Easy DIY Towel Poncho for Kids

Learn how to make a DIY towel poncho out of a beach towel and hand towel. This easy sewing project is great for kids at the beach or pool!

My kids love swimming SO MUCH that it’s a huge, sad process to leave the beach or pool. They beg to stay longer and to do one more trick, and they complain about being cold and wet.

To make the situation easier, I made my kids DIY towel ponchos so that they can dry off, get warm, and they don’t even have to carry anything in their hands. Sew and cut a regular beach towel and a matching hand towel for any easy, beginner sewing project.

What towel should I use?

Use one regular beach towel and one regular hand towel for each towel poncho. You can’t find beach towel designs in a hand towel size. Instead I got bright beach towels and walked through the hand towel aisle to find the closest color.

How many seams are there?

There is only one part to cut and only two seams to sew. It’s so easy to sew! It’s kind of a simple upcycle project.

Do you love to sew? Try one of these fun sewing projects:

• Beginner sewing projects
• Summer sewing projects
• Gift ideas to sew
• DIY convertible towel bag
• What to do with old towels

DIY Towel Poncho

Supplies

• 1 beach towel
• 1 coordinating hand towel
• Sewing tools
• Sewing machine

Cut any tags off of the towels.

Measure the long side of the hand towel with a measuring tape. My hand towel measured 26 inches long.

This measurement will be the circumference of the neck hole. Use the measurement to find the radius you will use to cut the circle.

Fold the hand towel in half so that the right side of the short sides are matching up. Sew one side of the hand towel from fold to the hem at 1/2 inch seam allowance. Backstitch when you start and when you stop.

Turn the towel right side out. You now have one long edge and two short sides. The long edge will become the neckline.

Fold the beach towel in half matching the short ends.

Fold the towel again matching the now long edges. There will be folds on two edges so that one corner is the exact center of the towel.

Use the radius you found to cut a circle from the center of the towel.

Finish the edges of the circle with either a zigzag stitch or a serger.

Place the long side of the hand towel around the neckline with right sides together. The edges of the towel will match at the center front of the neckline. Sew around the neckline with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Turn the hood right side out.

You finished!

If you make something using this sewing project, I’d love to see! Please share it on social media with the hashtag #heatherhandmade and tag me!