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There’s nothing sweeter than bathing a baby. And the sweetest part is wrapping the infant in a hooded baby towel after the bath and holding him or her for a minute. Hooded baby towels purchased from the store are too small, too thin, and too expensive. With a bath towel and a washcloth you can make an inexpensive, nice hooded baby towel for your own infant or use as a practical gift idea.
First, let’s talk about the type of bath towel. Any type of towel and washcloth can be used. They come in a wonderful assortment of sizes, colors, and patterns. Keep in mind this is for an infant. Thick and soft baby blue, pink, or yellow towels are an excellent choice. The color and size of the towel will be a matter of personal preference, but safety and care of the infant needs to be uppermost in your decision-making. Natural fiber towels and washcloths are important for the safety of the child. Cotton is the best fiber. It is soft, washes well and breathes well. Most towels and washcloths are made of cotton in a large assortment of sizes and colors. Washcloths are basically one size. A towel and washcloth made of the same thickness, color and/or pattern make the nicest hooded baby towel.
Making a hooded baby towel can easily be adapted for older children by using a larger towel and a hand towel. The only difference being that the hand towel will have to be folded so that it is square. There are many fun children’s patterns and colors in towels and washcloths. You can also use a beach towel with a complimentary color hand towel. This makes it fun for children to wrap up in coming home from swimming.
Towels and washcloths need to be washed before use, especially for the infant towel. Wash in a mild soap as you would for other baby clothes. The towel and washcloth need to be washed separately. If you prefer, tell the recipient of the gift that it must be washed before use. A cute card could be used for this purpose.
Now, let’s make a hooded baby towel. Lay the towel out flat on a table and smooth. Lay the washcloth on top of the towel, connecting a corner of the towel with a corner of the washcloth. This will make two sides of the washcloth align with two sides of the towel. Pin into place with straight pins, especially if you are new at sewing to keep the two in place as you sew them. Then, by using either sewing machine or hand stitching, stitch the two edges together. It is best to double stitch to make sure it will hold well and reinforce the seams. This is especially important if you are making a towel for an older child.
You are basically finished. Fold back the other two sides of the washcloth that have not been sewn, and you have an instant hood. Fold attractively and tie with ribbon to give as a gift. It is fun to give with baby shampoo and a baby brush and comb set. A clean, warm, and happy baby awaits you.
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