The Easiest Fleece Scarf You'll Ever Make

Before we went to Utah for Christmas, I knew that we needed to up our winter clothes game.  Living in San Antonio, our kids just don't have the winter clothes that they would have if we were still in Utah.  The weeks that we were there, the weather was in the 20s and 30s.  That's cold!  Especially since we've been living in and getting used to the warm weather in Texas.

I had some extra fleece in my stash and so I thought I would make a couple of simple scarves for my kids.  And they were even quicker to make and more simple than I expected!  A tutorial isn't really needed, but in case anyone reading is a beginner to sewing, here are the simple instructions:

Supplies Needed:

1/2 to 1 Yard of Fleece (depending on the width; if it's 44" wide, you'll need 1 yard, if it's 60" wide you can probably get by with 1/2 yard)  *You could also use flannel, cotton, or cuddly-type fabrics like minky*
Matching Thread
Scissors and Measuring Tape
Sewing Machine

Tutorial:

1.  First, you'll want to decide on your scarf length and width, depending on for whom you are making it.  For my 4 year old son, I made his 48" long and 5" wide.  And for my almost 2 year old daughter, I made hers 38" long and 4" wide.  Obviously, if you're making a scarf for an older child or adult, you'll want it to be quite a bit longer, and perhaps wider as well.

2.  Cut two pieces (front and back) of your fabric to the aforementioned size.  Be sure to add 1/2" all around for seam allowance.  So, for my 4 yr old's, I cut the fabric 49" long and 6" wide.  And for my smaller scarf, I cut it 39" long and 5" wide.

3.  Put front and back pieces right sides together and pin the edges.

4.  Sew around the edges, leaving a 4-6" gap not sewn.  While I was sewing the short ends of my scarves, I decided that I wanted the ends to be rounded, so as I stitched, I sewed a rounded edge instead of going all the way to the corners.  Either way would work just fine though.  Once it's all sewn, turn the scarf right side out through the gap you left open.

5.  Whipstitch (by hand) the opening closed, or if you're lazy/don't mind if you see some stitches, tuck the raw edges under and sew the opening closed with your machine.  I took the machine/easier route because I was using a thick fleece.  Because of its thickness, the stitches where I sewed the opening closed are hardly visible at all.  It's all a matter of personal preference though!  You could always topstitch around the entire scarf as well if that's a look you'd prefer (I would probably recommend to do so if you're using a cotton or flannel fabric.  The topstitching will help the thinner fabric to maintain its shape.)  But, really, just do whichever method you prefer!

And that's it, you're done!  Easy peasy!!!

I'm really glad I took the 20 minutes to make these scarves--they really paid off in the cold Utah temperatures, and we've actually used them a time or two here in Texas as well since we've been home.  Both the lengths were just right for my kids--not too long, but still long enough to wrap around their necks twice and tie in  a loose knot so they wouldn't come undone.  While we were in Utah, we spent a couple nights outside seeing the Christmas lights at Temple Square and at Hogle Zoo, and with the below-freezing temperatures, I'm glad my little ones had that extra layer around their necks to keep them warm!

So, go ahead--it's not too late this winter to make your own fleece scarf!