Giant Hooded Towel Tutorial

We LOVE the hooded towel around here. They're perfect for wrapping up those chilly kiddos after a bath. We have an abundance of infant hooded towels, but it occurred to me that my oldest is quickly outgrowing them, even our biggest hooded towels are just barely covering our 3-year-old's noggin. Plus, it would be nice to be able to use a hooded towel myself every once in awhile, amiright? So after a trip to Ikea I was able to make TWO gigantic hooded towels that will last us quite awhile for under $17.  (Usually one nice big one will set you back upwards of $20! So you'll be saving yourself at least $23 by making your own!)

What you need:
A Bath Towel (I used the HAREN Bath sheets from Ikea, they're $6.99 each)
2 Wash Cloths (I used the HAREN Washcloths, they come in a pack of four for $2.99)
Scissors
Thread
Pins
Sewing Machine
Serger (Optional)

Take two of the washcloths and pin two of the sides together. Use a plate to trace a curve out of one corner, this will be the back of the hood.

Sew a seam up one side of the washcloth, around the curve marking you've just made and down the other corner. Leave the other two sides open. Trim this seam down.

(This next step is optional as terrycloth doesn't really need to have finished seams. My serger was out and threaded so I figured, why not?) Serge or zig zag stitch your seam allowance to finish the seam.

Turn hood right side out.

Choose what edge you want to be your bottom edge for the hood. The HAREN washcloths have loops to hang them by so I chose that to be my bottom edge since I won't need them.

 Cut straight across the bottom edge.

(Optional) Serge or zig-zag stitch bottom edge to finish.

 Locate the center of the long edge of your bath towel. On the HAREN towels it's really simple because they have a loop to hang them from in the center. Match up the center seam on the hood with the center of the towel right sides together and pin. (The right side of the towel is the side you want facing out, with solid colors it doesn't really matter but if you're using a beach towel or a printed towel you might want to make sure the design is facing out.)

Your bath towel should look like this all pinned up. Sew a 1/4 to 1/2 inch seam along where you pinned, back stitching at either end.

Trim all threads and you're done! Freaking easy, right? Both towels took me less than a half an hour to complete from start to finish.

They are SUPER long on my 3-year-old, which is great, plenty of extra towel to dry him off with while he stays tightly wrapped in it.

And as you can see it keeps me pretty well covered, I'm 5'6" and it almost comes to my knees! These would be great for the beach in the summer time, and make wonderful gifts! (And they come together so fast, you could literally make one for each member of your family in under an hour.)

Be blessed.