What You Need to Make a Hooded Towel

A hooded towel is two pieces of towel fabric sewn together with a hood attached at the neck seam. You start with one large rectangle of towel fabric for the body and a smaller square for the hood, then sew them with right sides facing inward so the seams hide inside. The hood folds over the head when finished, and the whole thing wraps around a child after a bath.

You will need two pieces of towel fabric: one measuring roughly 24 by 36 inches for the body (adjust up or down depending on the child's age), and one measuring roughly 20 by 20 inches for the hood. Towel fabric is thick and absorbent, so a rotary cutter and self-healing mat make cutting easier than scissors, though scissors work. You also need thread that matches your towel color, a sewing machine, pins, and a measuring tape or ruler.

Prewash your towel fabric in warm water and dry it on medium heat before you cut. Towels shrink, and washing first prevents the finished towel from puckering or twisting after the first wash. Let the fabric cool completely before measuring and cutting.

Key Takeaways

  • Cut one rectangle for the body (roughly 24 by 36 inches) and one square for the hood (roughly 20 by 20 inches), both from prewashed towel fabric.
  • Fold the hood square in half diagonally, then fold it in half again to create a triangle, and pin it to the top edge of the body rectangle with the folded corner pointing down.
  • Sew the body rectangle closed on three sides with a half-inch seam allowance, leaving the top edge open, then turn it right-side out and press the seams flat.
  • Fold the open top edge inward by half an inch on both the front and back, insert the hood into the opening, and sew the top closed with a quarter-inch seam to find the hood permanently.
  • Towel fabric is thick and can jam in your sewing machine, so use a size 16 or 18 needle, sew at a slower speed, and backstitch at the start and end of each seam.

Cutting and Preparing Your Fabric Pieces

Measure and cut your body rectangle first. A 24-by-36-inch rectangle works well for a toddler or preschooler; go up to 28 by 40 inches for a school-age child, or down to 20 by 30 inches for a newborn. Use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut straight edges, or mark your lines with a fabric pencil and cut with scissors. Towel fabric frays, but the seams will be hidden inside the finished towel, so small fraying at the cut edges does not matter.

Cut your hood square next. A 20-by-20-inch square is standard, but measure your child's head if you want a tighter or looser fit. A larger square creates a deeper hood that covers more of the head; a smaller square sits higher on the head. Mark the center of the square lightly with a pencil so you know where to fold.

Stack your cut pieces on a flat surface and let them sit for a few minutes. Towel fabric is dense and can shift as you handle it, so a moment of rest helps it settle into its final shape before you pin.

Folding and Pinning the Hood

Fold your hood square in half diagonally so the two top corners meet. You now have a triangle. Fold that triangle in half again so the two side corners meet at the center bottom point. You now have a smaller triangle with the folded corner pointing down—this folded corner will sit at the center of the neck opening when you sew.

Lay your body rectangle flat with the 24-inch (or 20-inch) edge at the top. This top edge is where the hood attaches. Place the folded hood triangle on top of the body rectangle so the folded corner points straight down toward the center of the rectangle, and the two open corners of the triangle sit at the left and right edges of the top seam line. The hood should sit evenly on both sides.

Pin the hood in place along the top edge of the body, using three or four pins spaced evenly. Pin through all layers—the body fabric and both layers of the hood. Keep the pins about half an inch from the edge so you can sew without hitting them. Double-check that the folded corner is centered and the hood sits flat before you move to the sewing machine.

Sewing the Body and Attaching the Hood

Thread your sewing machine with thread that matches your towel color. Insert a size 16 or 18 needle—towel fabric is thick and regular needles can break or skip stitches. Set your machine to a straight stitch and reduce the speed to medium or slow. Towel fabric feeds unevenly, and a slower pace gives you better control.

Start at the bottom left corner of the body rectangle. Backstitch three or four stitches to lock the thread, then sew up the left side of the rectangle with a half-inch seam allowance. At the top left corner, sew across the top edge, catching the hood as you go. Continue down the right side. Stop about 4 inches before you reach the bottom right corner—you will leave a gap here to turn the towel right-side out.

