Remnant Rehab: A 30-minute apron for you to whip up before the holidays

The holidays are almost here, and with them come a lot of cooking and baking. Before you get started, take half an hour to whip up an apron that will keep your ingredients off your clothes. It only takes three lines of straight stitching!

I designed this apron because I always need to wipe my hands off while I’m cooking or baking, but I usually reach for a dishtowel.

I designed this apron because I always need to wipe my hands off while I’m cooking or baking, but I usually reach for a dishtowel. With this, I can wipe my hands with the top layer, and the bottom layer keeps the grease or flour from getting on my clothes.

I used a dishtowel and a fabric napkin for this project because the sides are already hemmed, which saved me a lot of time and trouble. Even buying all new materials, this cost only $8. Raid your linen closet and you can make one for even less.

Supplies

1 cloth napkin (20 inches square)

1 cloth dishtowel (20 inches by 28 inches)

1.5-inch wide grosgrain ribbon

thread

sewing machine

Instructions

  1. Determine length of ribbon needed: Use your waist measurement plus 1 yard to tie in back, or double your waist measurement plus 1 yard to tie in front. Hem raw edges by folding each short end in 1/4 inch, then another 1/4 inch. Sew a straight stitch down the center of folds, backstitching at beginning and end.
  2. Remove tags and press napkin and towel.
  3. Lay towel right side up with a long side at the top. Center napkin right side up on top of towel, aligning top edges. Pin to keep layers from shifting.
  4. Sew the two layers together along the top hemline.
  5. Fold ribbon in half so short ends meet. Mark center.
  6. With fabric right side up, lay ribbon across apron 1 inch down from the top of the apron, matching centers of the ribbon and fabric.
  7. Attach ribbon to apron by sewing along each long side, backstitching at each end. I used my presser foot as a guide, running the edge of the foot along the edge of the ribbon. That puts each seam about 1/4 inch from the ribbon top and bottom.

Voila! Now that you have a new apron, go make something delicious.

Now make something delicious, and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty — you can wipe them off on your apron!