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How to make a hooded baby towel

Keep your baby warm after bathtime and learn how to make a hooded baby towel with this pattern designed by Louise Orth

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Louise Orth

Published: June 21, 2021 at 2:05 pm

A hooded baby towel is an incredibly useful accessory to have when you bring a new baby home. Use it to bundle up your little one after a bath to stop them from getting cold.

You can personalise your baby towel by choosing your own favourite fabric for the edge of the towel and the hood. If you don't want to make a hooded towel, this pattern could also be used to make a snuggly baby blanket.

Designer Louise Orth says: “This practical and cute baby towel makes the perfect gift for a newborn. Customise with your favourite cotton prints and snuggly fabrics.”

This pattern designed by Louise Orth was originally featured in Simply Sewing Magazine.

Notes

Use a 1cm ( ³⁄₈in) seam allowance unless otherwise stated.
Order some terry towel fabric in a range of colours from MyFabrics, starting from £11.75

Read on to learn how to make a hooded baby towel step by step…

Looking for more sewing patterns for babies and young children? Make this cute baby romper sewing pattern, learn how to make a baby comforter, discover how to sew baby harem pants and read our how to sew baby booties step by step tutorial.

You will need:

Premium white bamboo terry towelling (main fabric) (80x110cm (32x44in))
Contrast fabric: cotton print (50x112cm (20x44in))
Matching thread
Basic sewing kit

Cutting out

Step 1

From the main fabric cut out the following pieces:

Main piece: 80x80cm (32x32in).
Hood: 30x30cm (12x12in).

From the contrast fabric cut out the following pieces:

Hood: 30x30cm (11⁷/₈x11⁷/₈in).
Binding: 6x110cm (2³/₈x44in).

Making the binding

Step 1

Place two binding strips right sides (RS) facing and stitch together along one short end.

Step 2

Join the third binding strip to one short end of the joined strips to make one long strip.

Step 3

Press this long strip in half lengthways with wrong sides (WS) together.

How to make a hooded baby towel step 1

Making the hood

Step 1

Take the towelling hood piece and cut across the diagonal to make two triangles.

Step 2

Repeat this with the contrast fabric hood piece. You will only need one triangle of each of the fabrics for this project.

Step 3

Place one towelling triangle and one contrast fabric triangle RS facing and pin together along the longest edge.

How to make a hooded baby towel step 2

Step 4

Sew together along this long edge.

How to make a hooded baby towel step 3

Step 5

Open out the hood pieces and refold so they are WS together and press the seam so it lies on the edge.

Step 6

Topstitch along the seamed edge to hold the two layers together and neaten.

Adding the hood

Step 1

Place the main towelling piece RS up, and lay the hood piece in a corner, matching raw edges and with the contrast fabric RS up.

How to make a hooded baby towel step 4

Step 2

Tack the hood piece to the main towelling piece using a large tacking stitch.

Attaching the binding

Step 1

Starting in the centre of one side of the main piece, place the binding RS facing along the edge of the WS of the towelling, matching raw edges, and pin together. Fold the binding neatly around the corners as you go.

Step 2

Turn the short end you started with under then overlap the other short end on top and trim to fit.

Step 3

Sew in place all around the edge of the towel encasing the edge of the hood.

How to make a hooded baby towel step 5

Step 4

Fold the binding over to the RS of the towelling piece and topstitch in place all the way around to finish.

How to make a hooded baby towel step 6

You now know how to make a hooded baby towel! Use it to keep your baby toasty warm or make it as a lovely gift to welcome a new child.

New to sewing? Explore our sewing for beginners guide, how to use a sewing machine guide and our best sewing machines for beginners guide, or get started with our sewing kits for beginners.

How to make a hooded baby towel

Sewing pattern designer

Louise is a sewing pattern designer based in Oxfordshire and a regular contributor to quilting and sewing magazines including Simply Sewing Magazine and Love Patchwork & Quilting. She started sewing after the birth of her first daughter and was instantly hooked. See her inspiring projects at louorthdesigns.com