Homemade Hand Towel Pattern and Tutorial

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Looking for a simple project that also makes a perfect gift? These Hanging Kitchen Towel Sewing Patterns are easy to sew, easy to customize, and fun to make!

Looking for a simple project that also makes a perfect gift? These Hanging Kitchen Towel Sewing Patterns are easy to sew, easy to customize, and fun to make! #freesewingpattern #handtowel #easysewingproject #hangingkitchentowelpattern #sewyourown #sewingprojects

Hanging Kitchen Towel Sewing Patterns

Do you suffer from a wandering kitchen towel? Somehow, it’s never where you want it, when you want it. But now we’ll be able to keep tabs on that kitchen towel – literally! We’ll be sewing a kitchen hanging towel with a tab at the top that we can use to fold over and attach the towel to a drawer handle, towel rail, or even to the oven door.

Materials Needed for the Homemade Hand Towel

(Makes 2 towels)

  • Kitchen hand towel or dish towel
  • 2 matching fabrics
  • 2 large buttons
  • The hanging dish towel pattern – (see below to download)

Get the Free Hanging Hand Towel Pattern below:

Get the Free Hand Towel Pattern

Looking for the pattern? It's free for our newsletter subscribers!

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This Towel Pattern is free for newsletter subscribers! If you are already a subscriber, check your latest Little House Living newsletter for the password to our Resource Library page.

Tip: New to sewing? Check out my 7 Sewing Must-Haves List before you get started!

To sew a Homemade Hand Towel

Step by Step Directions on How to Sew a Hanging Dish Towel

Homemade Hand Towel

Start by cutting your towel in half cross-ways so you have two pieces that are the same size.

Along the raw edge you have just cut, we need to run some gathering stitches, so set your machine to a long stitch length and sew along about 1/4 inch from the cut edge. Gather up the edge of the towel tightly. Do this for both pieces then set them aside for now.

Print and cut out your hanging towel pattern and use it to cut out 4 pieces of fabric. You can either cut them all the same or use coordinating fabrics. Both fabrics will show in your final towel.

Place the fabric pieces right sides together and sew around the edges, leaving the long edge at the bottom unsewn.

Tip: Want to keep costs low for this project? Find out Where to Buy Cheap Fabric.

Homemade Hand Towel

Clip around the curves.

Turn the pieces right side out and press. Turn 1/2 inch to the inside at the bottom edges and press all around.

Gather up the raw edge of your towel until it will fit inside the opening. Push the towel far enough inside that your gathering stitches will be hidden and then pin in place through all the layers.

Stitch through to secure the towel in place, then stitch another line just above to be extra strong.

Homemade Hand Towel

Now it’s time to sew the button and buttonhole that will allow you to hang your new towel. Check your machine manual for how to sew button holes, mark placement on your fabric, and stitch the button hole vertically. Never sewn a buttonhole before? It’s not as scary as it seems. You can find a tutorial on How to Sew a Buttonhole here.

Fold over the tab on your towel and mark the correct placement for your button. Stitch that in place, too, and your towel is ready to hang.

Homemade Hand Towel

These are so quick to sew, so you can always run up more. They make pretty and practical house-warming gifts, something for Mom, or are great for changing up your kitchen for the seasons.

More Simple Sewing Projects

Find more fun and simple free printable sewing patterns on Little House Living!

Where will you hang your Homemade Hand Towel?

debybio

The Hanging Kitchen Towel Sewing Patterns were originally published on Little House Living in August 2014. It has been updated as of December 2023.

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103 Comments

  1. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make a hand towel. They are so handy in the kitchen. Thanks so much for the great tutorial and the pattern! -Bev 🙂

        1. Like the style of these. Im planning on using embroidered towels. However I did not get a full size pattern when I printed The beautiful instructions. Hope you will be able to help with that. I can hardly wait to get started on the project.

  2. I love Deby’s site and find it weird that I stumbled upon your site with a tutorial by her! It’s kismet – I MUST make these!

    I’ve pinned them to my sewing board so thank you for sharing!

  3. Love these- they remind me of the ones my grandma used to send me! Thanks for linking up to Wednesday Whatsits!

  4. This is terrific and love all the tutorial information. Pinning to make soon. Stopping by from Great Idea Thurs. Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow

    1. Do you have the Pin Extension for Chrome? That’s how I do most of my pinning. Otherwise if you hover over each picture you should see a little Pin button pop up that you can use.

  5. This is adorable! Pinning!
    Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!

  6. I’ve been making these all fall for Christmas gifts. Your choice of coordinating fabric and button can really make even a plain towel look cute. I’ve been using seasonal towels, too.

  7. I was so surprised to see your kitchen towel in my email from SewCanShe. My Mother made these towel for years (in the 60s, 70s, and 80s). Hers was a little different though. She added lace to the top and pleated the towel instead of gathering it.

