The 'Perfect Hooded Towel' Tutorial

Items needed:
Bath Towel
Hand Towel
Coordinating Ribbon
Thread
Sewing Machine
Pins
Rotary Cutter/Ruler or Scissors

Step 1: Cut the hand towel in half. (1/2 of the hand towel will become your hood. Set the other 1/2 aside for another towel or project.)
Step 2: Using one side of the hand towel you cut - Place the WRONG side of the towel on your work surface and fold the finished edge back about 1/2" to 1" wider than your ribbon. (this will become the decorative border for your hooded towel.) Pin the ribbon in place and sew a straight stitch down both sides of the ribbon.
Step 3: Fold the towel in half so that the ribbon folded in half matches up. Sew the raw edge to itself using a 3/8" seam allowance. Zig zag or serge edge to avoid fray.
Step 4: With the WRONG side of your large bath towel facing you, mark the center of one long edge with a pin.
Step 5: Match the center point of your large bath towel with the seam of the hood you just sewed (which is the center of the hood) RIGHT sides together and pin.Hint: Place your pins on the hood side, rather than the large towel side...so exactly OPPOSITE of what the picture shows. I had to move mine! ;)

Step 6: If there is anything at all tricky about this towel, this next step would be it, but its really not bad. - Make a pleat in your hood like I've shown in the photo, about an inch long. PIN in place.
Repeat the previous step and make one more pleat.
This is how it should look from the top -
Step 7: Repeat step 6 and make two identical pleats on the left side of the hood. Pin in place.
Step 8: Sew the hood to the towel about 1/4" from the edge. Remove pins and patyourself on the back! You just make the 'Perfect Hooded Towel!'

Hooded towels make for great baby gifts. The color/ribbon combinations are endless. I have one for each of my boys and use them all the time. Hopefully you can now enjoy making some of your own!