I make each of my kids their own bath towel hoodie when they’re born, starting with my son 6 years ago. I make them one with their name on it and one with a fun appliqued shape on the back. These towels are super easy to make, needing only limited sewing know-how. And they make for great birthday or baby shower presents for others.
Supplies for Bath Towel Hoodies:
- one large bath towel – any color
- one hand towel – any color
- fabric for letters – can be anything. I use fleece and it does pill, but I don’t mind as it doesn’t fray.
- scissors, pins, sewing machine
- extras: ric-rac, double bias tape
First, cut your hand towel in half horizontally. Then lay out your large bath towel on the floor and center one of the cut pieces of hand towel on top of the towel. Put the cut side up, so that the sewn end in the one being sewn to the large bath towel, then you don’t have to fold over the edge.
Updated: You only need one half of the hand towel to make one hooded bath towel. I usually buy 1 hand towel and 2 bath towels, and it gives me two hooded bath towels. 
Pin the cut hand towel to the large towel and sew in place. It doesn’t really matter how you sew them together, I actually like to sew them on top of each other, not right sides together. But either is fine.
Fold your hood together in half, pairing the cut side together. Sew this together. I don’t mind that the seams show and will fray a little after washing, this is the part that is on the inside and their heads cover that.
You could be done here, but I like to add a few extras, a name or a shape to the back that I applique to the towel. I’m no expert and not a perfectionist, so most times the applique comes out a little wonky! I cut out letters/shape from fabric, pin them on, sew around each with a zig-zag stitch and call it good!
I’ve also added some double-bias tape to my newest baby’s towel, down the sides and on the hood.
Have fun making your kids some new towels. I’m actually thinking I should make one for me!!
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Wow!!! I love this. My daughters have hooded towels and I have always wished I could make them instead of having to buy them. Thanks for the clear tutorial!
Great! My kiddos love hooded towels, but the ones I have are getting a little small for the four year old. This will be perfect–and what a GREAT idea for birthday gifts. Yippee! Frugal and easy.
What a great idea, my kids would love one of those and it would be a great project for my 9yo who is just learning to sew!
I love these! A friend of mine does this, but have wondered how she does this. Great tutorial…will make great gifts for the nephews, nieces and our kids some day. I love doing applique’ on my machine, too.:)
Thanks for this! I made one of these years ago with my mom’s assistance. I have been wanting to make some for my boys, but couldn’t remember how (and hadn’t taken the time to look it up). Thank you!
So cute and perfect for upcoming warmer weather and pool days! :)
I have made these using a washcloth for the hood. They are soooo much warmer than those thin baby towels, too!
Thank you soooooo much! I’ve been wondering how to do these and now I know thanks to you. Now I can make them for my children as well as their cousins for their birthdays and such.
My kids love their hooded towels. I make some very similar to yours. I actually just posted it on my blog a few days ago. Great minds think a like!
I had a co-worker give me one of these that she made for a baby shower gift and it’s still (after nearly 4 years!) one of my favorite towels for my sons. It’s SO much better (more absorbent!) than one of thin baby hooded towels that you buy.
I should do this! I hate how tiny the baby hooded towels are, and flimsy.
THESE ARE AWESOME!!! I will have to try and make some for the kids!
I was JUST looking at the one that Cindy did at Skip to My Lou…….you guys are so lucky you can sew! This looks like MAYBE something I might be able to try.
Love it.
very cool; I’ll have to try this; the kids love the hooded baby towels still. they’ll have fun picking stuff out and helping make these too! thanks for all of your awesome ideas.
What a cute and simple project! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so excited I found this tutorial. My oldest son got two of these at his baby shower and I want MORE now that I have another child. They are really great. I never thought about adding an applique. Great idea! I know my pregnant friends would love one too. Yay, thank you!
I got one at a baby shower and have been wondering how to make it. Thanks!
