Baby Hooded Bath Towel Tutorial

I received a ton of baby bath towels for Lucas' baby shower 3 years ago.  They were adorable, with all sorts of ducks, monkeys, and other sorts of creatures.  However, either they were not made for babies bigger than a 2-week-old, or they were what my dad likes to call "shmear towels" (they look great, but all they do is move the water from one spot on your body to another :).

A friend of ours made Lucas (and later Jackson) hooded bath towels... out of thick adult bath towels.  They are big and fluffy, and after almost 3 years, Lucas can still use his! I love them! So... I decided to see if I could figure out how to make one.  While it isn't exactly how she made hers, I'm still pretty proud of the finished product!

(Also check out my other baby gift projects... nursing cover, changing pad, personalized wipes case)

You'll need...

• 1 bath towel
• 1 hand towel
• 1"-thick ribbon
• thread that coordinates with your ribbon
• thread that coordinates with your towels

Fold back the embroidered edge of the hand towel so that there is another 2 inches between the embroidering and the fold (doesn't make sense? See the picture).  Lay your ribbon (I prewashed mine... just in case) across the center of the embroidered area, allowing at least 1/2" overhang.

Using thread that matches your ribbon, sew along both edges, making sure to catch both layers of the hand towel.  (HINT: sew both sides of the ribbon in the same direction to prevent puckering... no lifting your presser foot and turning cheater-style.  I promise, this will only compromise how the ribbon turns out).

Sorry, this picture might be slightly confusing... I took this with the hand towel already folded hotdog-style... only the ribbon and 2 layers (not 4) of the towel in this picture are sewn together.  My bad :)

Fold in half hotdog-style (with right sides together).  Measure 9" from folded edge, and cut all the way across. (HINT: I've learned the hard way from past projects that terry cloth FRAYS!!! I tried using pinking shears this time, and it worked wonders keeping the fabric intact!).

Sew a zig-zag stitch (also to prevent fraying) down the "pinked" edge.

What the hood looks like right-side-out

Your hood is done! Now to attach...

Find the center of the bath towel, and line up with the center of the long edge of the hood.  Lay pieces right side together, and sew towel hems together (make sure you catch the bath towel and both layers of the hood).

 

Now... either plop it on your wet kid's head... {Thanks, Anne!}

...or pack it up nice and neat to give to a friend!

Hehe! Forgive the un-ironed sheet :)

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i should be mopping the floor | The Girl Creative | Jellibean Journals | Alderberry Hill | Sew Can Do | Skip to my Lou | Ladybug Blessings | Today's Creative Blog | Hope Studios | Ginger Snap Crafts | Sew Much Ado | The NY Melrose Family | Fireflies and Jellybeans | Threading My Way | Tatertots and Jello