New Uses for Old Towelsby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 19 Dec 2006 11:28 AM
Here are some great ideas for reusing those old towels to stretch out the value of your older towels. Repair: Simply sew a running stitch above the unraveling edge. Then turn that uneven edge into a nice fringe. Tada--new towels. Since I am unskilled in sewing, I asked a good friend to use her machine and sew the new hem for me. She even went ahead and did a pretty zigzag stitch in a contrasting color. Washcloths: Cut the towels into squares, round the edges and sew around for brand new washcloths. This works especially well when there is a hole in the towel that you can cut around. Diaper Wipes: This is one of my favorite things to do with old towels, probably because I have two little ones in diapers at the moment. I cut the towels up into squares and use them as homemade diaper wipes. No sewing needed. I simply wet them with a little water and go. I wouldn't recommend this for big messes, but for wet diaper changes or for an infant, the homemade diaper clothes work just fine. Cleaning cloths: For cleaning clothes, you can cut the towels into whatever size works best for you (I like small dish towel size). Again, there is no sewing needed, although you could put a hem around them to make them last longer. I use these homemade cleaning cloths in my kitchen, in place of paper towels for everything from drying an apple to wiping down the kitchen counters and the sink. Dusting cloths: soft, well-worn towels are perfect for dusting cloths. They seems to grab dust with ease and absorb just the right amount of furniture polish. No sewing needed on these. If they unravel too much, simply cut of the edges as needed. Beach towels: Sew together two or three to make great beach towels. You can trim any ratty edges and still have enough material to wrap around a wet child or use on the hot sand. What do you think? Do you have any great ideas for old towels? Another way to use old towels: Five Non-Cash Ways to Help Animals/Shelters this Holiday Season Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments  Kori Rodley Irons (8277) 25 Dec 2006 12:29 PMAnother great use for old towels--turn them into washcloth puppets for small children to use in the bath. If you have some sewing skills, this can either be done by hand or on a machine. You can draw your own pattern or borrow one from a book, the internet, or regular puppet patterns. These can be as simple or as fancy as you're inclined to make them--embroidering details, faces, etc. This can even be a fun projects for kids who are a little older to help with.  Mary Ann Romans (26791) 26 Dec 2006 05:32 AMWhat a great idea Kori! My two-year-old daughter's favorite bath toy is an old Elmo washcloth that my son got as a gift many years ago. I bet she would just love the washcloth puppets! Ashgreymane (5) 17 Aug 2008 03:26 PMMy Mother told me about a sewing pattern popular in the 1970's that used towels to make kid's bathrobes. Easy to make, they are tunic-style with either the front open, or to slip-on over the head. I actually have some pictures of us wearing them---they were cute! Plus, a warmer way to dry off the little ones when they get out of the tub. Mary Ann Romans (26791) 06 Dec 2008 07:27 AMThat is a great idea. Do you know who published the pattern? Community Tags reuse, sew, towels, washcloths Discuss this article
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Old towels are one of those things that I just never want to part with. I mean, what is more useful than a towel, right? However, if your towels are like some of mine, starting to fray at the ends, you might want to make them useful in a different way. Sure you could turn them into rags to wash the car, but there is so much more you can do with old towels.
