We recommend Blizzard (lightweight) or anti-pill (medium weight) fleece. Please do not use heavy-weight fleece because it will make your items too bulky for our Care Packages.

Yes! We ask that you the pattern on this page only.

When printing the pattern, please print it as you normally would. If the pattern prints larger than the page, please set your printer to “fit to page” and reprint.

Please follow the instructions document if you need help.

If you are just beginning to sew or would like some tips on making fleece hats, please watch the video on this page for a step by step tutorial.

Unlike our knit and crochet programs, fleece hats, scarves, and gaiters can be made in almost any color or print and we encourage you to have fun with your choices. We do ask that you do not make hats from solid neon orange, yellow, or green, or solid white. When choosing print, please avoid overly feminine designs (flowers, paisley, etc.) or designs specifically for children.

Yes! We offer community service hours for most of our handmade with love programs. 

You will receive:

• One hour of  community service for every four fleece hats you donate.
• One hour of  community service for every two fleece scarves you donate.
• One hour of  community service for every three fleece gaiters you donate.

For additional information please visit our community service page.

we are happy to receive them all year long! Feel free to send in your items when your box is full, and once you ship your box, find another one and fill it up too!

Please roll your item tightly and place just one (1) rubber band around each one to keep them from unrolling.

For scarves, please fold the scarf in half and begin rolling it with the fringe in the middle. Please be sure that all of the fringe is tucked inside.

Yes, in fact, we encourage you to include a note with every hat or scarf you make! Please roll your note inside of your item, but do not attach the note to your hat or scarf. Please do not use any type of pins to attach your notes to your fleece items!

The note can be as simple as “Handmade with Love” or a short letter about yourself and why you made your item. Include your first name and email address or “snail mail” address—so the recipient can send you a “thank you” if they have time. Please understand that we can not guarantee that you will ever receive a reply, but we do hope that you’ll give the recipient a chance to say thank you.

Please use regular paper and do not use a card or card stock for your notes. Cards do not roll very well into a scarf or hat and will usually end up damaged. Also, please be sure that your note does not stick out of your rolled scarf or hat. If you are uncomfortable using your personal address, feel free to use ours (info@operationgratitude.com) but please also include your full name so if we receive a note about your item, we can be sure to forward them to you.

Please do not wash your items after they are made unless they have an odor (perfume, smoke, etc.) or have animal hair on them. Many people are allergic to different types of laundry soap so if you do wash your items, please use a fragrance-free hypoallergenic laundry soap to wash your items.

Absolutely! You can drop off your items Monday–Friday from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Please be sure to fill out our Product Donation Form and include a copy in every box/bag/envelope you drop off! 

If you are making a large donation, it is best to coordinate the drop-off with our staff.

Please begin by filling out our Product Donation Form and include a copy in every box you send. We want to know who the donation is from so we can send you a thank you letter!

Our address is:
Operation Gratitude
9409 Owensmouth
Chatsworth CA 91311

Operation Gratitude is now partnering with Give Back Box to offer discounted shipping to our donors! All boxes up to 50 pounds qualify for $20 shipping throughout the U.S. The steps are simple. Visit Give Back Box to add your label to your cart. Pay for the postage, print your label, put it on your box, and drop it off! It’s that easy!

One suggestion to save you both space in your box and on the cost of shipping is vacuum sealing your items in your shipping box. To do this, place a trash bag (you do not need to purchase special vacuum bags) in your box, neatly put your scarves and hats in the box inside the bag. Vacuum the air out by tightly wrapping the bag around your vacuum hose and turning on your vacuum. Once the air is out, keep your vacuum running and spin the bag so that you can hold the air out as you tie off the bag with a piece of twine or yarn. Be sure to use extra tape on the box!!

Please do not put each item in its own bag. Each bag will hold air and take up space in your box and in our very full Care Packages. We will remove the bags when they arrive, which can be very time-consuming, and the bag is very likely to be discarded, which is a huge waste of plastic. We hate to waste anything so please don’t use them.

Yes, we will send you a thank you letter within eight weeks of receiving your donation. If you want earlier confirmation of delivery of your shipment(s), please use the tracking system provided by your shipper.