Just like last year, I have Annie signed up for a full summer of swim lessons. She started this week and I was pleasantly surprised to see that while she was definitely rusty, after three lessons she seems to be almost back to where she was at the end of last summer. Annie’s lessons are first thing in the morning, which is good for our schedule but bad for water temperature. She’s shivering and blue after every lesson, and her favorite thing to do is huddle on the pool deck and wrap herself in a towel until she’s warmed up. I thought a hooded towel would help her warm up faster. I found lots of cute ones online (like this princess hood, and shark), but I wanted something immediately and, unsurprisingly, for as little money as possible. I made this one for Annie with a beach towel and two washcloths. Total time spent on this was about 15 minutes!
Beach towel
Two washcloths
Fabric scissors/rotary cutter
Rounded edge
thread/pins/needle
Start by placing your two washcloths on top of each other. Use a rounded edge to cut a curve into what will be the top back of the hood. I used a styling ruler
Pin the washcloths together along what will become the top and back of the hood, then sew the two washcloths together along the top/back seam, leaving the front and bottom open.
If you cut off the finished edges of the washcloths, you’ll need to create a new hem along the front of the hood because terry cloth sheds. Pin and sew in place.
Turn the hood right-side out. Lay your beach towel down with the pattern on the bottom, then pin your hood onto the towel onto the inside/wrong side. Pin and sew in place. I sewed the hood on twice to make it extra-secure.
So easy! I think I’m going to make a few of these for Annie, and even one for James.
Annie loves it, she calls it her “costume towel.”
Annie said, “Look at my wings, Mom! They’re beautiful!”
Here she’s saying, “It’s so warm and fluffy!”
She was so excited about using it at the pool, she even told her instructor when we arrived, “I have a new special towel!”
Any questions, let me know. Have fun!
Holly says:
My 4yo would FLIP for the rainbow towel – did you just buy that? Where?
Also, I had to buy the Honest diapers with James on the front for my 15mo. I think James is by FAR the cutest baby on any of the sizes!!!
Heather says:
Yes, I just bought it this week, from HomeGoods! And thank you, I think he’s pretty cute on that diaper box!! xo
Holly says:
Woot! Found the towel!
Heather says:
YAY! Best news ever!
Wendy says:
That is great
Sue says:
Please tell Annie that I think she looks beautiful wrapped up in her “new special towel”!!!!
Jean says:
Could you tell me what the dimensions of the washcloths are? They look like hand towels in the picture, but I’m not positive. I want to make this for my grandson. It is an excellent idea! Thank you for the tutorial!
Heather says:
Yeah, they were 13-inch squares when I bought them. After I trimmed off the seams and the excess at the front of the hood, they were 12.5 inches tall by 11.25 inches wide!
Jean says:
Thank you! Is it okay if I pin your tutorials on pinterest so I have them in my diy section? I like to have everything in one place so I can refer back to them whenever I need them.
Heather says:
Sure! I do the same thing with the tutorials I want to try.
Jean says:
I have another question. How do you clean your sewing scissors? I have a very expensive pair but they aren’t as nice as when I first got them. Is it possible to get them back in the condition that I bought them in? I also want to take the scissors somewhere to get them sharpened, but they need to be cleaned first. Glue and such dried on them from crafts.
Heather says:
So, I’ve never had this problem…my fabric scissors were my grandmother’s and I am almost afraid to use them on anything other than clean fabric because they are just so precious to me. ANYWAY, I was just at Joann Fabric today and I asked their sewing teacher what she suggested. She said that she personally uses a cotton ball dipped in nail polish remover, and then dries very carefully with a clean, dry cloth. She said that she’s also heard of some people using orange oil or eucalyptus essential oil. I’d probably start with the cotton ball/polish remover since you probably already own both of those! Let me know what you end up doing!
Jean says:
Thank you so much for asking the sewing teacher! I really appreciate it. I will try the nail polish remover first and let you know how it works.
Heather says:
I’m so glad I could help!
Jordan says:
Love it! But I think I love her swimsuit more. I need one in grown up sizes.
Lee Cockrum says:
Very cuteI Seeing the princess one you linked to makes me want to try that for my nieces! I’d probably wash and dry the washcloths first, as they seem to me to shrink a lot the first time I wash them.
Vicky says:
Buy a thick neoprene body suit style swimsuit!
My son used to get out of our condo pool shivering and with blue lips until his swim teacher suggested it. It’s been worth every penny.
Alisha says:
This is so awesome! The hooded towels we have absorb next to nothing and I’d love to not spend an arm and a leg for new ones.
I might try 1 hand towel folded in half instead of 2 washcloths, one less seam and probably still fit my 18mo old boys’ heads!
Heather says:
A hand towel would be a great idea! Smart!
Auntie_M says:
Very cute and very smart! You could probably have a small business going at the pool–people provide the towels and you provide the washcloths and sewing for a fee! For all those moms out there who cannot sew!
Glenda says:
Love all of your DIY’s… you’re so creative!