Critter Nursery Blanket Knockoff

A couple of months ago one of my sweet friends, Michele, from The Scrap Shoppe, needed some guest posts for her maternity leave – so she could spend some time with her darling new little guy.
And oh – is he darling. :)

I wanted to do a “baby” craft – so I went searching for inspiration at Pottery Barn Kids.
I found the cutest little Critter Nursery Blankets and that was it.
I just had to make one!

Here’s my version of their little frog blanket:

And here’s the PBK version:

See the little frog in the back? :)

I made mine a little larger – and a little brighter in color. I wanted a fun green color and I spotted this fuzzy fleece at Joann’s. Perfect!!

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own.

• 2/3 yard of 60″ fleece
• embroidery floss
• fiberfill
• Frog Pattern (Click to download)

Cut your fleece into a 24″ square. Cut out your frog pattern. You’ll need to cut two – a front and back.

Trace the face markings onto the fleece with a disappearing ink pen.

Begin embroidering your froggy’s mouth.

Bring the floss up at the left side of the mouth.
Put the needle back through the fabric about 1/4″ along the line. Bring the needle back up between these two points.

Continue this same stitch, putting the needle through about 1/4″ down the line, the back up at the point the previous stitch ends.

Repeat all the way down the line until the mouth is finished.

Sew on the nose next, using small stitches to make it as thick or thin as you want.

For the eyes, do the previous stitch in a circle, outlining where the eye will be. Then fill in the center with straight stitches starting at one side and crossing to the other until the whole eye is filled.

Place the other head piece over this one, right sides together, and sew around the edges with a 1/4″ seam, leaving the bottom open.
Turn right side out.

 I love our smirky little frog so far. ;)

Measure down about 8″ from one corner of the fleece square.
Cut the corner off.

Hem the remaining sides of the square by turning the edges over 1/2″, then 1/2″ again and stitching close to the edge.
Make sure you leave the cut corner unsewn.

Now we’re going to pin the head to the cut corner of the square.
Match up the bottom edges of the head at the seams with each end of the cut corner.
There will be extra fabric in the middle.

Bring the cut corner piece together in the center so that it is the length of the head piece.
Fold flat the extra fabric to make a pleat. Pin this to the face side of the head.

Sew this seam, making sure not to catch the back of the head while you’re sewing.
Now the front of the head will be sewn to the blanket but the back will be open still.

Stuff the head (lightly – don’t go crazy here).
Turn the back of the head under about 1/4″ and hand sew it down to the back side of the blanket square.

That’s all there is to it!!

Such an easy way to make a cute Critter Blanket – perfect for new little ones, baby showers, and gifts!

Not bad when you consider Pottery Barn’s version is $29!

You could easily take the method and make almost any animal! Just draw out the head and cut and sew onto the corner of a square of fabric.
If you don’t want to draw it out – a simple animal from a coloring book would work great too.

Don’t you just want to cuddle him?

When are you too old for a fuzzy fleece animal head blanket?

Hmmmm.

If for some reason you see a pink flamingo head blanket in the background of some picture I’ve taken in the house . . . look the other way, k?
Thanks.

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