Learn how to make a easy DIY hooded bath towel for all ages of kids without needing a sewing pattern in this tutorial. This tutorial is great for beginning sewers who want a simple DIY to give as a baby shower gift, or a customizable child’s gift for anytime of the year!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Hooded bath towels are can be very cute and are so practical for kids, whether you are using them at home or outside in the water. These hooded towels for kids have made great gifts that are easy and so inexpensive!
I started originally making these hooded towels when I needed an easy DIY baby gift. I started by following a pattern I found online but as I’ve kept making them, I’ve streamlined the process to where no pattern is necessary and it takes me about less than 30 minutes to make!
Do I need a sewing pattern for a hooded towel?
Absolutely not! You can make your own DIY hooded bath towel for kids with just a few simple instructions.
If you are new to sewing, this project is great for you! There no sewing pattern, no measuring and very little ironing in this tutorial. As I said before, we are going for simple and easy – this project should only take you at most 30 minutes.
Are hooded towels worth it?
Taking time to make this simple, DIY hooded bath towel for kids IS worth it! You get to choose the quality of towel – thicker or thinner – and get to personalize it your own way for the kids you are making it for.
These towels also last a long time! I’ve had friends who still have towels I made them more than 5 years ago. My oldest children are 5 as I’m writing this, and their towels are still going strong!
They will take a lot of wear.
The ones you see in the store or online are NOT worth it, in my opinion. Sometimes I’ll browse them to see what they are selling for and the kinds they offer, and I’m always shocked by the price. It’s double or triple the price for a normal towel!
Many times, those towels are also made 100% polyester. Polyester is a hydrophobic fiber, meaning it doesn’t absorb water. You will have a harder time drying off with a polyester towel because of it.
Most all other bath towels you find in the store or online are made with cotton which absorbs moisture. It helps dry you off easier because it takes the water away from your body.
Supplies for DIY hooded towel
What you will need for this project is:
- A bath towel
- A hand towel
- Thread to match
- Pins
- Sewing Shears
- Sewing machine
- Iron (for pressing sewing lines)
Terms to Know
As I am going through the instructions, there may be a few sewing terms I use. If you are new to sewing and unsure of different sewing terms, here are the sewing terms to know.
Right side/Wrong Side – The right side refers to the nicest part of the towel, and the wrong side refers to the side that generally doesn’t look as nice. If you aren’t sure which side is which, I like to look at where the edges of the towel are sewn. If you can see the folded edge with the sewing, that side of the towel is the wrong side.
Backstitch – You will stitch backwards to reinforce your sewing when you start (the beginning) and when you end so your pieces don’t come apart.
Seam – The line where two pieces of fabric sewn are sewn together. For the towels, we will be looking where some of the seams are to follow them.
There will be two different types of stitches I like to use when making my hooded bath towel for all ages: the Straight stitch and the Zigzag stitch.
If you are not very comfortable using the zigzag stitch in your sewing, you can use the straight stitch and be just fine to make this hooded bath towel!
How do you make a simple hooded towel for kids?
You can make your towel in a few easy steps!
To make the Hood:
First, cut your hand towel in half with your sewing shears. I like fold it in half and cut in the fold. (You will only use one half of the hand towel once you cut it).
With one half of the hand towel, fold the bottom part of the hand towel up with wrong sides of the towel together. The nicest side of the ribbing on the towel will be showing on the outside.
Fold the bottom edge up far enough that the ribbing will be at the bottom of the fold when you are done.
Pin in place along the top edge of the towel you folded up.
Sew a straight line in the “ditch” between the towel and the folded edge, remembering to backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewing and take out the pins as you go.
Sew another straight line along the very top edge, backstitching at the ends again. (Note: You will not be able to get all the way to the top or the bottom to sew over the folded edge as it is very thick. Start and end as close as you can).
When done with both lines of stitching, press with an iron.
Optional: Before moving on, you can take ribbon, lace, rick rack, or buttons to sew/put on the hood at this time. I placed and sewed on a few buttons.
Turn your attention now to the other edge of the hand towel, which is the edge that you cut. To prevent any fraying, zigzag close to the edge.
When finished, fold the towel with right sides together. Pin along the zigzagged edges of the towel, matching the edges together as you go.
