How to make a waist apron from flour sack towels (2023)

Learn how to easily sew a flour sack waist apron. This easy and cute DIY half apron makes a wonderful handmade gift.

This easy apron pattern came about while I was trying to figure out some Christmas gift ideas. I wanted to make some handmade gifts, but being pregnant makes me even more indecisive than usual, so of course I couldn't decide what to make.

Needless to say, I spent an hour at Joann's house discussing fabrics and whether I should make quilts or pillows... and finally decided on neither.

Overcome by indecisiveness, what have I done? I left empty handed and went shopping at Target.

Standing in the aisle at Hearth and Hand - imagine - I fell in love with all of the current prints on their flour sack towels. The quality is nice and they are Oeko-Tek Standard 100.

Each fabric reminded me of every lady I wanted to think of a gift for. Remembering that I was already considering the usefulness of a waist apron when I'm baking bread and consequently being covered in flour, I realized that flour bag towels were perfect for the job!

Waist apron made of flour sack

Since I wanted to make a half apron for myself I thought it would make a wonderful (and functional) handmade gift for the other chefs and bakers in my life.

The great thing about this flour sack waist apron is how easy it is to customize! Long or short, with pockets or without pockets, tied at the front or back... it all depends on your personal preference.

I opted for a front pocket and wanted the half apron to fall just above the knee.

How many flour sacks do I need for a hip apron?

The answer to that depends on whether you want a bag or not.

Only use flour sackcloth when making a waist apron with no pockets.

For a waist apron with a pocket, you need two flour sackcloths. Only half of the second towel is used.

What do I do with the other half of the unused flour sackcloth?

I'm so glad you asked! I never like to waste fabric and I'm very strategic in how I cut pieces of fabric to be as efficient as possible.

Some ideas on what to do with the leftover fabric:

• a market bag
• a decorative pillow
• Christmas ornaments
• or take another full size flour sack cloth and make another waist apron!

Should the waist apron be tied at the front or at the back?

That depends on personal preference.

Me and my indecisive pregnant self couldn't decide, so I decided to make bows long enough to do both!

I love the look of a bow in the front or back, but the front is a little easier to tie.

Aprons that tie in the front tend to be better for pregnant bellies - that's what I've found. The reason for this is that it prevents the top of the apron from warping. Plus, the bow on a pregnant belly is just too adorable!

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Sewing Materials:

• 2 flour sackcloths - one if no bag is added
• 3 meters of 1″ cotton twill tape
• Fio
• sewing machine
• Ferro
• Soft tape measure, dipstick, orAcrylic ruler
• cloth scissors
• safety pins

Optional accessories:

• thread scissors
• Sarger

How to make a flour sackcloth waist apron:

Wash, dry and iron flour sackcloth and cotton twill tape. This can cause the cotton to shrink before sewing.

About the handles:

Measure and cut two 50 cm strips of cotton twill tape.

I used scissors to cut the twill tape as it can fray easily.

Sew a zigzag stitch on each raw end to prevent fraying. You can also use a serger instead.

Fold and iron 1/2″ at one end of each strap. Then fold another 1/2″ and iron again to get the finished edge.

Stitch straight about 1/8" from the edge of the folded hem. Remember to sew back and forth to secure the seam. Repeat for the other strap.

1″ of strap length is inserted into top hem of body. The finished length of the handles is 48″ each.

To the main part:

The flour sack cloth originally measures 30" x 30".

Fold the top of the towel 1.25 inches and iron. Pin the hem.

Measure from the folded top of the apron to the bottom - cut at the 23" mark. If you haven't already folded and ironed the 1.25" seam, measure and cut at the 24.25" mark.

Depending on the impression of the fabric, you can also start with the bottom hem, measure and trim to get the top hem.

Make the bottom hem by folding over and ironing the 1/2 inch raw edge. Then fold another 1/2″ and iron again to form the hem. Pin the hem.

Straight stitch about 1/8" from the edge of the bottom folded hem. Don't forget to sew back and forth to secure the seam.

Insert a 1" length from the unfinished edges of each strap into the 1.25" crease of the top hem of the body at both ends. Tuck the loops into the hem fold.

Straight stitch about 1/8" from the top edge of the hem. Remember to sew back and forth to secure the seam.

I've opted for a decorative stitch pattern on each handle for a cute accent as well as added durability. I incorporated this pattern as I sewed the top hem, not separately.

Using the straight stitch, sew a 1" x 1" box with an "X" in the center. Please refer to the picture for a clearer explanation.

Finished flour sack towel measurements are 30" wide x 22" long.

For the bag:

Using a second flour sack cloth, cut a 19" x 12.5" piece of fabric where needed to create the desired pattern.

Depending on the fabric pattern, like the ivory and green stripes used, I decided to make a narrower bag with a 15" x 12.5" piece of fabric to get two bags out of one towel.

Efficiency is key when it comes to determining where to cut the fabric bag piece. Wherever I cut my pocket piece, I wanted to make sure I could get two pocket pieces out of one towel so I could make a second apron.

Fold the top edge of the bag in 1/2″ and iron. Then fold another 1/2″ and iron again to form the hem. Pin and sew the top hem.

Optional: zigzag or twill stitch on raw edges on the sides and bottom of the bag.

Fold the sides and bottom of the bag in 1/2″ and iron.

With unfinished edges folded down, pin pocket to apron body and sew the three sides together.

Optional: Depending on the width of the pocket, sew a straight stitch down the center of the pocket to create two pockets. I recommend putting the apron on at this point to see if a pocket or two feels more natural and works better.

Printable tutorial available below!

More sewing instructions:

• curtains of wood
• Lid for hot water bottle
• wedding pillow

Have you tried this project? I would like to see you! Tag us on social media to share your creation! I would also appreciate if you could come back and give this tutorial some much appreciated 5 stars!

Fix for later: