When each of my kids were born a friend of our family made a personalized hooded towel for each child that had their name embroidered along one of the sides. These towels were my kids' favorite bath towels and we got years of use out of them beyond just the baby stage. Because these hooded towels were made from full-size bath towels our growing kids could keep using them well into their elementary years.
I remember bath time when my kids were babies and toddlers. They loved splashing and playing around in the tub and were always sad when bathtime was done. After their bath, I would scoop them up and wrap them in a hooded towel to keep their wet head and body warm and cozy. They loved their hooded towel just as much as I did.
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You may have noticed the hooded towels you can buy pre-made at the store. Forget these! They are always super thin which means they don't absorb much water and they are small so you can only use them for a little baby. Little babies don't stay little very long! You will definitely want a hooded towel for your child that fits their growing body, is super absorbent, and lasts for years to come!
After falling in love with these amazing and practical hooded towels I started making them and giving them as gifts for baby showers knowing my friends and family would love them just as much as I did. Just recently I was invited to a baby shower and of course, I made a set of hooded towels to give as a baby gift!
How To Choose The Right Bath Towel
I'm sure you are wondering what kind of bath towel works best since there are so many to choose from. Over the years I have tried several different kinds of towels from super thick bath sheets to thin and flimsy towels. What I have discovered is that a bath towel somewhere in the middle range of thickness works best. The super thick towels are difficult to sew but they are also hard to wrap a small slippery wet child in after a bath! An ultra-thin bath towel won't last long if you plan on using it regularly so I suggest staying away from these kinds.
My favorite bath towels are found at Walmart! The Mainstay brand is not only super inexpensive but it is the perfect weight to use for a hooded towel. Walmart also has matching hand towels! For this project, you will need one hand towel to make two hooded towels so make sure to pick one up before you head home to start this project.
Since we are talking about Walmart, did you know that the store has a sewing and crafting section? How convenient especially since I was about to make some hooded towels and needed matching thread!
Great Beginner Sewing Project
This is a great sewing project for a beginner and doesn't take much time to make your first hooded towel from start to finish. The most challenging part of this tutorial is figuring out how to place the hood and towel together. Once you master this part the rest is very simple!
How To Make A Hooded Bath Towel
Gather up the following supplies and sewing notions to get started making a hooded towel.
Supplies
Step-by-Step Tutorial
1 - We are going to start by making the hood. To do so fold the hand towel in half matching the short ends of the towel together - the folded towel will look like a square now. Cut the towel in half at the fold.
2 - Lay the cut hand towel on a flat surface with the right side facing up. Fold the finished edge of the towel opposite the cut side back about 3 inches and stitch it in place.
3 - Next take one hand towel piece and fold it in half lengthwise matching the long sides together and making sure the right sides of the towel are facing each other. The folded piece should look like a rectangle. Sew along the cut end of the folded towel. Turn the hood right side out then spread the hood open to create a triangle shape. Set it aside
tip - I like to reinforce this seam by sewing over it two times. This is optional however it will help ensure a strong seam.
4 - Fold the bath towel in half matching the short ends of the towel together to form a large square. Press the center fold with your hands to create a visible fold line. Open up the towel with the right side up and lay it on a flat surface making sure you can still see the center fold line you just made.
5 - Match the seam line of the raw edge of the hood to the top edge of the towel matching the seam line and the pressed center mark of the towel together. The hood should be placed so that the hood opening is face up. Pin the hood to the towel.
6 - Sew the hood to the towel. I recommend sewing over this seam two times and backstitching over both ends of the hood to ensure a strong seam.
I hope you enjoyed making a hooded towel and I know you will love using this for your little ones or giving it as a gift to someone special!
If you liked this sewing tutorial I'm sure you will enjoy these other easy beginner sewing projects too! Make sure to check them out today.
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