Sew a child’s towelling poncho: free sewing pattern

Use beach towelling, in any fabric pattern of your choice to create a quick and easy poncho. Soft and comfy, this cute beach towel robe will keep little ones cosy and dry at the beach, or getting out of the bath. We've given measurements for a child, but it's easy to adapt for an adult size - you'll probably need to use towelling fabric unless you have a massive towel you can use!

You will need…

● One big towel or bath sheet.  Our towel measured 142cm x 70cm which made a 71cm long poncho (half the length of the towel). For a taller child, you’ll need a bigger towel – or you could buy some towelling fabric off the roll.
● 1 metre bias binding (optional)
● The circumference measurement of the head of the child who will wear it

How to make

First, find the centre of your towel.  

To do this, fold the towel in half lengthways so the short sides are together. Now fold the towel in half widthways – this will give you the centre. Mark this point with a pin.

Cut the head hole

Measure the head of the child – or measure your own head. Divide that measurement by two.  

Open up the towel and, using the pin marker as the centre of the neck, cut a horizontal slit the length of your head circumference divided by two.

For example: our head circumference measurement was 54cm, which, divided by 2, is 27cm. We cut a slit of 27cm – 13.5cm on either side of the pin.

Now widen the slit by cutting 2.5cm down from the ends of the slit and cut along – this will give you a postbox-style opening for the head.

Neaten the neckline

You can do this in two ways. The quickest is to zigzag-stitch closely around the edge of your neck opening and then turn it under by 1cm and straight-stitch all the way around.

The other way is to attach bias binding. (This gives a neater finish and stops it stretching too much.)

To finish with bias binding, take the bias binding and turn one end over 1cm. Starting with this end, pin it onto the centre back of your head opening.

Stitch around the fold of the bias binding, overlapping the two ends so that you have a neat finish.

Now turn the bias binding in to the wrong side of the fabric and with right side facing up so you can see what you’re stitching, sew around the neckline, catching the binding in as you go.

Stitch the side seams

Turn the poncho the wrong way out and match up the bottom edges.

Measure 22cm down from the shoulder on each side for the armholes, and mark with a pin. From this point, pin and straight stitch down to the bottom, reinforcing at the end with a couple of back stitches.

Repeat for the other side seam.

Turn the right way round, put it on and off you go to the beach!

You might also like...

Turn a towel into a beach towel with suncream pocket
Sew a sarong
See all of our summer holiday makes