How to make a hooded towel

My sister's baby shower was this past weekend and as I searched for gifts, I realized that I had no easy task. She is having a boy, and is incorporating sock monkeys as the theme for his room. Sock monkey items seem to be growing in popularity, but there still isn't too much out there. Combine this lack of selection with the fact that my sister is one of the most accomplished shoppers I know, and I realized that there was little opportunity for me to pick up something that she wouldn't have already grabbed herself.

Solution? Homemade items!

I decided to make a hooded towel using sock monkey colors - red and chocolate brown.

First, I purchased a fluffy brown towel (I never understood why infant towels are always so thin!) and a red hand towel from Target.

The width of the towel was 30"; I cut both ends, creating a 30" square. Then, I cut a right triangle out of the hand towel, which will be the hood. I apologize for not measuring; I was just making this up as I went. But, I basically made the triangle large enough to fit over an infant's head. 

To personalize the towel, I cut my nephew's first initial out of coordinating cotton.

Then, I appliqued it to the hood using a zig-zag stitch.

Extra-wide quilt binding was the easiest solution to completing the edges. I first sewed along the bottom of the triangle.

Then after pinning the hood to the towel, I sewed binding all the way around.

This project was quick and easy, and accomplished my task of giving a unique item.