Today, I have another free hanging kitchen towel pattern for you! This new modern hanging towel design is an easy sewing project with no buttons, snaps, or Velcro.
I love making hanging towels for my kitchen and bath and giving them as gifts. I have shared several hanging towel designs, but this one is my favorite.![Easy Hanging Kitchen Towel Tutorial - fb]()
This simple sewing project transforms a store-purchased kitchen towel into a hanging kitchen towel. The free pattern can also be used for bathroom hand towels.
This towel sewing pattern is easy to follow. You need only two pieces of fabric to cut and straight seams. No printable pattern pieces are needed since you only need to cut rectangles. Two finished towels can be sewn in about one hour.
If you hang your dish towels on a towel bar or stove handle, they often fall to the floor, especially if you have young kids. These hanging dish towels will not fall because a towel topper is wrapped around the bar.
It's Perfect for Gift Giving!
These would make quick and easy hostess, housewarming, bridal shower, or holiday gifts. The hanging kitchen towels can be made for any theme: Christmas, Halloween, patriotic, winter, summer, spring, or Easter.
Start your holiday gift-making early! These kitchen towels make fantastic presents. They're practical for every household, making them ideal for gifting to family, friends, and teachers next Christmas!
Customize the towels by choosing fabrics that suit the recipient's personality or match their kitchen's theme.
Once you make one, you'll find it addictive!
To learn how to make these hanging kitchen towels, click the link below to watch our full step-by-step tutorial on YouTube. For a written tutorial, keep reading this page.
If you'd prefer an ad-free PDF version of this hanging kitchen towel tutorial, you can download it for a small fee from our Etsy Shop through the link below.
PRINTABLE PDF TUTORIAL -
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Free Printable Hanging Towel Instructions
If you gift these hanging towels, include one of our free printable instruction tags with your gift. This decorative tag explains how to hang the towel on a towel bar.![Hanging Towel with Band Instructions]()
To download the free printable tags, scroll to the end of this tutorial and look for the download link for the printable PDF. Look for the section "Gifting the Hanging Towels?" ![Towel with Band Finished Samples 2]()
About this Hanging Towel Pattern
My friend Pam showed me one of these towels she purchased while on a trip. I also started seeing these towels for sale on Etsy and liked their simple, modern design. These can be hung on a towel bar, oven handle, or other handle.
I decided to investigate how to make these towels and found several tutorials that all included rolling the towel like a burrito. After trying to make the towels using this method, I decided to make them my way.
The rolled method was harder because the sides were closed using topstitching; if you aren’t careful, you can miss stitching it closed completely. Also, these towels had no batting inside to give them more body and hold their shape. Finally, the towel topper's size seemed a bit small for my stove handle, so I changed the length.
So, I will share my method for making this hanging towel. I hope you find it easier to master!
This pattern does not require any printable pattern pieces. Just cut two rectangles of fabric and one batting, and you'll be ready to start!
Where do I purchase towels?
Kohl’s sells cute seasonal multipack towels and washcloths. Their towels are often on sale, and if I have an additional discount coupon, I can pick them up very inexpensively. Many other places, such as Walmart, Target and Amazon, sell multipack towel sets.
Each towel you purchase makes TWO hanging kitchen towels. So, a four-pack of towels makes eight finished hanging towels.![Hanging Towel Sample Towels]()
What fabrics are needed for the hanging Dish towel pattern?
Once you have the towels, go to the fabric store and find matching fabrics. Cotton fabrics are recommended for these towel toppers.
I usually shop at Joann (who are no longer in existence) because they have many novelty fabrics that can be fun coordinating with the towel theme. However, you can also find nice fabric at quilt shops for this project.
Look at the end of this article for links to purchase towels and fabrics.
One or two fabrics are used to make this modern kitchen towel pattern. One for the topper and another for the band. In the photo above, the middle and right side towels use the same fabric for the topper and band. The towel on the left uses two coordinating fabrics for the topper and band.
Can I include decorative stitching with this Hanging Kitchen Towel pattern?
Decorative stitches can be added to the towels as an extra embellishment. This is a perfect project to use those extra fancy stitches on your sewing machine!![Towel with Band Closeup Stitching 1]()
If your machine doesn't have decorative stitches, a simple straight stitch can be stitched across the towels.
