Learn how to make an apron with very little work. You can easily make this smashing tea towel apron with some basic sewing skills. Leave off the ruffle and you only have two lines of stitching. It is the perfect beginner sewing project!

If you’re sewing this for a gift, you’ll want to add a coordinating hot pad and oven mitt. Handmade gifts are the sweetest way to show your appreciation for a hostess or to celebrate a new homeowner.

simple apron polka dot

(Thanks Zack for being my fabulous model and rockin’ out my apron! You are a great kid and a really good sport!)

Supplies

1 tea towel (mine measured 20″ X 28″)

1/4 yard of coordinating fabric 44″-45″ wide

4 yards of ribbon (mine was 1/2″ wide)

about 21″ of twill tape (width of towel plus a touch extra to turn ends under)

Before starting pre-wash fabric and tea towel

apron supplies

The Ruffle

With right sides together sew across each end of fabric.

sewing right sides together for apron ruffle

 

Turn right side out and press.

right sides turned out to press for ruffle

 

Gather the fabric. I zig zag stitched over dental floss close to the edge, then pulled the dental floss to make my ruffle.

gather fabric for ruffle

Sew ruffle to bottom of tea towel(right sides together). Before turning lay a piece of twill tape across the raw edge and stitch using a long stitching length. Tuck ends of twill tape under before stitching

sew ruffle to tea towel for apron

Turn (open ruffle flat) and lightly press the top edge. This is how it will look from the back side of the apron.

pressing ruffle

 

Edge stitch across on the front. Although the ruffle isn’t necessary for the apron pattern, it certainly makes it super cute!

The Apron

Fold in top two corners  of the tea towel and trim. I folded my towel in thirds to decide where to cut. If you want it wider at the top of the apron, try folding them in only 1/4.

folded tea towel for cutting apron

 

trim corners for stitching

Trim off corners, turn raw edge under slightly and stitch close to the edge. Fold the fabric edge over wide enough for the ribbon to slip through,  allowing enough for seam. Press. Really though, you could just fold over the corners like the above picture and sew the casings!

Stitch, making a casing for the neck strap using ribbon. Feed ribbon through each casing.

casing for neck strap on apron

 

The ribbon goes through each casing, crosses in the back and ties in the front.

ribbon through casing and crossing in back

Finished! This is such an easy apron sewing pattern that you should be able to whip it up in no time. The tea towel saves a little time, and is the perfect fabric for the kitchen.

more fun sewing projects

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Comments

  1. Awesome tutorial – there’s only one step I’m confused about.
    “Before turning lay a piece of twill tape across the raw edge and stitch using a long stitching length. ”

    How do you do that before turning the ruffle over? What obvious point am I missing????

    THANKS for the tutorial!

  2. Great tutorial! You’ve been featured on the Quality Sewing Tutorials blog.

    We hand select only the best free tutorials and patterns for home sewers.

    Grab a brag button!

  3. so…. did you fold the diagnal side down again to make the casing or is there two pieces of fabric (front and back) that the ribbon is inbetween?
    thanks! way cute apron!

  4. Thank you! I was able to quickly whip up 7 for party favors for a clay party this weekend. They turned out so cute!

  5. I used literally the exact same green polkadot towel to make myself an apron a couple of months ago! Nothing like a cute apron to make you willing to cook! Mine didn’t have the cute ruffle, though– I like how it adds some detail without making it too complicated. (Who wants to spend all day sewing an apron?) Great tutorial!

  6. This is a great quick craft for gift giving. The only thing I will change is to buy extra ruffle fabric to add pockets.

  7. Very very cute! Just wondering on the zig zag step, did you thread your machine with dental floss? I have never heard of that but it sure would make the gathering step a lot easier. My threads always tend to break! Thank you!

  8. Thread machine with your regular thread. Place the dental floss under the presser foot (leave a long tail) and then zig zag over the floss (http://www.skiptomylou.dev/2009/08/05/childs-apron-tutorial/) making sure not to catch it with the stitches. It is a great technique — I always have trouble when I just use gathering stitches, as they break.

    If fabric is really heavy, fishing line works well.

  9. What a beautiful apron! I’m in desperate need of a new one, and perhaps I’ll use this lovely tutorial. Thank you so much for sharing!

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