Sew together with a straight stitch (don’t forget to change your machine settings back), using the edge of your presser foot as a guide. Backstitch at the beginning and end.
Press seam open when finished sewing.
From the top point of the hood, estimate about 1 1/2 inches down and place a pin lengthwise. This forms a triangle with the top point of the hood. (For me, 1 1/2 inches is between my first and second knuckle of my pointer finger – it’s okay to estimate). The pin will mark the line you will be sewing.
Sew along the line the pin made for you, and backstitching at the beginning and end.
Cut the tip of the towel off close to your line of sewing.
Then, zigzag close to the cut towel edge to prevent fraying.
Press along the seam, and turn the towel right side out so all the seams are on the inside of the hood.
Assembly:
Take your bath towel, and fold it in half. Mark the middle of the towel with a pin, on the inside of the fold.
On the other side of the pin, match it with the middle hood seam. Right sides of the towel should be together.
Pin in place.
Continue to pin on both sides of the center pin, matching the bath towel and hood edges together as you go.
Sew along the towel edges in the “ditch” again, before the folded edge of both the towel and hood. In addition to backstitching at the beginning and end, I also like to backstitch on the middle seam to make sure it is firmly held in place.
When you are finished sewing the hood and bath towel together, press the seam flat before using.
Enjoy your hooded towel for all ages!
Notes
- If you are not comfortable with zigzagging the edges, you can just skip those steps. I like to to prevent any fraying, but the first couple of hooded towels I made didn’t have it and they still have held up well!
- Try mixing and matching colors since you can choose the what color the hand towel and bath towel will be! Personalize it how you want!
If you try this project and love it, I would love it if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you!
Hooded Towel for All Ages
Equipment
- 10 – 20 Pins
- 1 Sewing Shears
- 1 Sewing Machine
- 1 Iron (for pressing sewing lines)
Materials
- 1 bath towel
- 1 hand towel
- 1 spool of thread to match
Instructions
- Assemble all the materials and tools needed.
- Cut the hand towel in half. If only one side has ribbing, save that piece for continuing to make your hood.
- To make the Hood: Fold up the bottom edge of the hand towel until the ribbing is at the edge of the fold. Pin in place along the upper edge.
- Sew along the upper edge in the "ditch" between the edge of the towel and the fold. Backstitch at the beginning and end.
- Sew another line of stitching along the very top edge, backstitching at the beginning and end. (Note: You won't be able to sew all the way to the ends because the ends are very thick, but go as far as you can).
- Press along both lines you sewed.
- Optional additions: If wanting to add ribbon, lace, buttons or rick rack between the lines you sewed, do so at this point before moving on.
- With the raw edge that was cut on the towel, zigzag close to the edge to prevent fraying.
- Fold the hand towel in half with right sides together. Pin along the zigzagged edges of the towel, matching the edges together as you go.
- Sew together and backstitch at the beginning and end, using the edge of your presser foot as a guide.
- Press seam opened when finished sewing. (The hood will form a triangle shape.)
- Estimate about 1 1/2 inches or less from the top point and mark the line by pinning a pin lengthwise.
- Sew along the pin line, backstitching. This line will create the last part of the hood for the hand towel.
- Cut the top corner of the hood off close to the line that was sewed.
- Zigzag close the edge of the towel that was cut off to prevent fraying again.
- Press along the seam, and turn the hood right side out so the seams are on the inside of the hood.
- Assembly: Take the bath towel and fold it in half. Mark the middle of the towel with a pin on the inside of the fold.
- On the other side of the pin, match it with the middle hood seam. Right sides of the towel should be together.
- Pin seam in place, and then continue to pin on both sides of the hood seam matching the hood and towel edges together.
- Sew in the "ditch" again before the folded edges, sewing the hood and towel together. Backstitch a couple stitches along the middle hood seam, as well as the ends, for additional reinforcement.
- Press the seam flat before using.
Wow-this seems like such a simple and fun idea! Thanks for posting.
I received this hooded towel as a gift and I LOVE it! We’ve been using it several months and it is so cute, useful, and snuggly! It made an amazing gift – I definitely recommend making one of your own!!
My mom has sewn a custom hooded towel for each of her grandchildren and we LOVE them. They made awesome gifts! Our six-year-old son’s is finally starting to wear out, so I’ll give this a go so he can have a fresh new one!