Let’s get started on this quick and easy sewing project.![Towel with Band Finished Samples 3]()
WHAT YOU NEED to make the modern hanging dish towels
- Kitchen Dish Towel or Hand Towel (Purchase from Amazon or Michaels)
- One or two coordinating fabrics for the topper and band.
- Pellon Fleece 988 or Quilt Batting Scraps (Amazon or Michaels)
- Marking Chalk or Marking Pencil (Amazon or Michaels)
- Sewing Machine and other common sewing supplies
- Iron & Ironing Board
- Rotary Cutter, Mat & Rulers (optional)
![Towel with Band Supplies]()
INSTRUCTIONS to make this modern Hanging towel
Seam Allowance: ½” unless otherwise specified
Difficulty: Confident Beginner
Time: Approximately 1 hour to make two hanging towels
STEP 1: Cut Fabrics
This towel topper pattern includes two pieces of fabric: one for the topper and the other for the band. To make the topper, use one or two fabrics that coordinate with your towel.
Since the towel is cut in half and then sewn into the topper, I recommend cutting two of each piece and making two toppers at once.![Towel with Band Fabric Cut out]()
For each towel topper, cut the following pieces from the fabrics:
- 7 ½” x 8” Band
- 7” x 19” Topper
- 7” x 9” Batting
Directional Fabric Notes: If you have a directional fabric, remember that the short side of the topper will be the bottom and attached to the top of the towel.
The band fabric is folded to be 7 1/2" wide by 2" high. So, the shorter side is the top/bottom of the band.
Cut your fabrics so the motifs will be right side up when sewn to the towel.
Band Feature Fabric Notes: If the band fabric has a feature you want to show on the band, the portion that will show is 2" above or below the center of the band when folded in half to be 7 1/2" wide by 4".
So, place your featured area in the section between 2" – 4” from the bottom or top of the band.
STEP 2: Iron The Band
![Towel with Band 1 Measure Band]()
Fold the band fabric in half to be 7 ½” wide x 4” and iron a crease. ![Towel with Band 2 Fold Band Fabric in Half]()
Open it back up and fold each side towards the crease and iron. ![Towel with Band 3 Fold Sides Into Center]()
Finally, fold the whole thing in half and iron it flat.![Towel with Band 4 Fold Together]()
The band will be 7 1/2" x 2".
Set the band aside.
STEP 3: IRon the Topper
Place the topper fabric with the right side facing down and the 7" side closest to you.![Towel with Band 6 Topper Fabric]()
Fold and iron it in half so the topper is 7” wide.![Towel with Band 7 Fold Topper Fabric in Half]()
Directional Fabric Note: If your fabric is directional, place the topper with the directional fabric oriented correctly (with the motifs not upside down). Have the 7" bottom edge closest to you and the right side of the fabric facing down. The side closest to you and facing down is the FRONT of the topper.
STEP 4: Add the Batting
Open the topper and place the batting onto the bottom half of the topper, aligning the top edge of the batting with the fold line. The batting will be ½” smaller than the length of the topper.![Towel with Band 8 Add Batting]()
Pin the batting to the topper in the four corners. ![Towel with Band 9 Pin Batting]()
Turn the topper around to work on the back side of the topper. This is the side without the batting.
Use a ruler, fold the short edge by 1/2" towards the wrong side, and iron a crease. ![Towel with Band 10 Fold Up Edge]()
STEP 5: Mark Stitching Lines on Topper (Optional)
Stitching straight or decorative lines across the topper is optional. The lines are stitched on the section of the topper with the batting.
If you do not stitch the lines, keep the topper and fabric pinned together until the sides are sewn in a future step.
Use a straight or decorative stitch on your sewing machine to stitch the lines. The photos throughout this tutorial will show different options for stitching the lines.
To copy the lines in the stitched samples, use a marking chalk or pencil to mark lines 3”, 4”, 6”, and 7” below the fold.
