Make an Extra Large Beach Blanket from Towels
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Every time Chica and I travel to the beach with friends, we pack our swimsuits, beach toys, and towels, and head for the sand. However, it seems no matter how many towels we bring, we never have enough room for everyone to stretch out on the sand. Even the larger beach blankets seem to fall short, so this year I came up with an idea... what if I made an extra large beach blanket from towels?
After scouring the towel varieties available for the perfect combination of inexpensive and cute, I settled on six large bath towels, in two coordinating patterns. At 30" x 60" each, they would combine to give me a blanket that's 90" x 120", which would be perfectly huge!
Then it was just a matter of sewing them together, as if it were a 6-piece quilt. It took some effort to get those towels through the sewing machine, but fortunately terry cloth hides stitches (and the occasional mistakes) really well, making this a great beginner sewing project.
Once they were sewed together, I laid it out on the floor and wow, this thing is huge! I am so pleased and I know it will be perfect for the beach.
And it did work perfectly on the beach. I was actually able to reach a book without getting sand all over myself, even when the kids stopped by to grab snacks or toys.
16 comments so far:
While shopping last night, I found the addendum to this blanket - adding a backing made of an indoor/outdoor tablecloth to add water resistance and another layer of sand protection. They're selling these at all the local retailers right now.
I posted a new picture of my beach blanket on the actual sand! I can't tell you how wonderful it was to have this. It is heavy but so worth hauling it to the sand where you can spread it out and have room for the whole family to lounge and have a picnic dinner. We spent the whole evening on it relaxing and enjoying the sunset. This will now be one of my must-haves for any beach vacation.
Great idea. I like Rita's suggestion, too. This sounds like something that's just about my speed...I may give it a try!
I'd love to make one of these for taking to the park or our baseball games! Curious... have you tried to wash it yet? I assume it will fit in the washing machine like a bunch of towels - but wonder if they wash well being sewn together
Andrea, I've washed it tons of times! Like you said, it's just like washing six towels. I just make sure I distribute it evenly around the agitator and that is the only thing I put in that load. We would love to see a picture of your towel blanket.
What a great idea. Keep them coming please!
Mary Ann
I LOVE this!! I'm gonna make one for my family! :)
Thanks!
We do not live anywhere near an ocean however like many American middle aged women I'm extra large in width and height. This is exactly what I need to take with me for the lounge chairs at the pool. I want one that is big enough to cover the chair without getting scrunched up everytime I move. Great idea! Thank you. I will be learning how to sew now. ;)
Really nice. Great idea not only for the beach and for any outdoor outing too.
What a great idea! We have a huge collection of beach towel that I can pick from. I think a mismatched pattern would be nice to, then kiddos have a spot to call their own. Also another idea would be to sew tabs around the outside to be able to stake it down.
That's awesome. I really like the alternative pattern of the towels. It makes for a totally unique beach blanket!
I came here via Pinterest. What a great idea! I wonder if you could connect the op three to the bottom three with Velcro strips? Then they could be detached for washing.
?: How is the shower liner sewn on the back?
Gwen, the easiest way would probably be to just lay the shower curtain on the floor, lay the towel on top, and pin them together around the edges. Then just sew them together along each edge.
I have five grandkids and they each have their own color. All of their beach/pool items are the same color so that I can know in an instant who left towels, floats, pool noodles, cup, etc. I am going to make this beach blanket with each of their color towels. That way, they will have their own spot to sit on. No arguing! Yes, I am a genius!
Renee, that's a genius idea! Thanks for sharing.