Backstitch at the end to lock the thread. Remove the pins and check your seams. They should be straight and even, with no puckering. If you see puckering, it usually means the fabric was feeding unevenly; you can trim the seam and resew it, or leave it as is—it will flatten when you press.

Turning and Pressing the Seams

Reach through the 4-inch gap at the bottom and grab the inside corner of the body rectangle. Gently pull the entire towel through the gap, turning it right-side out. This takes patience because towel fabric is heavy. Pull slowly and work the corners out fully so they are sharp and square, not rounded.

Once the towel is right-side out, lay it flat on your ironing board. Press the seams flat with a medium-heat iron. Pay special attention to the top seam where the hood attaches—press it so the seam lies flat and the hood sits evenly. Press the edges of the 4-inch gap inward by half an inch on both the front and back of the towel, and pin them closed.

The hood should now be folded inside the towel, hidden from view. When you open the top, you will see the hood tucked inside. This is correct.

Closing the Gap and Securing the Hood

Fold the top edge of the towel inward by half an inch on both the front and back, so the raw edges of the gap are hidden inside. Pin the opening closed. Thread your machine with matching thread again and sew the gap shut with a quarter-inch seam allowance. Backstitch at the start and end. This final seam also locks the hood permanently in place because the hood is caught between the front and back layers.

Sew slowly and keep the seam straight. If the fabric puckers, stop, lift the presser foot, and adjust the fabric so it feeds evenly. Towel fabric can bunch, so a steady hand and slow speed prevent this.

When you reach the end, backstitch and remove the towel from the machine. Press the final seam flat with your iron. The hooded towel is now complete. Wash it once more in warm water and dry it on medium heat to soften the fabric and set all the seams.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Skipping the prewash. Towel fabric shrinks significantly. If you do not wash it before sewing, the finished towel will pucker and twist after the first wash. Always prewash and dry on the same heat setting you plan to use later.

Using a regular needle. Towel fabric is too thick for a size 10 or 12 needle. Use a size 16 or 18 needle, and replace it if you hear the machine struggling or see skipped stitches. A dull needle will break.

Sewing too fast. Thick fabric feeds unevenly at high speed, causing puckering and uneven seams. Set your machine to medium or slow speed and let the feed dogs do the work. Do not pull the fabric.

Folding the hood incorrectly. The hood must be folded into a triangle with the folded corner pointing down at the center of the neck seam. If you fold it wrong, the hood will be lopsided or too loose when you turn the towel right-side out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular cotton fabric instead of towel fabric?

Yes, but the towel will not absorb water well. Towel fabric is looped and absorbent by design. Regular cotton is flat and sheds water. If you want a lighter-weight hooded towel, use a cotton-towel blend or a single layer of towel fabric, but expect less absorbency than a full double-layer towel.

What size should I make the hood for a newborn?

Cut a 16-by-16-inch square for a newborn or very small infant. A 20-by-20-inch square works for babies 6 months and older. Measure your child's head circumference and divide by 2.5 to estimate the hood square size—a larger square creates a deeper hood.

My seams are puckering. Can I fix them?

Puckering usually happens when thick fabric feeds unevenly. If the puckering is minor, pressing with a hot iron often flattens it. If it is severe, you can carefully cut the seam with a seam ripper and resew it at a slower speed. Use a fresh needle and reduce your machine speed to the slowest setting.

Do I need to finish the raw edges inside the towel?

No. Towel fabric does not fray the way cotton does because the loops hold the fibers in place. The raw edges inside the towel will not unravel, and finishing them is unnecessary.

How do I make the hood deeper or shallower?

Cut a larger square for a deeper hood (22 by 22 inches or bigger) or a smaller square for a shallower hood (18 by 18 inches or smaller). The depth of the hood depends on how much fabric you fold into the triangle at the neck seam.