    1. Those sound so charming. The lace would be a lovely addition. Sometimes the old ideas are still the best ideas.

  8. Deby, I wanted to add a picture for you to see the kitchen hand towels that my Mother (and now I make). But I couldn’t find a way to attach it to the comment. Thanks for your comment. I just love these hand towels. It was actually my husband who encouraged me to make the towels like my Mother made. Now I make them for all seasons and share them with friends and relatives. I just thought I would add a tip to share with the pleating and lace.

  9. I’m making a bunch of these as Christmas gifts this year. Thank you so much for this tutorial and pattern! I decided to add a layer fusible fleece to one side of the top portion to give it some added thickness and then top stitch all the way around and am using snaps instead of buttons. They are turning out amazingly well!

  10. I really like the hanging kitchen towels,but when I clicked on ” download pattern” nothing happened! Any ideas? I sure would like the pattern.

        1. The site is not working. I tried 3 times and it just redirects you to your website again and again. I finally just copied the picture of the handle and will make it bigger with graft paper.

  11. Can you please send me in the email the pattern for the top of the towel so I can cut out that from the fabic.

    1. Need the pattern for the handle. I guessed and the handle was tooo short. Need longer to go over my oven handle. Other instructions excellent but the size of the handle was not mentioned

  12. I am so thrilled to find this pattern as I have never had any luck knitting toppers. Has anyone tried velcro instead of button/buttonholes?

  13. I loveeeeee the hand towel but I can’t seem to figure out how to download the pattern. Helpppppp pleaseeeeee. ?

    SIncerely,
    Theresa

  14. Absolutely adorable! I’m not much of a sewer. I do however use potholders to make a similar hanging kitchen towel. I also make crocheted hanging dish scrubbies and portable towel holders. Thanks for sharing.

    Thanks,
    Becky

  15. You mentioned a 1/2 inch seam allowance at the bottom. What size seam allowance do you use for the sides and along the top curve? Thanks so much!

  16. I’m trying to find the pattern to download and can’t seem to find it. Can you help. I’ve registered and got the password but that’s it. Thank you!

    1. Hi Shelley, if you are on my email newsletter list, all of the patterns and printables are housed in our free resource library. The link and password is at the bottom of every weekly newsletter. If you are still having trouble getting it from that page or need help with something else, just email me and let me know 🙂

    1. This printable pattern is available in our Free Resource Library for newsletter subscribers. There is a place near the bottom of the article to enter an email address and have the pattern sent to you.

  17. I have signed up for the email list multiple times and have entered the password that was sent to me, but am still seeing a message to sign up where the pattern is supposed to be. Please advise.

    1. Hi Patsy, if you receive my emails or signed up to do so, you should have gotten an email with a special link to our resource library and the password for all the downloads and printables that I have. If you did not, please email me at [email protected] and I will send it to you.

  18. Hi, Merissa- love the towel and will make some for gifts. I have not been able to download or get a password. But, I did sign up for your newsletter. I would love the pattern for the towel holder attachment. Thanks for your help.

    Sandi

  19. I have signed up for your newsletter two times and have received nothing. I really want the free towel pattern to make some gifts. It is so cute! Thank you!

  20. Hi,
    Could you please send me the free pattern for the hanging dish towel? It is adorable! You sent it last week, but I can’t find it on my email for some reason.

    Thanks,
    Marcia

  21. Please help =)
    I have signed up for the newsletter and have received nothing ~ spam has been checked. I emailed directly and have received nothing. I have purchased what I need to make this project so it would be much appreciated to receive the pattern piece to complete the project.
    Thanks so much!

  22. Hi I got the patHi I got the pattern and printed it but am wondering if it is the right size. It looks small an is not the size of the whole sheet of paper. could you please tell me what the size is before I cut my material. Thank you in advance.
    Jean

  23. Hello

    I’d just like to tell you how wonderful and easy this towel pattern was to make.
    I made them for a quick gift and they were well received.
    Thank you so much. i look forward to trying another pattern.

    all the best
    Karenmarie

  24. I can’t get the pattern to the download, part I have put my email in twice and it still does not take me to the pattern to download, it keeps taking me the welcome page and that’s it, its one big circle.

  25. I would love to make this but for some reason I can’t get the pattern. If somebody could email it to me I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you

  26. I know this is an older tutorial, but I just found it and made some of these adorable hanging kitchen towels for my sister for a Christmas gift. Very easy to follow instructions. My only change was to use a snap in place of the button. I have a snap kit with various colored snaps, so it was fun and pretty to accessorize them with the fabrics I used. Plus, they are very easy to apply and look very nice on the finished product. Thanks for a fun, easy, well presented tutorial!

  27. When shopping for a hardwired towel warmer, you will find that there are many advantages to them. First, they require no cables or wires, and this makes them easy to move around. Many homes are already complete, so there is no need for any home improvement projects to dig up the ground and set up wiring.

  28. How wide is the bottom of the pattern? Mine looks smaller than yours. Is the pattern to scale when printing or does it need to be enlarged. Thanks

  29. Beautiful results! Gave most to a nursing home. The guys can keep one as a shaving towel in their bathroom. Ladies loved it. Am 82 so I just sew for giving.