How to Make a Hooded Towel From a Towel & Handtowel

Whether it's a day at the beach, an afternoon at the pool, or just bath time, children love to play in the water! A hooded towel poncho is a great way for little ones to dry off and chase away the chill when they get out of the water. This project is easy enough for a beginning seamstress, can be made with materials you already have on hand, should take less than 1 hour to complete and is ideal for personalizing.

Things You'll Need

• Bath towel or beach towel
• Hand towel in matching or coordinating color
• Thread in matching or coordinating color
• Ribbon, fabric paint and/or appliqué (optional)

Instructions

Preparing the Hood

1. Trim the rolled hem from both short edges of the hand towel.

2. Cut the hand towel in half lengthwise so that you have two long narrow pieces.

3. Put one of the pieces aside for the main part of the hood and cut an 8-by-9 inch rectangle from the other piece. This will be the back of the hood.

4. Fold the back piece in half lengthwise and cut across one corner at an angle about 3 inches. This will shape the hood.

5. With the right sides of the fabric together, line up the short straight edge of the back piece with one short edge of the main hood piece. Align the long side of the back piece with the long raw edge of the main piece. Sew a 1/2-inch seam along the long side of the back piece. The finished edge of the main piece will form the front of the hood so you won't need to hem or use bias tape.

6. When you come to the first corner of the back piece, stop the sewing machine with the needle down. Turn the back piece so that the edge is once again aligned with the main piece. Continue sewing around the back piece in this manner.

7. Depending on the length of the hand towel you started with, you will probably wind up with a couple of inches of excess fabric on one side of the hood. Lay the hood out flat and trim the excess so that both sides are even.

Assemble the Hooded Towel

1. Fold the large towel in half both ways and mark the center point of the towel. Cut a 12-inch slit across the horizontal center of the towel to form the neck opening.

2. Make a mark about 1/2 inch on each side of the center of the opening on the front of the towel.

3. With the right side of the hood facing the right side of the towel, align the front corners of the hood with the marks you just made and pin the bottom of the hood to the opening in the towel. Sew the hood to the towel using a 1/2-seam.

4. Turn the towel wrong side out and press the seam allowance toward the body of the towel. Sew a
   1/4-seam all the way around the neck opening.

5. With the towel wrong side out, start at the bottom and sew a 1/4-seam up both sides to within 6 inches of the fold. This will create "sleeves.'

Tips & Warnings

• Use fabric paint, bias tape, ribbon, embroidery, or Appliqué to personalize your towel. Most beach towels are 60 inches to 72 inches long and most bath towels are 54 inches long. Use a beach towel for older children and a bath towel for toddlers. To make a towel for an adult, use two bath towels. With right sides facing, sew a 1/2-inch seam across the "shoulders" and leave a 14-inch opening in the middle for the neck. Increase the size of the back piece of the hood to 10-by-9 inches. If you're making a towel for a toddler, measure the length before you start sewing and hem the towel if necessary so that it doesn't drag on the ground.