Making an adorable child’s terry cloth apron for your child or to give as a lovely handmade gift is easy for anyone with even a very rudimentary sewing ability. You don’t need a fancy sewing machine, just something that will make a straight stitch (you could even use one of those small, tuck-away or handheld models). There are no difficult patterns to follow to make this inexpensive handmade gift for children. Teach yourself to sew a straight line on your sewing machine, and making lots of children’s terry cloth aprons will be easy.
Supplies
To sew simple terry cloth aprons for children, you need only a few supplies. You can buy them at any craft or department store.
You will need:
Small bathroom or kitchen hand towel (one towel makes two terry cloth aprons)
One 4 yard package of 1 inch wide, double fold bias tape (one package makes three aprons)
One package ½ in wide elastic (makes many)
Thread to match bias tape
If you are unsure what any of these items are, ask an employee in the craft aisle. Bias tape is not tape at all, it is a fabric trim embellishment cut on a specific angle used to cover sewing seems and edge projects.
Directions
To begin you child’s terry cloth apron project, measure and cut all the pieces. You should press the towel and bias tape with an iron to smooth away any wrinkles.
Fold the towel in half and cut width-wise across the middle. You should have two equal halves of the towel, which will make two terry cloth aprons.
Measure about eight inches of elastic (for a 15 inch wide towel) and cut.
Measure and cut a length of bias tape 48 inches long.
To begin assembling your children’s terry cloth apron, fist attach the elastic. Place the elastic at the top of the apron (the cut, raw edge). Sew just two or three stitches on the machine to tack the elastic and get it started. Next, grasp the elastic and towel at both ends, stretching the elastic over the width of the towel. Run the stretched elastic and towel together through the machine (be sure to keep the elastic stretched). For this, a straight stitch is fine, but if your machine has a zigzag stitch option, that is even better. When you are finished sewing the elastic on, the top of the terry cloth apron should gather itself.
For the next step in assembling your children’s handmade gift, you need to assemble and attach the bias tape that will be both the terry apron trim and the tie.
Fold each end of the bias tape under at an angle, and press it with an iron to hold.
Set your sewing machine to a straight stitch. Find the center of the bias tape and the center of the terry cloth apron. Pin the two centers together. Stretch the elasticized apron out completely, and pin the ends to the bias tape where the stretched ends fall.
When adding the bias tape tie and trim to your terry cloth apron, you will be opening the fold slightly, and placing the elasticized apron top in between the two folds in sandwich fashion. The bias tape trim will cover the front of the apron and all of the elastic, so that none of it should show.
Starting at the open, bottom edge of the bias trim, start sewing at one tip of the bias tape. Continue down the length of the tape until you reach the terry cloth. Sew just one quarter or one half an inch in to tack the trim and apron together at the end. Now, similar to when you added the elastic, stretch the length of the apron straight with the bias over it. Continue to sew along the edge of the bias down the width of the terry cloth apron. Release the elastic when you are one quarter to one half an inch from the end (making the apron even at both ends of the elastic). Follow the bottom of the bias tape, stitching the tie together to the other tip of the terry cloth apron tie. End the thread, and trim any thread remnant at both ends.
Handmade Children’s Gift Giving
With that, your children’s terry cloth apron handmade gift is complete. The total cost of each apron is under five dollars (generally more like three or four), depending on the print of the towel and trim you have chosen.
To give your handmade gift, nicely wrap the terry cloth apron, or try this handmade gift giving suggestion. Give the terry cloth apron as part of a little child’s baker’s gift bag or basket. Include the handmade apron, a bag or two of sugar cookie mix, and two or three fun cookie cutters. You may also give some frosting, a small rolling pin, sprinkles, and colored sugars to embellish the cookies with your handmade gift.
This children’s terry cloth apron is an adorable and useful handmade gift for children. Choosing any fun printed towel, the terry cloth apron can be made in any number of themes interesting the handmade gift’s recipient. This terry cloth apron will bring many hours of baking fun to your little friend, and will be much appreciated by the parents, as well.
Reference:
- www.artsefest.com ; – buy handmade gifts, read more about handmade crafts and gifts
