Table of Contents
Watch the video: “Decorate Plain Towel with Fabric” by the creator behind this tutorial.
A plain towel is a blank canvas. With one neat strip of fabric—and an optional embroidered name—you can turn an everyday essential into a personalized gift that looks boutique-level and washes like a champ. This beginner-friendly project is fast, forgiving, and relies on simple prep, light gluing, and confident straight-line sewing.
What you’ll learn
- How to choose and prepare a towel so your fabric lies perfectly flat
- How to measure, iron, and cut a fabric strip that matches your towel’s band
- How to pin and lightly glue for stable sewing and a softer finish
- How to sew clean, parallel lines along the strip’s edges for durability
Introduction: Why Decorate a Plain Towel? A single fabric band adds color, pattern, and personality to even a well-loved towel. In the video, the presenter transforms a dyed pink towel (originally white) with a patterned strip that features a name—an easy upgrade for gifts, guest baths, and care packages.
Personalization for Gifts Embroider a name on the fabric strip first, then attach it to the towel. Personalizing on the fabric (instead of directly on the towel’s loops) keeps stitches crisp and lets you position the name exactly where you want it later.
Revitalizing Old Towels If your towel’s still soft but looks a little tired, a bold strip will refresh it instantly. The method works whether your towel began life as white or has been dyed a new color—the key is creating a flat base where the strip will sit.
Adding a Unique Touch A patterned band can coordinate with a bathroom palette or celebrate a theme—florals, stripes, or novelty prints. The video shows a simple, clean finish that looks intentionally designed rather than like a patch.
Pro tip If you plan to embroider the name using a home embroidery setup, hoop the fabric first, complete the stitching, and only then cut the strip to final size for a tidy alignment. If you already own an embroidery-capable machine, this is a great moment to use your embroidery sewing machine to stitch the name before assembly.
Gathering Your Materials and Tools
Choosing the Right Towel The easiest towels to work with have a wide, flat woven band—around 2 inches—so the fabric can lie smoothly. The video shows exactly that kind of band on a pink towel and explains why it’s ideal.
If your towel’s band is narrow (about 1 inch) and slightly raised, don’t worry. You can still decorate it—just trim down those loops so the surface is flatter before you attach fabric.
Selecting Your Decorative Fabric A small cut—about 1/4 yard—is plenty for multiple towels. Choose a pattern that contrasts with your towel’s color, and add a name on the fabric if you’re gifting. Ironing before cutting is the secret to crisp edges later.
Essential Sewing Supplies You’ll want scissors, an iron and ironing board, measuring tape, pins, a flexible stretchable fabric glue, and a sewing machine. In the video, the presenter uses a Brother-branded machine for the stitching. If you plan to embroider the name yourself, a brother embroidery machine can handle the lettering on the fabric before you cut the strip.
Watch out The video doesn’t specify sewing machine settings (stitch length or tension). If you’re new, test on a scrap of fabric layered over a towel offcut to see what looks neat and feeds smoothly on your machine.
Step-by-Step: Preparing Your Towel and Fabric
Trimming for a Flat Surface For towels with a narrow, raised band, carefully trim the loops with sharp scissors. The goal is a flat, even surface so your fabric strip won’t look bumpy after sewing. Avoid cutting too deeply into the towel base.
Quick check Run your fingertips along the trimmed area. If you feel uneven tufts, trim again lightly—the smoother the base, the cleaner your final stitch lines will look.
Measuring and Cutting the Fabric Strip Match the strip width to your towel’s flat band (the video uses 2 inches). Fold the fabric so you can measure from the fold and press in your target width with the iron. For length, measure the towel’s band (29 inches in the video) and allow a modest seam or positioning allowance as you prefer.
Ironing for Precision Pressing matters. Iron the fold to set the width and flatten the grain so it cuts cleanly and stays easy to manage when you pin and sew.
Cut the long edges carefully for straightness; clean edges help your topstitch look confident and keep the strip from twisting as you sew.
Finish the second long edge for a uniform width.
From the comments Viewers praised the clarity and usefulness of this simple upgrade. One person noted they had the same type of machine and asked for more tutorials; the creator replied they would share more. It’s a good reminder: once you try this technique, it’s easy to repeat on hand towels or bath sheets for matching sets.
The Art of Attachment: Glue and Pins
Strategic Pinning Lay the strip along the towel’s band and pin to confirm it’s centered and straight from end to end. Pins prevent shifting while you audition placement and prepare to glue.
Using Flexible Fabric Glue (Sparingly!) The presenter reinforces the edges with a flexible, stretchable fabric glue—only a little. Too much glue can make the fabric stiff. Apply a thin line along the strip’s edge where your stitches will land.
Watch out Glue is there to stabilize, not to replace sewing. Use the lightest touch. The video emphasizes that overusing glue will stiffen the fabric—exactly what we want to avoid.
Ensuring Secure Adhesion Flip and press the glued area flat. Instead of pinning everything, the presenter sets a heavy object (like a thread box) on top so the strip adheres smoothly as the glue sets. This step helps prevent puckers and wavy edges later.
Pro tip If you often embroider on fabric before attaching it to towels, you may prefer a hoop system for consistent placement while stitching names. Many crafters like magnetic styles for fabric panels; for example, some use a magnetic embroidery hoop to keep lightweight cotton steady during name embroidery.
