DIY: Hooded Toddler Towel

It seemed that Elliot needed a hooded towel for his swim lessons this week and last, but the ones he had as a newborn were way too small.  So, in true Mixed Baby Greens fashion, I repurposed an old towel of ours into a new hooded toddler towel for him!  I did it during his naptime and used only stuff that I had in the house.  An hour of my time, zero money spent, and I didn't contribute to any new production of materials.  This project is a winner!

My camera isn't too good for these kind of shots, but I'll walk you through the steps incase anyone wants to make one for yourself.  I assure you... it's easy!  

1. Fold the towel in half.  Cut a diagonal line from the midpoint of the side to the midpoint of the top.  

2. Open the towel so that the new shortened edge is at the top.  Using one of the triangles you just cut off (the other won't be used), pin the triangle as shown along half of the the top edge.  Sew just that half where the triangle is lined up with the edge of the towel.

3. Now stretch the bottom point of the triangle (in the picture above) and match it to the other end of the top edge of the towel.  Sew just that line into the middle, stopping when you've reached your first seam.

4.  Now you've attached the triangle into the top of the towel along the the shortened edge you created by cutting the triangles off each side. 

5.  Zig zag the entire raw edge of the towel, from one end of the original cut, along the edge of the triangle you just sewed in, and all the way to the end of second side.  Zig zagging just the single raw edge makes the fabric naturally wavy.  The second picture is a close up.  

6.  Then add whatever silliness that you can come up with using scraps that you have.  I used felt to sew on eyes, a mouth and a spiny mohawk that goes half way down the back.  

And that's it.  A hooded towel made out of a full size towel.  The perfect size for a toddler!