Does anyone have any idea where to find animal patterns for hooded towels? I’ve heard of some called “animal life patterns”, but haven’t been able to find them. Thanks!
love it! It’s good to have a visual on how to make these . . . when i eventually get married and have kids! and i had to comment on how cute your littlest is! I haven’t seen her since she was barely born in the hospital! I am LOVING those eyes!
That is SO cute! I will definitely have to try to make one (or more) of those for my grandson! Thank you :)
Great idea, Marie!! I love it, and it looks really simple!
I just got hooked on these too. It couldn’t have come at a better time as I had 3 friends due in the span of a couple of weeks. Easy as can be, cute, and a whole lot more durable than the store-bought hooded towels.
Forgot to add… To not let the other half of the handtowel go to waste, I sewed mine into a bath mitt.
Great idea! Thanks for the pictures too. It really helps me to see the step by step process. You always have such awesome ideas and make it seem so easy!
I was just looking for easy step by step directions that were like this to make towels for my kids. Thanks!
Thank you for posting this!!! I’ve been wondering how my aunt made mine for F. It’s my favorite…
I love those towels! They are my favorite! We have a family friend that gave them to us when each of our kids were born!! My son is six now and I STILL use them!! What a great idea to share!!
Onna
This is a great idea!! I’ve often lamented the choice in towels for my boys but this is something I hadn’t thought of. I will be trying this out when my school goes on semester break. It looks simple enough even for someone like me that can’t even thread a needle.
I’ve loved these for years but have never made one. A friend made each of our girls one, and they use them constantly!
Thanks for your simple instructions. I might try them now!
This is awesome. Thank you, thank you. I’ll make one for my daughter’s birthday coming up. So simple, for me who doesn’t sew!!
I love these towels. Someone gave us one as a gift a few years ago and now my mom makes them for me.
First: What a DOLL. How lucky are you?
This would make a great Easter Basket filler. Putting these on my list.
We love these! Our pastor’s wife makes these for baby gifts. Each of my kids have one made by her!
Your tutorial is so clear, I think I might actually be able to do this! And the girls would love it.
Yay!
Seeing this brought back so many memories. I made these for my kids 24 years ago and for many baby shower gifts. Funny how things come around again…or good ideas never go away. Your towels turned out great.
Thanks for sharing! That looks really easy. I’m sure I could do that! :)
I love it! And it totally gets me excited for pool season! I’ll be linking.
Really cute idea! I think I will have to make one for my niece!
Very cute and looks relatively inexpensive to make.
My son has one of these and I LOVE it! In fact, I just bought a towel to use for my little one that’s due in a few weeks.
Just a note…Rather than cutting a handtowel in half, you can just use a washcloth!!
This is great!
Thanks for the great tute!
Ok, so I’m inspired to make these for my two girls as Easter gifts. I’ve purchased all the stuff…cotton candy colored towels on sale at Target and lime green and purple bias tape. Now I’m trying to figure out at what step you do the bias tape on the hood so it blends in with the towel. I’m kind of a newbie seamstress so I could use lots of advise! Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing! Super sweet pics!
http://zachandsarahmay.blogspot.com/2009/04/hoodie-towel.html
I made 4 for my sons and 2 nieces. They turned out pretty well for my first try. Thanks for the pics it helped alot!
I’m so excited to find this! I have been looking for a tutorial on how to make these. :) One question though… (I’m a newbie sewer, forgive me) will the towels go through my sewing machine?
PA Lisa – If you want to add the bias tape, sew the hood together first, add the bias tape, then sew the hood on to the larger towel.
Catherine – Yes, your towel will go through. If it’s too thick, it may be tight, but mine went through easily.
How cute and easy! I’m definitely going to whip one up for my little one. I’ve been thinking of making her a terry cloth robe, but this is so much easier!
Thank you so much for getting back to me so fast! It did go through easily and the whole thing was so easy to do. :) I’m now going to try to tackle an applique and maybe some bias tape on the next towel… Thanks again!
Holy moly you have the two cutest kids I’ve ever seen!!