Machine Sewing for a Durable Finish
Setting Up Your Sewing Machine Place the towel with the pinned-and-glued strip under the presser foot. The video doesn’t specify settings, so test on a scrap first. If you experience drag from towel loops, steady guiding and a consistent pace help your stitches stay straight.
Stitching the Fabric Strip Sew the two long edges of the strip, catching the strip and towel layers together. Remove pins ahead of the needle to protect your machine. The presenter stitches both sides, then shows the finish on the back as well, confirming it’s secured through both layers.
Tips for Smooth Sewing
- Keep your lines parallel to the strip edges for a neat, professional look.
- Pause with the needle down to adjust your grip as needed.
- If your machine has trouble feeding over bulky towel loops at the borders, you can support the presser foot with a small scrap “leader” at the start so the first stitches don’t sink.
From the toolkit If you embroider names regularly before attaching the strip, plan your embroidery first. Some sewists also like having options such as brother sewing machine models for straight-stitch finishing and an embroidery-capable unit for names. A few even keep accessory hoops on hand; for instance, people discuss magnetic hoops for embroidery or brand-specific hoops like brother embroidery machine accessories to stabilize fabric panels while stitching letters.
Final Touches and Inspiration
Admiring Your Handiwork The finished towel shows crisp lines and a tidy, secure band—exactly what you want for a frequently washed piece. In the video, the presenter shows the completed towel and similar examples with different names and prints.
Creative Variations
- Monochrome minimal: Tone-on-tone strip for subtle texture
- Bold contrast: A vivid print against a neutral towel
- Coordinated set: Make matching hand towels using the same fabric
Caring for Your Decorated Towel Because the strip is both lightly glued and sewn, it’s built to endure regular washing. The video doesn’t list glue dry times or wash settings, so play it safe: allow adequate set time per your glue’s label and launder gently at first to confirm everything stays smooth.
Quick check Before gifting, inspect both stitch lines end to end. Tug lightly at the edges to confirm there are no loose spots. If anything lifts, add a tiny bit of glue under the edge, press, let it set, and re-stitch as needed.
From the comments Viewers called this a “wonderful idea” and thanked the creator for the useful tip. One asked for more videos and the creator responded positively. If you’re inspired, batch-cut multiple strips while your iron is hot—you’ll be ready for future gifts.
Troubleshooting: Common Questions
- My towel band is too narrow and raised. What should I do? Trim the loops along the area where the strip will sit so it’s flatter, as shown in the video.
- How much glue should I use? Just a thin line along the edges—too much makes fabric stiff.
- Can I embroider directly on the towel? The presenter embroiders on the fabric first, then attaches the fabric to the towel. This keeps stitches clean and placement flexible.
Optional embroidery tips for the fabric strip While the video focuses on attaching the strip, embroidered names are part of the look. If you embroider the name yourself, hoop your fabric securely, stitch the name, press, and then cut the strip to size. Some crafters prefer specialized accessories to keep fabric flatter during the embroidery step—for example, users often mention snap hoop monster options or brand-compatible accessories when discussing how to stabilize lightweight cotton for lettering on their home setups. Use what you already own and know well; the video doesn’t require any specific hoop.
Planning the workflow for repeat projects
- Pre-cut multiple strips in the widths you use most.
- Keep a small ruler or measuring tape at your ironing board for fast checks.
- Store a bottle of flexible fabric glue with a fine tip so you naturally apply less.
- Test a short seam on a scrap towel before you sew the real strip.
If you already own accessories You don’t need special gear to complete this towel. But if you frequently embroider names on fabric first, you might find it convenient to use tools you already have—such as brother hoops that fit your embroidery-capable unit—or even a general magnetic hoop style for quicker fabric placement before stitching letters. None of these are required for this video’s method; they’re simply optional aids during the embroidery-on-fabric stage.
Gallery of steps - Choose a towel with a flat band or trim a narrow band.
- Iron and measure your fabric to match the band.
- Cut clean edges for a straight sew.
- Pin, then apply a minimal amount of glue.
- Press the strip with a weight while the glue sets.
- Sew both long sides for a durable finish.
- Admire and repeat with different fabrics and names.
Why this works A towel’s woven band gives you a low-pile area that behaves more like fabric than terry loops. Couple that with a well-pressed cotton strip and you get tidy topstitching lines and a gift-ready look. The light glue stabilizes the edges so sewing is easier and the finish stays smooth through wash after wash.
A note on dyeing and names The presenter mentions separate videos for dyeing towels in a washing machine and embroidering long names. If you want the same pink-from-white transformation or guidance on fitting longer names, check those resources from the same creator.
Parting inspiration Personalized towels are perfect for housewarmings, dorm move-ins, bridal showers, or baby gifts. Once you try one, it’s easy to scale up to a coordinated set.
Toolbox reminder
- Measuring tape, sharp scissors, pins
- Iron and ironing board for crisp folds
- Flexible, stretchable fabric glue (use very sparingly)
- A sewing machine for the final seams
If you’re building a home setup that also embroiders names on fabric panels before attaching them, you might already be exploring options like a brother embroidery machine or compatible accessories others discuss, including magnetic hoops for embroidery. Again, the towel technique here stays simple—measure, press, glue lightly, and sew straight.
Wrap-up In under a morning’s worth of crafting, you can turn a standard towel into a keepsake. The key is careful prep: flatten the base, press the fabric, use minimal glue, and sew clean, parallel lines. That’s it—simple steps, polished results.