written by marieann

I saw one of these at the store for $25! It was in my hand to buy when my mom told me that I could make my own. I could! This is great to wear around the house in the mornings when you’re doing your makeup and hair. I sometimes cook breakfast in it before I get dressed too. This is also a very cheap project.

Supplies
Fabric — fleece or “towel” material (or even a towel!) (you need enough to wrap around your body about 1.5 times
1/2″ wide elastic — about the length of your chest around.
About 8-12″ of velcro
White cotton fabric (thin like a sheet)
Iron-on transfer paper
A full roll of 1″ single fold bias tape
Thread

Tools
Sewing machine
Scissors
Iron
Computer (to print copies of your design!)
Pins

Instructions
1. Cut the fabric the correct length. It should wrap around your whole body once then around your chest a second time.
2. Pin and sew the bias tape around the top edge of the fabric. It should equally overlap the front and back. Be sure that you sew on the very edge of the bias tape so that you have room to put the elastic thru.
3. Put a large safety pin thru the elastic and work that thru the casing. When you’ve threaded the elastic all the way thru, try on the robe. Pull the elastic as tight as you need so that it fits comfortably around your chest. Not too tight so that you get elastic marks but tight enough that it does indeed stay above your breasts instead of sliding down. Sew the edges of the elastic down on the ends when you’re finished.
4. This is the trickiest part. It’s time to sew on the velcro. You need to sew about a big chunk of velcro (about 8-12 inches) on one end of the robe. (That is, work with only one piece of the velcro at a time, sew the first piece on the very edge).
5. Put the robe on you and wrap it tight. Pin the second piece of velcro where the end overlaps. This is NOT on the very end. This should be approximately 4-6 inches from the end of the second side of the robe. This is also not on the same side as the front was sewn on (that is, you’re sewing the velcro on the opposite side of the fleece — the first piece was on the wrong side of the fabric but this is now on the right side).

6. You may want to put a small piece of velcro (like an inch) on the end of the second side as well as another piece about 4-6 inches in from the first edge but I didn’t do this. I found that it stays tucked in fine.
7. Using iron on paper, transfer images you want onto the think white fabric.
8. Sew those designs on using a satin stitch. You may want to go over it twice to fill in the stitches darker.