5 simple videos to make something out of an old bath towel

That bath towel, you know the one…  The one with the frayed edge, the one that has seen too many loads of black denims and turned grey, the one that feels more like sandpaper on your skin than a soft wipe after your shower, the out-of-shape rectangle no one wants to take to the beach? That one.  When you bought it some time ago, it was oh-so-plushy and pastel and beautiful.  It matched the colour of your bathtub, and looked perfect next to your bath bombs and herbal soaps.  But the “thing” you now hold in your hand is a very poor copy of the original. So, you are ready to get rid of it.

Pause.

You can give a second life to it and practice your sewing skills at the same time.  There are plenty of crafty projects out there.  I choose five simple ones on Youtube for you.

Cleaning wipes

(Stacey J. – 6 minutes)
Quick and dirty.  Make cleaning wipes.  They are always needed in the kitchen or the workshop.  You cannot go simpler than that: cutting square pieces out of your old bath towel and basting them.
This is for you if you don’t have a sewing machine.  You can always just cut your squares and not bast them, but if you want to stop the fraying and avoid clogging up your washing machine, it is better to do so. Plus they will last much longer.
I cut mine 20cm x 20cm. I find it is a good practical size.

Bath puppet

(Kidspot – 1 minute)
An easy puppet to hand-sew.  Embroidering eyes and nose instead of using buttons would make it softer if you wash your child with it. A pretty simple project that can easily be done even if you know nothing about sewing.  Ah yes, you still need a needle and some thread.

Bath Mat

(Lucia Mc Weeny – 2 minutes)
You can use scissors if you don’t have a rotary cutter.  Rotary cutters are handy tools so put it on your list if you get serious about sewing.  You will also need a cutting mat to use it.   You can trace your lines with a marker directly on the towel, but you can also just eyeball it.  Irregularities won’t show when the whole thing is braided.

“Gants de toilette”

(Les créas de Valma – 7 minutes)
This is a favorite of mine.  In France we don’t use face-cloth like in New Zealand, people use a gant de toilette to wash.  It is pretty much like a mitten without the thumb.   I find them practical because they are not floppy and shapeless like a washcloth. It also reminds me of my childhood.  My mother used to vigourously rub us down with one of these dampened with Eau de Cologne after a hot bath.  We always  ended up soft, as red as a lobster, and mindlessly happy. Envigorated by the experience.

Toiletry bag

(ShareHows – 1 minute)
A cute toiletry bag for your week-end away. I am not sure how this bag stops toothpaste tubes and shampoo bottles from falling out, but it looks cute.  I would make the channels a close fit so toothbrushes stay in place.  Another option would be to fold and stitch the top as well so all items are safe. Or you can add some velcro or a button to stop larger items from sliding out.

Beach Tote Bag

(Kidspot – 1 minute)
By now you are starting to feel the urge to get yourself a sewing machine.  I am guilting of having several.  One good one for “proper” sewing, a spare just-in-case, a sturdy one if I ever have to sew very thick or unusual material like straw or plastic and an antique hand-cranked one… well, because it is so pretty…

I found all of them cheap in local opshops.  I got the good ones serviced.  I change the machine needle for each project so I rarely have problems with them.  I advise you to invest in a sewing machine.  It is very hard to beat machine sewing if you are serious about upcycling.  Avoid the plastic junky machines, you should be able to find a sturdy second-hand for less money. Choose an older model with a whole metal body.   They are strong.  Sure, they do not have all the frills of the new ones, but  they last forever.  You only need a basic machine that can do a straight stitch and a zig zag stitch.  All the rest is superfluous. You can find one of these for less than $50.