(DIY) Ribbon Embellished Towel and Towel Cake (Semi-Tutorial)

Our neighbor's daughter graduated from high school in May (yes, I know, this post is WAY over due). While I was thinking about what to get her, I started thinking back to my own high school graduation. The majority of the gifts I received were cash or checks. Don't get me wrong- that was great, but who remembers money? The gifts that stuck out in my mind were actual objects: towels, dishes, jewelry, etc.

So, I decided I would get her towels. I figured white was the best choice since it can be bleached, but how boring is that?! After talking to her mom about the colors and patterns she'd chosen for her dorm room, I decided to spice them up with some ribbon: purple and zebra print grosgrain, to be exact. I purchased the bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths from Walmart, and I got the ribbon online. I was good to go!

First, I cut the ribbon to the width of the towel plus 2", then singed the ends with a candle flame to prevent fraying. Next, I folded one end of the purple ribbon over about an inch, and placed it on the band on the towel. I started out pinning the ribbon down, but as I went on, I found it was easier to just hold the ribbon in place. I sewed along the edge of the ribbon, first purple, then zebra on top. I used a zig zag stitch, with the length set about two clicks away from 0, so it would look more like embroidery. I used a fairly wide stitch, but you can play with it to decide what width you prefer. This type of stitch takes longer since it's so compact, and it uses A LOT of thread- I went trough about 1,300 yards doing 4 hand towels and 4 bath towels (I didn't embellish the washcloths)!

Finished product: four bath towels and four hand towels expertly modestly embellished 

After a lot of trial and error, many tangled knots, and lots of cursing frustration, I finally finished the project! With the exception of the first hand towel, I was super happy with how they came out. They weren't perfect, but considering I had just started sewing in December, I was pretty darn proud of myself.

Now came the time to wrap this glorious present of mine. Sure I could just throw them in a bag with some tissue paper, but where's the fun in that?! I went to Walmart and picked up a white laundry basket ($2), a ceramic zebra print bath set ($2.50 for a toothbrush holder, soap dish, and tumbler!!!), a purple loofah ($1), and a white mesh laundry bag ($1). Then I set to work making a jumbo sized towel cake the same way that I made this one for my brother's and sister-in-law's wedding, except this time I rolled all of the towels in each tier up together (one big roll per level). I used a 1/2" dowel in the center to stabilize the towels, and wrapped each level with cotton string before wrapping with purple satin ribbon. I taped the ceramic pieces onto 1/4" dowels and placed them onto the "cake." Finally, I put the towels in the baskets, put the basket into the mesh bag, and tied it shut with the loofah "bow."

The completed (and completely adorable) towel cake

Not to toot my own horn, but toot-freakin'-toot! I was so thrilled with how adorable this project turned out to be, that I was literally sad that I had to give it away! But I did, and Rachel loved her towels, and she's now off to school putting them to use! While this was time consuming, I would definitely do this again. For around $50, I was able to give Rachel a one-of-a-kind gift that suited her perfectly, and that (I hope) she'll remember for years!

Let me know if you have any questions about this, and I hope that this will inspire you to make some personalized gifts in the future!

~Annie