How to Make a Turbie Twist

Published: Nov 15, 2010
Updated: Feb 23, 2021
3 minute read

A towel wrap offers a convenient way to wrapping up long, dripping hair after your shower. The fabric of the wrap absorbs much of the water from your hair and keeps your wet hair out of your face, which may be especially helpful while applying makeup or getting dressed. You can purchase pre-made towel wraps, such as the Turbie Twist, at department stores and online, but you can also make your own towel head-wrap for a fraction of the cost. Make a few extra to give as gifts.

Things You'll Need:

Things You Will Need

  • Sewing Machine
  • Large Bath Towel (Longer Than A Yard)
  • Scissors
  • Straight Pins
  • 1/2-Inch Elastic
  • Freezer Paper
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Tailor'S Chalk
  • Mark out a 36-by-12-inch rectangle vertically on your freezer paper with a dashed line. Make a mark 7 inches up the left edge of the rectangle and 3 inches up the right edge of the rectangle. Make a mark 11 inches to the right of the upper left corner of the rectangle.

    Connect the mark on the right edge of the rectangle with the mark along the top edge. This creates a slanted line. Connect the mark along the top edge with the mark along the left edge with a curved line. Make the bottom 7 inches on the left edge and the bottom 3 inches on the right edge a solid line. You now have a pattern for creating your own towel head wrap. Cut this pattern out.

    Fold your towel in half from left to right. Line the bottom straight edge of your pattern up with the open edge of the folded towel. Trace the pattern onto the towel with tailor's chalk.

    Cut out the pattern tracing through both layers of towel. You may find it helpful to pin the two layers of the towel together before cutting.

    Cut a 6-inch-long piece of elastic. Fold the elastic in half and place the open end of the elastic lined up with the left edge of the cut out towel 3 inches up from the bottom between the two pieces of towel. Pin the elastic in place and pin the two layers of towel together along the upper edges, not along the bottom straight edge.

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    Sew along the upper edges, leaving the bottom straight edge open, with a 1/2-inch inseam. Back-stitch the beginning and end of the seam to prevent it from unraveling. Remove the straight pins as you sew before the go under the needle of your machine to prevent breaking said needle.

    Turn the towel wrap right side out so the seam allowance is on the inside and the elastic loop is on the outside.

    Ainsley Patterson

    Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Ainsley Patterson has been a freelance writer since 2007. Her articles appear on various websites. She especially enjoys utilizing her more than 10 years of craft and sewing experience to write tutorials.…

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