How to Make a Child's Beach Wrap Out of a Towel
Kids love going to the beach. The one problem is that most beach towels are simply too big for them to wrap around their small bodies to dry off after a swim. Creating a simple beach wrap from a beach towel can alleviate this problem. Not only will your child have a towel that fits her, she can even wear it home to keep her car seat dry.
Things You'll Need
- Towel
- 3/4 inch or 1 inch of elastic
- Ribbons
- Needle/thread or sewing machine
- Safety pins
- Velcro
- Yarn needle (optional)
- Yarn (optional)
Instructions
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1
Allow your child to help pick out the towel that will be used for her beach wrap. Getting the child involved makes it more exciting, and she will be more likely to want to wear her beach wrap. Look for colorful patterns, but avoid character prints because when you start cutting the towel to the correct size, you may find that your child's favorite character has lost a head or a leg.
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Measure the towel against your child. First wrap the towel around her, allowing an extra two or three inches for elastic stretch and overlap for the Velcro enclosure. Mark the fabric and cut it down to size.
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Next measure the length of the towel. It will likely be too long for your child. You want the towel to fall just below her knees, so that she has some room to grow and still wear the beach wrap. Add several inches to the desired length to allow for sewing an elastic casing. Trim the towel down to the correct length.
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Lay the towel out flat on your sewing table with the long cut edge along the top. Fold the short cut edge over just enough to sew it down. This will prevent the cut edge from fraying.
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Fold the long cut edge over, making sure there is enough space to weave the elastic through the casing you will create. The casing should be at least an inch-and-a-half wide. This edge can be sewn with the sewing machine or by hand. You can even use brightly colored thread to sew the casing, making a pretty pattern.
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Weave the elastic through the casing. You can use a large yarn needle to pull the elastic through. If you do not have one, you can also create a large "needle" by cutting a long, thin piece of cardboard and taping the elastic to it. Once the elastic is through the casing, pull it tight to determine how much bunching you want from the towel.
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Once you have determined a good length for the elastic, cut it and sew it into the towel wrap.
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Add Velcro to the top of the beach wrap, directly on the elastic casing. Pull tight to make the casing straight and flat. This will allow the Velcro to attach properly.
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Use ribbons to make straps for the towel wrap, to keep it from falling off your child. Have your child try on the towel wrap to determine where to place the straps, so it fits her just right. Pin the straps in place using safety pins, then remove the wrap from your child and sew the straps firmly in place.
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Tips & Warnings
Make the beach wrap even more adorable by adding matching ribbon to the bottom edge of the beach wrap. Or replace the Velcro with a ribbon tie closure.
This is a great project to do with your child; just be sure to teach your child to be careful around the sewing machine.
