Fleece No-Sew fleece bed tutorial

I'm going to make my piggies some of these!!!

Quick question since I never used batting before.... is it absorbent like uhaul and the likes or just for fluff and comfort but non-absorbant?
Headed to goodwill and joanns after work to restock and make more piggy beds ^^

MommaofFour, I don't think that white cottanny type batting would be absorbant at all. I think I will put 2 layers of uhaul on the inside, then a layer of batting around both sides of the uhaul and stuff it all inside. I wish I was as quick as Traysea, I have been working on two for about a week now! I had scrap fleece before I even got piggies and made a little lap blanket. My piggie has it now, he seems to love it. I think he likes that the knots make a border so it feels like a little nest.

It depends on what the batting is made of, cotton batting will be absorbent like uhaul (which is recycled cotton denim) polyester batting will be more like fleece (fleece is 100% polyester) So it really depends what you want the bed to do. I want the pee to pass thru the bed dry quickly and not be absorbed so I used polyester and then later on just extra layers of fleece with no batting at all. In my mind it's not a potty pad so it shouldn't hold pee, it should pass thru and away from the pigs. Any pee that makes it out the bottom will get absorbed by your normal cage liner.

MommaOfFour said:

Quick question since I never used batting before.... is it absorbent like uhaul and the likes or just for fluff and comfort but non-absorbant?
Headed to goodwill and joanns after work to restock and make more piggy beds ^^

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Good point Traysea, I have a big roll of batting in my attic that I used to make Quillows with. I am not sure what it is made of but you can almost see thru it so I know the pee would go straight thru. I change my pads out every day, so I will see if I can flip this one and get 2 days use. The second one I make I will just use batting. One of my pigs is very clean, he pretty much only goes in his litter box, good piggie. He hardly even messes the corners he sleeps in- its amazing. The other one, his bed is full of treasures! I have to see if I can figure out how to post a pic as soon as my phone charges.

my first attempt!!! Hope my piggies like it!!!

Looks awesome Amanda!!!!

I made a new bed yesterday with the last of my tree fleece, I used 4 layers of fleece and even did a little ribbon edge detail on some of the top fringes:

What cute beds Amanda & Traysea. I can never seem to find all the adorable fleece that everybody has even though I search the Joann and fabric.com websites.

Traysea said:

It depends on what the batting is made of, cotton batting will be absorbent like uhaul (which is recycled cotton denim) polyester batting will be more like fleece (fleece is 100% polyester) So it really depends what you want the bed to do. I want the pee to pass thru the bed dry quickly and not be absorbed so I used polyester and then later on just extra layers of fleece with no batting at all. In my mind it's not a potty pad so it shouldn't hold pee, it should pass thru and away from the pigs. Any pee that makes it out the bottom will get absorbed by your normal cage liner.

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thanks for the info!
I decided I'll just stick with uhaul inside instead of batting or fleece only. it's the cheapest and most absorbant option, IMO and since I'm trying to extend the time between full cage changes I feel having the uhaul layers inside the potty pads/piggy beds is the best option

Try yourfleece.com I can always find something I love there!

TiaColleen said:

What cute beds Amanda & Traysea. I can never seem to find all the adorable fleece that everybody has even though I search the Joann and fabric.com websites.

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Keep in mind that anything you stuff in the bed is going to get all wadded up so if you use the uhaul maybe chop it up into pieces so you can shake it around after you wash it. The latest ones I have been doing have been just several layers of fleece stacked up, all layers fringed and tied so that the inside of the bed stays flat. Four layers makes it really plush but harder to tie. Loose batting (cotton or polyester) makes it the loftiest/plushest.

MommaOfFour said:

thanks for the info!
I decided I'll just stick with uhaul inside instead of batting or fleece only. it's the cheapest and most absorbant option, IMO and since I'm trying to extend the time between full cage changes I feel having the uhaul layers inside the potty pads/piggy beds is the best option

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Traysea said:

Keep in mind that anything you stuff in the bed is going to get all wadded up so if you use the uhaul maybe chop it up into pieces so you can shake it around after you wash it. The latest ones I have been doing have been just several layers of fleece stacked up, all layers fringed and tied so that the inside of the bed stays flat. Four layers makes it really plush but harder to tie. Loose batting (cotton or polyester) makes it the loftiest/plushest.

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that's a great idea about chopping up whatever you stuff inside (batting/uhaul)!
it was def a bit wadded up in there after the wash but even with 2 "intact" layers of uhaul inside I was able to get it straightend out for the most part by shaking. to straighten it out all the way I just opened a couple knots and flattened it out reaching inside.

Does anyone else find their knots coming undone in their washing machine? Mine keep coming undone and having to re-tie them every time they get washed is a huge pain!

I love this! I made this in about 15 minutes and couldn't be happier! Thanks for the great tutorial.

Princess_Piggie said:

Does anyone else find their knots coming undone in their washing machine? Mine keep coming undone and having to re-tie them every time they get washed is a huge pain!

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mine don't but I did double knots all around the bed and made sure to pull it pretty tight (since the fleece is a bit elastic and I was worried about it coming undone too)

I just put the bed I and they tried to chew the tassels!! That never happened with my other bed like this. It'll have to be a lap/ floor time only be bcuz I supervise there.

are you double knotting and tying tightly? Mine never come undone and I couldn't open my knots if I tried.

LiLiPiggies08 said:

I just put the bed I and they tried to chew the tassels!! That never happened with my other bed like this. It'll have to be a lap/ floor time only be bcuz I supervise there.

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Try cutting the fringe shorter or turn the whole thing inside out so the fringe is inside, and tie off the hole tightly.

I made a couple of new ones the other day which I did double knot (and triple knot in some places!) so we'll see how they hold up in the machine when they need a wash. Practice makes perfect lol

In all the many beds and multiple no-sew throw fleece blankets I have made I have never had any knots come undone. So I am thinking you only crossed the fringe (crossed over once like tying a shoelace) and didn't knot it. Knotting it would be crossing it over twice in to a knot. It should be permanent. Another thing, you can make your fringe narrower, if your fringe is wider than 1/2" it might be too much bulk. Cutting the fringe down to 1/2" thick would secure the knots. Also, always make the knots as tight as possible.