Make it Monday // Guest Post - Pet Blankie DIY

Today I'd like to present to you a guest post by Katie of Muddy Pup pottery.  She came to me with the idea of doing a Pet Related DIY & since I haven't featured a DIY of that sort on Five SIxteenths, I had to say yes.  Katie also happens to be my room mate & a fellow potter.  She's even a Medium Sponsor this month!  She is a pretty creative gal, so I hope you can find time to make a lovely little pet blankie for your dog, or cat, or goldfish.

One of the glorious things about being a pet owner is play time.  Cody is the master of play, and likes to make sure every toy gets equal play.  If you ignore his efforts to include you in his game, after a few minutes you'll be buried in toys.  Does she want this toy?  No?  How about this one?

Toys can get expensive.  Squeakers are squeaked to death and ropes are shredded.  One of the few toys that seem to last around here are blankies.  If I buy fabric to make a few at a time, they can be significantly cheaper than a stock of PetSmart goodies.  

DIY Pet (or baby) Blankies

My sewing machine is my grandmother's 1955 Singer.  I wonder if my grandchildren will inherit anything of mine that will still work as well...  I'm sure this sewing machine will outlast all of it.

The Tools: For this project, you need a sewing machine, thread and scissors.  Tape measure is optional.  I like to eye-ball it.

The Fabric:  I make my blankies with one side flannel and one side fleece.  This gives you a nice contrast in color, texture and pattern.  Here, the anchors are flannel and the navy blue is fleece.  

At the fabric store, pick out your bolts of fabric and order a yard of each.  This should be enough to make 2 small blankies.  Be sure to wash you fabric to tackle shrinkage.

Then, cut your fabric to size and match up fabric.  Be sure to lay out with the nice sides towards eachother.  We'll turn right side out later.  

Sew around the edges of your currently-insideout blankie.  Don't forget to leave a gap about 2 inches long between beginning and end so we can turn right side out.

Cut each corner of your extra fabric, leaving 1/4 inch or so of space.  This will prevent too much fabric from bunching up in the corners.

Remember the gap?

Turn inside-out.  Or is it right-side-out?  Good side out?  Just do it. 

Sew back around the border between 1/4 and 1/2 inch away from the edge.  Be sure to close up the gap from before.

Once you've made your journey all the way around, tie off the ends of your thread.  You can use your sewing machine magic to do this, or I just pull one end through and tie.

Let the snuggling begin!

As an added little bonus, I found that if you cut your spare fleece into long strips you can weave them into another little dog toy!  Remember those middle school woven ropey things that were so awesome but really only good for keychains?  Well those skills come in handy for a new fetch toy!  It's his new obsession.

So there you have it! TWO awesome doggie toys for the DIY of one.  Cody loves his little blankies & carries them everywhere.  If you have a DIY you'd like to submit, check out the Guest Post Guidelines & shoot me an email! I've got sponsor spots available for the month of July as well!

Connect with Katie on her artist website, shop her etsy shop, or follow her on instagram.

Make it Monday is a weekly feature on Five Sixteenths dedicated to showcasing some DIY fun & inspiration.  If you'd like to see more DIY posts, clickhere!