Ruffled Towel: Creating Original Decor

Want to decorate your bathroom or kitchen without spending much? Simple towels with original decor are all you need. A ruffle made of fabric, trim, or lace will transform even the most modest textile, especially if you coordinate your towels, tablecloths, and napkins in the same style. You can use the same method to decorate an apron. Check your stash—you'll likely find fabric scraps, ribbons, and trim that can be put to good use to create unique designer towels.

How to make a towel ruffle from accessible materials

First, take your measurements by measuring the short side of the towel. In my case, the width is 48 cm. Gather your finishing materials:

1. Fabric for the ruffle. The length should be one and a half times the measured width (48 x 1.5 = 72 cm), plus 3 cm for hems, totaling 75 cm. The width of the strip is 22 cm.
2. Lace with one-sided scallops or lace trim, 5-8 cm wide and 50 cm long.
3. Narrow decorative trim, 2-3 cm wide and 50 cm long.

Work Process

Fold the fabric strip in half widthwise and sew the side seams. Turn it right side out.

Mark the center of the ruffle and the center of the towel, align them, and pin the ruffle to the towel at the sides.

Create pleats by hand and sew them in place.

Finish the sides of the lace with a double hem. Pin it just above the ruffle line with the scallops facing up and sew.

Fold the lace over to the right side and sew another seam, 1-2 mm from the edge. Pin the decorative trim above the lace. Fold the ends of the trim and secure with pins.

Secure the decorative trim by sewing around its perimeter. Look at what a cute and original towel you get!

The finishing option can be like the one in the photo or different, with any interesting details. For example, you can skip the ruffle entirely and use only lace, or sew several rows of decorative trim instead of a lace strip. What ideas do you have?