Towel Turned Travel Bag

 When I found this towel, I knew I had to do something fabulous with it...

I'd love to proudly hang this is some chic bathroom but, even as supportive as my husband is, he would object to a bathroom being so vibrant and pink.

I quite like things both vibrant and pink so I thought I would turn my towel into a tote of sorts.

Something to hold my bathing suit.

 
Or...

This project really is so easy.

Find a hand towel you like.  I found mine in the clearance section of Home Goods for $3.

Fold your towel to decide how deep you want your pocket to be and how long or short you want your flap to be.

When you decide on a size you are happy with.  Line the edges of the pocketed section up and sew both sides closed.  I promise even a novice sewer can do this. 

The existing binding on the edge of the towel already has a stitch line you can follow when sewing your sides closed.

Match your thread, follow the seam and sew your towel closed.

If your skills {and sewing machine allow}, you can make a button hole and attach a button to close your towel turned tote.  *I do not have such skills but fortunately my mom does.

Don't get discouraged if you don't have button hole skills, you can add a snap, velcro or even a ribbon to close your towel turned tote.

Then, it's up to you what you want to do with it.

Throw it in your overnight bag and put your dirty clothes inside.

Use it at the beach and throw your wet bathing suit inside.

Have a bachelorette party to go to, and you don't want to give the expected naughty gifts, this would make a great lingerie travel bag for the bride to be.  Better yet, get a blue towel and make it her 'something blue'

Or, maybe you have a color blind husband that wouldn't mind having a vibrant pink colored bathroom.  If that's the case, just hang it on your towel bar :)

Embroidery at the touch of a button

My parents came for a visit this past weekend. It's always nice to see them but it's even nicer to see them when my mom brings along her embroidery machine.

With a house warming party on the horizon, it was a perfect excuse to take advantage of free embroidery. I love saving money!

I found a set of designer hand towels from Home Goods for $5 a piece. Did I mention I love saving money?

These plush white hand towels were clean and crisp BUT with an embroidery machine at my disposal, I couldn't wait to personalize them by adding monograms.

This machine is so easy to use. Once I typed in the couples monogram, I just pressed the start button and magic happened.

No one would guess that this set of white hand towels only cost me $10.50.

In addition to the hand towels, I added a box of Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix. As I have already established, I have not quite mastered the art of baking. I had to laugh when, having made these brownies, the couple raved so much about them they asked for my recipe...the secret is out, Betty Crocker!

The towels were so easy to embellish, I wanted to think of other things to embroider as well.

I am in the process of preparing a welcome to the world package for my friend's baby boy, so I definitely wanted to send something with personalization.

That's my mom, well her hands at least, embroidering a onesie.

Another $2 Faded Glory Onesie looks custom with the addition of a little personalization.

Come back tomorrow and see what I ended up doing with this...