to make sure the edges are straight.
For an adult blanket, cut a four-inch square out of each corner. For longer fringe, cut a five-inch square.
Cut four-inch (or five-inch, depending on the square you’ve cut at the corner) strips along the perimeter of the fabric at one-inch intervals. Do this on all four sides.
Tie the top and bottom pieces of fabric together at each piece of fringe with two tight overhand knots.
Gail Cooper, reference assistant at the library, likes to make fleece blankets to give as gifts individually or in packages with other personalized gifts.
The blankets, made out of two two-yard pieces of fleece, require no sewing, only cutting and tying. Depending on the type of fleece, a blanket can be made for as little as around $12. Fabric choices can be as creative and personal as the gift’s recipient.
Cooper said for her younger nieces and nephews, she will package a movie and popcorn inside the blanket. For teenagers, she’ll package her home-made gift with movie rental gift cards. For a teacher, she has packaged a blanket with tea packets, a book and slippers.
Another upside to giving these blankets as a gift, Cooper said, is that they are light-weight, so they don’t cost very much to ship.
Donna Schardein, assistant branch librarian, came to an adult Christmas crafts class at the library to make her first blanket. She said not only are the blankets easy to make, but she looks forward to giving them as gifts.
“It’s nice to give someone a personalized gift,” she said. “They know you put a little bit of time in it.”
How to make a fleece-tie blanket
Begin with two pieces of fleece, with the wrong sides facing each other. For an adult’s blanket, the pieces should be two yards each. For a child’s blanket, they can be as small as one yard.
Cut off the rough edges of both pieces of fabric to make sure the edges are straight.
For an adult blanket, cut a four-inch square out of each corner. For longer fringe, cut a five-inch square.
Cut four-inch (or five-inch, depending on the square you’ve cut at the corner) strips along the perimeter of the fabric at one-inch intervals. Do this on all four sides.
Tie the top and bottom pieces of fabric together at each piece of fringe with two tight overhand knots.
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