Tea Towel Apron Tutorial

Want to make a super easy, fast and adorable apron? Of course you do!

These cuties make a great wedding shower gift!

Supplies:
-Tea Towel
-Fabric
-Rotary Cutter or Scissors
-Ruler
-Disappearing or water soluble fabric pen
-Rick Rack

Step 1:
Fold the tea towel in half so the two short ends meet up (hamburger style not hot dog style…the very technical way they describe it in elementary school). Cut the tea towel in half on the fold. You should now have 2 matching pieces of the tea towel. Put one aside for later because we will only need one.

Step 2:
Measure and cut the rest of the apron pieces.
You will need:
-One 5 ½” x 33 ½” piece for the ruffle
-Two 4 ½” x 26” pieces for the strings
-One 4 ½” x 19 ½” piece for the band
-Two 4 ½” by 5 ½” pieces for the pockets (I wish I would have made the pocket a little bigger so I suggest making it 5 ½” x 5 ½” instead)

Step 3: Ruffle
Grab the strip of fabric you just cut for the ruffle and head over to the ironing board.

With the good side of the fabric facing down, fold one of the long sides over 1/2 inch, then fold over again and press (enclosing the raw edge). Take the strip over to your sewing machine and sew along the fold you just made to secure it. Go back to the ironing board and press each of the short sides over ½ inch, then ½ inch again and sew to secure.

Next, adjust your sewing machine to the longest and loosest stitch and sew a basting stitch along the long side of the fabric that you have not folded over or pressed.

To create the ruffle, grab the bobbin strings and slowly pull until a ruffle begins to form.

Adjust the tightness of the ruffle so that it is the same width as the tea towel.

Pin the ruffle to the wrong side of the tea towel and sew in place.

Yeah you just made a ruffle!

Your tea towel apron should now look something like this.

Step 4: Strings

Take one string piece, fold it over in half long ways (hot dog style) with the good sides of the fabric facing together and press. Repeat the same process with the other string piece.

Head over to the sewing machine and sew along one short side around to the open long side of the string piece (the folded side and one short side should be left unsewn). Repeat the process on the other string.

(*I didn't have enough brown dot fabric to make the strings so I had to sew a piece of the coordinating fabric to the ends to make it long enough...in case you were wondering why mine looks different than yours)

Next, flip your strings right side out through the opening. Go back to the ironing board and press your strings so they lay flat and look pretty.

Pin each string to the top corners of your apron (on the front side) and sew down to secure.

Yeah, that’s it for the strings!

Step 5: Band

Now get the band piece and fold one of the long sides over ½ inch and press (making sure you are working with the fabric wrong side down and pressing the fabric to the back side).

Next, fold the other long side of the band piece over ½ inch and press.

Rotate the band and fold one of the short sides over ½ inch and press. Do the same with the remaining short side of the band. Now all the sides of your band should be pressed over ½ inch.

Go over to your sewing machine and sew along all 4 sides of the band securing the pressed pieces.

Press the band in half (right sides facing out)

Slide the tea towel into the fold of the band and pin in place (half of the band should be behind the tea towel and the other half should be in front).

Make sure the band covers the strings and sew around all 4 sides to secure.

You're almost done!

Step 6: Pocket and Rick Rack

Take the two pocket pieces and pin (right sides facing together).

Sew around the edges leaving a small opening (1 ½ inches maybe) at the bottom of the pocket. Turn the pocket right side out through the opening. Press flat.

Position the pocket where you think it looks best and pin to the apron.

Sew along the two sides and bottom of the pocket to secure (making sure to catch the pieces from the small opening you left when you flipped the pocket).

Cut a piece of rick rack a little longer than the width of the tea towel. Pin the rick rack to the bottom of the tea towel (right above the ruffle) and sew to secure (this should cover the stitch you made when you sewed the ruffle onto the tea towel).

Yeah you’re done! You did it! Now put on your apron and go bake yourself some yummy cookies to celebrate!

Let me know if you have any questions!