To mark the lines, fold the topper in half and turn it so the right side of the topper is facing up. The right side is the side with the pinned batting.![Towel with Band 11 Fold Topper together]()
Use a ruler to measure 2" from the top fold and use a marking chalk or marking pencil to draw a line.![Towel with Band 12 Mark Lines]()
Move the ruler to 3" from the top and mark another line. Mark the last two lines at 6" and 7" from the fold. ![Towel with Band 13 Four Lines Marked]()
STEP 6: Stitching Lines on Topper and Band
Open the topper again. Stitch the lines through one layer of fabric and the batting. A straight or other decorative stitch looks nice on these towels.
Above are some sample towels using different stitches on my sewing machine.
To stitch the lines, set your machine to the desired stitch and sew following each of the four marked lines.![Towel with Band 16 Stitch Lines on Topper]()
Next, finish the band. Since the band is folded, at minimum, stitch a straight stitch and edgestitch 1/8" - 1/4" from each long side. This will hold the band together.![Towel with Band 14 Stitch Sides of Band]()
Decorative stitching could be stitched along each long edge of the band. Or, edgestitch along the sides and stitch a decorative stitch through the center of the band. See some of the sample photos for ideas.![Towel with Band 15 Band Stitched]()
The towel below has a straight stitch for the lines and the band's edges.![Towel with Band Closeup Stitching 2]()
STEP 7: Stitch Band to Topper
The band will be added to the back of the topper along the top folded edge. With the topper fabric facing up, place the band next to the fold line on the back or the side without the batting.![Towel with Band 17 Line Up Band]()
Pin the band in place and stitch with a 1/4" seam allowance. Use a 1/4" seam allowance here so the stitching will not show when the topper is finished. ![Towel with Band 18 Stitch Band 1]()
The band is ½” wider than the topper. Line up the band's other side with the edge of the topper, leaving the extra band in between.![Towel with Band 19 Stitch Band 2]()
Stitch the other side of the band in place with a 1/4" seam allowance.![Towel with Band 20 Band Attached]()
STEP 8: Stitch the Sides of the Topper
To finish sewing the topper, fold the topper with the right sides together along the fold line. Pin the edges. The folded edge on the back of the topper will be ½” from the raw edge of the front side. ![Towel with Band 21 Pin Topper]()
Sew both sides of the topper with a ½” seam allowance.![Towel with Band 22 Stich Sides of Topper]()
![Towel with Band 23 Topper Sides Stitched]()
STEP 9: Turn Topper right side out and press
Turn the topper right side out. ![Towel with Band 24 Turn Topper]()
The band makes it easy to pull the corners out completely. ![Towel with Band 25 Pull Out Corners]()
Press the whole topper flat.![Towel with Band 26 Iron Flat]()
The finished topper has stitched lines on the front.![Towel with Band 27 Finished Topper Front]()
The back side of the topper. In my photo, the band is flipped to the front side.![Towel with Band 28 Finished Topper Back]()
STEP 10: Cut the towel in Half
To prepare the towel for sewing into the topper, cut it in half and set one half aside to make another towel.
How to use a Directional Kitchen Towel
Some kitchen towels in the towel sets have a pattern printed in one direction. The towel in the photo below has the Merry Christmas printed across the kitchen towel.![Single Direction Towel]()
If the top half of the towel is inserted into the topper, like usual, the design will hang upside down. This will not work well!
These towels can still be used as a towel topper. They need to be turned around!![Hanging Towel 23 single direction towel cut]()
After cutting the towel in half, use a seam ripper to pick out the hem of the towel that would be upside down and iron it flat.![Hanging Towel 25 press hem open]()
Turn the towel so it’s the wrong side up, and create a new hem on the cut end of the towel by folding it up ½” twice and ironing. ![Hanging Towel 26 fold up new hem]()
Stitch a new hem across the bottom of the towel with a matching thread, and now you have a 2nd towel to insert into a topper.![Hanging Towel 29 sew new hem]()
Stitch the hem close to the folded edge.![Hanging Towel 28 towel ready]()
STEP 11: Gather or pleat the Kitchen towel
The cut towel is too wide to fit into the topper as is. Therefore, it can be gathered, pleated, or folded before inserting into the topper.
