No Sew Crafts for Holiday Gift Giving: Personalized Towels

The Holidays are coming! The Holidays are coming! Each year, birthday and holiday gift giving becomes a burden for many families on a budget. At first you think, okay, I'll budget and shop smart, no problem! Then you start to think about exactly how many gifts you need to buy. Panic!

Crafting items yourself (or with your kids) can solve both the budget issue and the problem of what to buy for the people you know just a little about or those who "have everything". Personalized towels can be a nice gift made with no sewing to fit the interests of any recipient.

Personalizing a towel does not have to mean putting the initials of the recipient on a towel, embroidering or sewing. By making simple heat and bonding fabric patches, you can personalize a towel in a number of ways. Give some thought to what you know about this person; what are their interests and hobbies? What is the person's job? Are there sports and activities the person enjoys?

Once you have settled on a theme for your towels, it is time to shop. A few simple supplies are needed, and these can all be found at a local craft supply or department store. Think about the size of the towels you want to make. Hand towels are a nice, inexpensive option (and are often available at dollar stores). Depending on your budget, you may also want to think about making a set of mixed sizes: hand towel, bath towel and washcloth, so your recipient can display a set of matching towels in their bath. A set of kitchen towels would work equally well.

What to buy first might be a toss up between the towels and the fabric you will need. Choosing a fabric first is probably the best idea, since you may be limited in colors depending on the theme you are going with. Towels are available in all colors, so matching the fabric to the towel is probably easier than the other way around. You will want to buy one half to one yard of fabric, keeping in mind you need a print that can be independently cut out and considering how often the print you need repeats.

While you are in the craft section, buy an iron on bonding agent that is available in a roll or in sheets (often you will find this with quilting supplies, if you are unsure, ask a salesperson for help). Next buy your towels and you are ready to go!

To begin the project, follow the instructions included with the bond product for preparation. Many products will tell you to wash your fabrics first to remove sizing. Iron the fabric after washing if need be. Following the manufacturers instructions again, apply the bonding agent to the wrong side (back) of the fabric you wish to apply. Let the fabric cool, then cut and trim the prints you want to apply to the towel. Choose as many or as few prints as you like. You may want to use one major print from the fabric, then cut out some of the smaller pictures for detailing. It is usually easier to cut the fabric if you leave the paper backing on the product while you cut.
Now you can apply the prints to the towels. Again, simply follow the bonding instructions. General instructions are to use a dry iron (with the steam turned off), remove the paper backing from the bond agent, place the print on the towel and iron in a circular motion for 10 to 20 seconds until the glue is heated and the fabric sticks to the towel.

That is it! If you are a crafty person, or if you have a little experience with fabric notions or embroidery, you can add some backstitching or other decoration around the prints as trim, but you can make a great looking gift with or without the embellishment. Trim or ribbons can be added with fabric glue as well. Your creation is usable, and washable in cold water. This gift idea can be used with kids (and caution!) for friends, teachers, bus drivers, grandparents, coaches, dance instructors...the possibilities are endless. To add a little extra to your gift, include some inexpensive soaps or lotions. Use the same technique to personalize bags, backpacks and more!

As in all craft projects, use appropriate care and caution when handling hot irons and sharp objects.

Shopping List:
-towels
-bonding agent
-fabric
-optional notions & trims