Ruffled Toddler Poncho

My mom called me the other day and told me about a little project that she made for her friend's daughter. She thought Kaylee would like it too. I agreed. It was a little no-sew fleece poncho that she found online. I told Kaylee about it and told her it was a little blanket for her shoulders. She was thrilled to go to Joann's and pick out some fabric for her new "shoulder blanket".

3/4 of a yard of fleece will make 2 of these. I didn't need 2 so I used the scraps to make her a little scarf.

 I cut out a square 27"x27". If you'd like to keep this a no-sew project, you can stop right there, but I thought I'd add a little ruffle. I cut a strip of fleece twice as long as the square and stitched through the center, pulling the end strings to scrunch it. Then pinned it to the fabric, stretching and adjusting as I went.

There was extra on the ends so I just trimmed that part off.

Then I folded it in half diagonally and made the hole for her head. This little bowl is 4" in diameter and was perfect. I just used it as my guide. You'll just need a semi-circle shape on the fold.

 Fleece is stretchy. It's better to start small and make the hole bigger if you need to later. If you made the ruffle, you can just back stitch a few stitches to keep the ends from unraveling after cutting the hole for the head.

There are several ways to finish the bottom. You can just leave it or cut it with pinking shears, or create a fringe. I just trimmed 2" up across the bottom to create a fringe. I didn't tie the ends, just left them like fringe.

And that was it!

It was so easy to make and only cost around $3 that I decided to make her 2. The one pictured, and another little black with white polka dot one.

The perfect little blanket for her shoulders.

Thanks for the idea Mom!

***My little gal is 38" tall. 3/4 yard of fleece is about 27" and is perfect for a little girl her size (3-4 years). You can adjust accordingly to fit your child. A yard would make a 30"+ one for an older girl***