inside: Use this beach towel tote pattern and tutorial to make your new favorite summer accessory. 

We are a swim team family in the summer so it feels like I’m either at the pool or packing up to head to the pool. I’m super excited about my new beach towel tote bag because it’s a towel AND a tote in one! The towel is huge and zips up to create a tote with pockets to hauling my stuff to and from the pool. This would also be perfect for a day at the beach. 

Beach Towel Tote Pattern – 

I was asked to create this beach tote with towel sewing tutorial for a taping of It’s Sew Easy. I created this tutorial for the show and am also excited to share how to make a beach towel tote bag with you here today. This is seriously SO handy for our pool mornings. The tote has two large pockets for all our stuff and spreads out to a huge blanket for me and the kids. 

Or you can wrap yourself up in this towel. 

The video here will show you how to fold and unfold this fun beach tote with towel inside… 

How to Make a Beach Towel Tote Bag – 

Ok! Let’s get started…. Gather your supplies:

• Large Beach Towel OR terry cloth fabric {cut to desired sizes and finished edges}
• 24″ separating zipper
• If you want a zipper pocket you will need a second zipper.
• Cork or other strapping
• 1/2 Yard of cotton fabric

Here is a great resource for Cork Strapping...

Begin by placing the zipper on one of the short ends of the towel. The zipper should be centered on the edge and placed so the zipper teeth extend over the edge of the towel. Stitch in place with a zipper foot. 

Fold the towel in 4ths or in 3rds {depending on the size of your towel}. Test out the folding for size. This will be the height of your tote. Mark the fold where it meets the zipper. 

Center the zipper as before and pin, then sew to the middle of the towel. 

You now have a towel that folds up and zips!

You can just skip ahead to adding straps or you can add a pocket as follows… Measure from 2″ below the zipper on one side of the tote all the way around to 2″ below the other side of the zipper. This is the length of your fabric for the pocket.. Based on my measurement below my fabric should be about 31/32″ long. 

You can just make two pockets or you can have one side with a zipper. The zipper should be 16-18″ long. Cut your fabric the same width as this zipper OR just cut it 18″ wide. 

Pin and sew the zipper to the fabric with right sides together. This will attach the zipper to the pocket fabric

Pin and sew the other side of the zipper below the main towel zipper. You will sew with the right side of the towel and right side of the fabric together. 

After you sew the zipper, flip the fabric back over to expose the zipper and see the right side of the fabric. 

Now, lay the pocket fabric flat and smooth it from where you sewed the pocket zipper all the way over to the other main zipper. 

On the other side of the pocket, fold over and sew a hem to finish the top of the pocket. 

Pin the sides of your pocket to the towel and cover with ribbon, strapping or cork. As shown here the ribbon starts in the middle of the right side and then extends to the end of the pocket {add a big loop for the handle} then go down the other side of the pocket. Continue all the way around the pocket {adding two handles} and creating a large ribbon circle. 

I finished the circle by folding under the ribbon and joining. 

Here is the pocket and ribbon all laid out. It was hard to show such a large piece. 

Fold up and zip the main zipper again {the blue one one mine} and then mark the bottom center of the bag. Pin along this edge then sew to create TWO pockets instead of one big one. When you sew go through both the pocket and towel fabric. 

When you fold to actually use as a tote I folded in the outer edges of the towel before folding up to zip. You can see this process in the video. 

Yield: 1

Beach Towel Tote Pattern

Print

Make a beach towel tote that converts to a large towel to sit on or wrap up in.

Materials

• Large Beach Towel OR terry cloth fabric {cut to desired sizes and finished edges}

Instructions

How to sew a convertible tote to towel -

1. Add a zipper to the short end of the towel. Sew it along the edge in the middle. The teeth of the zipper should hang over the edge of the towel. Sew one side of the zipper to the towel.

2. Fold the towel in fourths or thirds and then sew the other side of the zipper to the fold where it meets the first side of the zipper.

3. You can add fabric between the two sides of the zipper for a pocket. It can be a zipper pocket or just a folded over top.

4. Pin it all in place and then put strapping or ribbon on either side of the pocket between the zippers. Make sure to leave large loops for the handles on either side of the zipper. Sew the strapping in place and secure the sides of the pocket at the same time.

You are going to love your new convertible towel to tote!! 

Here are some other summer sewing projects you may enjoy!!

Swim Cover Up

Girls Swim Suits

Summer Tote Bag