Gathering the Kitchen Towel
To gather the kitchen towel, use the zig-zag gathering method. Zig-Zag less than ½” from the raw edge. ¼” - 3/8” works well. This ensures the zig-zag stitches are inside the seam allowance, so you won’t need to remove the gathering stitches later. Use a matching thread to the towel in case the stitches do show. ![Hanging Towel 30 Gathering stitch]()
To zig zag gather, pull the bobbin thread to the top. Then, pull the bobbin and top thread so it's longer than the width of the towel. Zig-zag back and forth across the pulled-out threads without hitting the threads.
Gently pull the gathering stitches until the towel is 6" wide. See the link above for more information on this gathering method.![Hanging Towel 31 gathered towel]()
Pleating the Kitchen Towel
These basic instructions are how I pleat the towels. You can pleat the towel with the pleats to the front or the back of the towel. The design on your towel may help determine how to pleat it so the design will show.
For example, if your towel has a large print across the front, you may need to adjust the pleats to show the design.
Lay the towel on a flat surface. Fold the towel in half and mark the center point with a pin.![Towel with Band 29 Fold Towel]()
Fold each side of the towel towards the center, one side at a time. Place a pin at the center of each fold. There will be three pins marking the pleat lines.
![Towel with Band 31 Mark Second Side]()
Next, make the pleats. Place the towel with the front facing down for a flat front look. To have the pleats in the front, the back would face down.
Pinch the fabric at the first pin and bring it to the center pin, making the pleat. Pin the pleat in place.![Towel with Band 32 Create Pleat]()
Repeat on the other side, pinching the fabric at the pin and bringing it to the center. Pin the pleat to hold it in place.![Towel with Band 33 Create Second Pleat]()
The width of the towel needs to be 6" wide to fit into the topper. Turn the edges of the towel towards the center. My towels needed to be folded in about one inch to make the towel 6" wide.![Towel with Band 34 Fold In Sides to width of topper]()
Since towels are of different widths, adjust the folds more or less so it will be 6" wide.
To hold the pleats in place, baste across the top of the towel with a ¼” seam allowance. As before, this will ensure the basting stitch is inside the topper and won’t need to be removed later.![Towel with Band 35 Pleats Ready]()
![Towel with Band 37 Towel Matching width to topper]()
STEP 12: Add the topper to the towel.
Place the towel and topper with the right sides together, matching the raw edges of the topper to the top of the towel. The side of the topper with the batting and the decorative stitching should be facing the towel.![Towel with Band 38 Pin Towel and Topper Together]()
Sew with a ½” seam allowance. This will be just next to the edge of the batting. Don’t catch the back of the topper in the stitching.![Towel with Band 39 Sew topper to towel]()
STEP 13: Flip the towel Inside the towel topper
Open the seam, flipping the top edge of the towel inside the topper, and iron it.
Place the back of the towel topper over the towel and just past the sewn line. ![Towel with Band 40 Iron Topper]()
Pin in place along the open edge. ![Towel with Band 41 Pin Back]()
STEP 14: topstitch the bottom edge of the topper
With the towel facing the right side up, topstitch along the bottom edge of the topper fabric. This will close the back of the topper.![Towel with Band 42 Topstitch bottom edge]()
Below is the finished topstitched topper front.![Towel with Band 43 Topper complete]()
The photo below shows the back side of the topper. The back edge is caught in the stitching.![Towel with Band 44 Back of Topper]()
Here is another towel topper.![Towel with Band 36 Sample Pleats on Plain Towel]()
The two samples below show different stitching on the topper and along the band.![Towel with Band Finished Samples 10]()
Below are a few more sample photos of these Modern Hanging Towels with a Band. They have different stitching and fabric combinations to inspire you.
![Towel with Band Finished Samples 8]()
Gifting the Hanging Towels?
Remember to include our Free Printable Hanging Towel Tags with your hanging towel gift. These instructions will help your gift recipient hang the towel on a towel bar.![Towel with Band Finished Samples 6]()
We hope you enjoyed learning how to make these Modern Hanging Towels. Make some for yourself, friends, and for gifts. Scroll down for some links to supplies for this project.
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions about this project, contact us through the YouTube Video
comments or our Contact Us page. We respond to questions in e-mails and YouTube comments regularly.
Other Kitchen Sewing Projects you may be interested in are: