Flannel Project: How to Embellish Hand Towels

As temperature start to finally drop here in Alabama, I’m dreaming of cool and cozy breezy nights on my new deck. Of course, I’m picturing flannel blankets and pumpkins too! When my friend Sarah from Sadie Seasongoods proposed that this month’s theme for our Thrift Store Decor Team projects be flannel, I was all in. 

If you are joining me from Hometalk, welcome!  I’m so glad you stopped by!  The Thrift Store Decor team is a group of 10 bloggers who share thrifty upcycled projects on the second Wednesday of every month.  You simply won’t believe the talent in this group!  We pride ourselves in both developing and sharing new creative skills with you.  I guarantee that you will find inspiration in every post.  From glass cutting, to furniture repair, stenciling, mastering power tools, gardening, DIY on many levels, trying new paint products, sewing…there is no limit to the skill set and creativity in this group.  Welcome!  And I hope you will follow along every month. 

You can read more about the Thrift Store Decor Team in this post where we share our favorites from the entire year!  Now, back to the project at hand…FLANNEL!

Crafting with Flannel

Sarah sent me copy of her new book,  Crafting with Flannel, which is loaded with super easy crafts using flannel.  Just wait until you see all of the projects from my talented friends at the end of this post!

I haven’t had the sewing machine out for a while so I thought I would start small.  I selected a very easy project from Sarah’s book.  

What I love about this book is that the projects are doable on a beginner’s crafting and sewing level.  The only sewing skills you need for this project is the ability to sew a straight seam!  You could even do this sewing project by hand if you don’t have a sewing machine.  I selected the project on page 20, but after reading cover to cover, I have several other projects planned.  Easy, peasy and most importantly…FUN!

Selecting a Project

When I started thinking about flannel for this project, the weather was still consistently in the high 90’s here in Alabama.  So I was having trouble slipping into that cozy, cool fall vibe that comes with flannel.  I decided to find a fun flannel that I could use to embellish hand towels for our guest bathroom.  I have an overnight guest every Friday night who loves to play in the sink.  So my project will be creating cute and functional hand towels for G-baby Blu to use on Friday nights and Saturday mornings to brush his teeth…and clean his mess in my bathroom.  Commence the hunt for FUN flannel!

Finding Flannel

Many times, when I need fabric, I will simply stop at the local thrift store and buy a clothing item which I will deconstruct to use for a project.  Sarah’s instructions, however, recommended new flannel. So I made a special trip to my go to fabric store, United Textiles in Bessemer, AL.  This historic building boasts an entire floor of rolls of fabric with the best selection around and their prices are incredible.  I can usually find many options for projects.  But this time, their flannel selection was pretty scarce.  This was the only flannel that caught my eye and was actually the only plaid they had in stock. 

In examining the new flannel, I could see why Sarah recommends new flannel for this sewing project.  It is crisp and fresh and will be so easy to sew, unlike recycled flannel shirts from a thrift store.  I am sure laundering and ironing an upcycled fabric would work.  But I understood why new flannel would be easier for this project.

Did you know that flannel comes in two forms?  It’s true!  There is single sided and double sided fabric.  Most shirts that you will find at a thrift store are made from double sided fabric.  This means that the pattern is the same on the inside and the outside of the shirt.  

While I am excited to grab some serious traditional lumber jack red and black checkered plaid flannel, it is STILL not consistently under 90 degrees here in Alabama.  So I’m saving those cooler fall and winter vibes for later.  I chose a few more whimsical flannels to use in my project. 

After scouring the fabrics more carefully, I found these two patterns.  Walmart also has these sweet little selections which I assume are for quilting but are great for any small project needing a variety of matching fabrics. 

While our local Walmarts have all dramatically downsized their fabric departments, there is still a cutting counter.  I was able to purchase just 1/4 yard of each of these fabrics.  There is plenty to complete my project and have some left over should I want to do more.  The total cost of BOTH selections was $2.22!  Talk about affordable!

I also bought some more traditional flannel for a second project from Sarah’s book…pennants!

Guess what?  Today it was 75 in Alabama!  Nothing screams cozy fall and winter like flannel!    Follow along as I cozy up some hand towels for the cool season which appears to be easing in!

I found these hand towels for $1.50 each at a local resale store. 

Here are the instructions:

• Measure the cam (that’s the textured band in your towel) and add one inch to the long side and two inches to the short sides. 
• Fold a 1/2 edge over each long side and iron the fold. 
• Do this for both long sides of your fabric.
• Pin into place on your towel.
• Fold each short side over 1/2 inch and then another 1/2 inch.  
• Pin into place on your towel.
• Sew along each long edge in a straight line.

The end result is adorable.  G-baby Blu will be thrilled with this!  I can hear the splish splash now!

Bonus Project

I was so enamored with these projects and the flannel that I selected another project.  Why not make some pennants?

I cut six 7″ X 7″ squares.  Instructions called for 6 x 6 but I wanted my pennants a little larger.  I also decided to draw the lines for the pennants and sew them first.  Then I cut the excess fabric off, flipped the fabric, ironed and grabbed the bias tape.  I tucked each pennant into the bias tape about 5″ apart per Sarah’s instructions.  The final step was to sew the bias tape closed and the pennants in place in one process.  Now I’m ready for some traditional fall flannel.  But I have this neutral to ease me into fall when the Alabama temperature is still screaming “summer”.

Check out these fabulous projects from this Month’s Thrift Store Decor Team!

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Easy DIY Fall Flannel Pumpkins

House of Hawthornes Rag Wreath DIY

Organized Clutter Flannel Covered Books

Reinvented Delaware Cheap Wreath for Fall

Our Southern Home No Sew Flannel Pumpkins

Domestically Speaking Plaid Pumpkin and Acorn

My Repurposed Life DIY Flannel Scraps | Easy Projects

Petticoat Junktion Flannel Wrapped Wreath

Sadie Seasongoods Blue Fall Decor With a Pumpkin Throw Pillow

Shop at Blue Flannel Embellished Hand Towels