How To Add Loops to Dishtowels for Hanging

Have you ever noticed that the nicest kitchen towels have a nifty little loop, perfect for hanging on a kitchen hook? It’s easy to add a loop to any towel yourself, making it that much more functional. Even better, this is a DIY you can knock out in all of a few minutes.

If you’ve ever had to sew a button back onto a shirt, chances are you’ve got most of what you need for this project already — most sewing kits come with a seam ripper, pins, needles, and a few colors of thread.

The one thing you’ll likely have to buy is cotton twill tape, available at any fabric store. Get it in a 1/2-inch or 3/8-inch width for a nice loop material.

To give the towels a nice finished look, you’ll want to attach the ends of the loop under the folded hem. This is why you’ll want to have a seam ripper on hand — it is incredibly helpful for pulling out a couple inches of stitches, so you can poke the loop fabric underneath the hem before sewing it back down.

If you’ve got a sewing machine, by all means go ahead and use it! Rest assured, you’ll end up with just as a nice result if you hand-sew, as I did. The terry cloth fabric of dishtowels is extremely forgiving when it comes to hiding imperfect stitches, especially if you’ve matched the thread color to the towel. I guarantee you will not have a Pinterest fail.

Oh, and this method works with any type of towel, of course. I’m thinking of adding these loops to our bath towels so they can easily be hung on a hook in the bedroom, keeping our single bathroom neater and tidier when guests show up on short notice!

I purchased my white cotton twill tape at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store for 99 cents per yard. You can also order it online from these retailers:

• Ivory Twill Tape, $3.34 for 18 yards at JKM Ribbon & Trim
• Lightweight White Twill Tape, $8.50 for 72 yards at Twill Tape
• White or Ivory Twill Tape, about $9 for 18 yards at Amazon

Dishtowels
Seam ripper
Scissors
1/2-inch cotton twill tape (5 to 6 inches per towel)
Sewing pins
Cotton thread
Sewing needle

1. Choose a corner for the loop: Locate the edge of the towel where you want to attach the loop. I like to attach the loop near the corner on a long edge, right next to the label.
2. Rip up the seam: Use the seam ripper to remove about two inches of stitches from the folded hem of the towel, being careful not to snag the fabric. Stop when you’ve reached the doubled-up corner of the seam.
3. Measure the twill tape: Place one end of the twill tape underneath the hem, shimmying it all the way to the edge of the folded hem. Measure out enough twill tape for a loop of your desired length, making sure to account for the extra length that will be sewn under the hem. Cut the twill tape, then use this piece as a measuring guide for as many loops as you’ll need.
4. Pin the loop into place: Position the piece of twill tape underneath the hem in a loop, then pin it into place with at least two pins per end of the loop. After pinning, give the loop a gentle tug to make sure you’ve secured it in place.
5. Sew the loop: Thread the needle with about 20 inches of thread, doubled over and knotted 1/4-inch from the end, then stitch the hem back together. Start your sewing a couple stitches before the opening so there’s a bit of overlap. Sew back over your stitches to end up back where you started, for added durability. Remove the pins.
6. Knot the thread: Loop the thread into a loose knot, then insert a pin into the knot and scoot it down as close to the fabric as possible. Gently tighten the knot and trim closely.
7. Repeat with more towels: Repeat steps 4 through 6 with remaining towels.

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