Girls Barbie/Valentine Fleece Scarf {Tutorial}

Hey everyone!  So can you believe that we're already sharing Valentine's Day projects?  Time's a flyin'! 

I made eight of these fleece scarves for my daughter's Barbie themed birthday party (for just over $1 each), but don't you think they would also be pretty fun to wear on Valentine's Day?   They're pretty simple to make too, just four stitching lines (two of them are even straight). ;)  

Supplies

The stretch of the fleece will need to go across the width of the scarf, not the length, so the scarf doesn't stretch out really long when it's being used.  This means you will need to buy enough fleece for the length of the scarf.  54" was a good length for a girls size scarf.

• 1 1/2 yds. of pink fleece and 1/4 yd of white fleece (This is enough to make eight scarves.)
• 3/8" Ribbon (The polka-dot ribbon is from Wal-mart.) 
• Black Thread
• Black Felt (2-3 sheets for eight scarves), Assorted Gems, Hot Glue, and Safety Pins.  (optional)

*I bought the inexpensive, thin fleece from Wal-mart for $2.88 a yard.  It worked really well for this project.  I spent around $5.50 on enough fabric to make 8 scarves.

Directions

(Sewing time is about 15 minutes for each scarf.)

1.  Cut off the selvage edges.  Cut the pink fleece 7" wide, using the length of the fleece (54") for the length of the scarf.  The stretch needs to go across the width of the scarf, not the length, so the scarf doesn't stretch out when worn.  I have a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat that I use to get a nice clean straight edge. 

2.  Cut a piece of white fleece that is 4 1/2" tall by 7" wide.  Again, the stretch of the fleece goes from side to side on the scarf.

3.  Overlap the white fleece over the pink fleece by 1 1/4".  Stitch across the top using a zig-zag stitch.  (Practice on a scrap piece of fleece first to decide on the stitch length and width of the zig-zag.)  Stitch across the bottom using a zig-zag stitch.  If the stitch isn't perfectly straight, don't worry about it, just trim the white fleece down a bit so it appears that it is.  No one will ever know. ;)

4.  Sew the ribbon on in the center of the zig-zag stitches, turning under each end first. 

TIP:  When you are sewing ribbon on, it's best to start on one end and sew down both sides of the ribbon in the same direction.  This helps to prevent puckering. It also helps to pin it first and gently pull it taut as you sew.

5.  Cut the fringe about 1/2" wide.  Each cut doesn't need to be measured exactly, just make them pretty close to the same size.

To Add an Embellished Initial

Find a chunky font that you like and print out the letter in the size that you want.  This letter is 4" tall.  I used WordArt in Microsoft Publisher to make the pattern.  Choose a color for the line and no fill color to save on ink.  Roughly cut around the paper pattern, pin it to the felt, and then cut through the paper and felt layers at the same time on the line. (You can do this when cutting out clothes patterns too, it saves a lot of time.)

The girls embellished the felt letters with sparkly gems and I hot glued them to the felt for them while they were doing another activity.  They LOVED this.  In fact, when I took the lid off of the tin with the gems in it, there was an audible gasp (all in unison) when they saw them, it was sooo cute!  

In the interest of time, I safety-pinned the letters (from the back) to each of their scarves with those teeny little gold safety pins.  This way they can take them off to launder the scarf.  I chose hot glue for the sole reason that it dries quickly, there are other glues you can use that are washable.

The girls (ages 5-8) all loved the scarves and were so thrilled that they got to 'design' them themselves.   Before they left the party they all made plans to wear them to school the next day, how adorable is that!  :)

Of course with different color choices this scarf could be made for other holidays and party themes as well.  Let me know if you think of any fun ones! :)
 
Have a great weekend!

Today's Fabulous Find...Girl's Fleece Scarf

Linking up to:

Oopsey Daisy  Lil' Luna  Not Just a Housewife  Today's Creative Blog  Home Stories A to Z  Sugar Bee Crafts  Skip to My Lou  Pocket Full of Pink    I Heart Naptime  Tator Tots and Jello   Serenity Now