How to Embroider on Towels: 8 Tips for Success

Custom embroidered towels make such wonderful personalized gifts. Monogrammed bath towels, embroidered kitchen towels with a name, a set of baptism towels for a special occasion — there's really nothing quite like a handmade gift that feels like it was made specifically for someone.

If you have an embroidery machine, you can absolutely make these yourself. Setting up for towels is a little more involved than embroidering on a flat piece of fabric, but it's not hard once you know the tricks. Here are eight tips to help you get great results every time!

1. Buy Good Quality Towels

Not all towels make ideal embroidery blanks. You'll get the best results with a towel that isn't overly plush but still has a reasonably tight nap. Very thick, fluffy towels are technically embroiderable but much more challenging to work with.

I know it feels risky to embroider on an expensive towel when there's a chance something could go wrong. But the quality of the towel really does affect the final result. My compromise: I buy towels at Ross for around $7 each. Nice enough to look good, not so expensive that a mistake is devastating.

2. Wash and Dry Your Towels First

Always preshrink your towels before embroidering. Cotton towels can shrink, and washing also removes any excess dyes or chemicals from the manufacturing process. This is the same principle as preshrinking fabric before sewing, and it applies just as much to embroidery blanks. Don't skip it!

3. Choose Simple Designs with Solid Fills

This is one of the most important decisions you'll make. Intricate, delicate embroidery designs do not look good on towels because the surrounding nap falls over the fine edges and obscures the detail. Simple designs with solid fill stitches look much better. Bold font styles work well for the same reason, as do designs with just one or two colors.

If you've never embroidered before, I'd suggest practicing on plain cotton, flannel, or felt first to get comfortable with your machine before attempting towels.

4. Use a Size 90/14 Embroidery Needle

Toweling is thick, and a standard needle may not penetrate it cleanly. A size 90/14 embroidery needle is sharp enough to push through without causing problems. I don't like to take chances with towels because removing stitches from terry cloth is nearly impossible due to the nap. I've ruined a few towels learning that lesson.

5. Use Medium-Weight Tear-Away Stabilizer

Most tutorials recommend cut-away stabilizer for towels because of the extra support it provides. My preference is medium-weight tear-away stabilizer. I find it provides just as much support and is much easier to remove when the embroidery is done. Cut-away stabilizer can also be visible on the finished piece, which bothers me. I keep a big roll of tear-away on hand for most of my embroidery projects.

6. Use a Water-Soluble Topper

This is the step that makes the biggest difference when embroidering on towels. Without a topper, your stitches will sink right into the plush nap of the towel and your design will barely be visible. A water-soluble stabilizer placed on top of the towel keeps the loops out of the way while you stitch.

I've had great results with Sulky Solvy stabilizer. Simply tape it over the top of your hoop with masking tape before you start stitching. The topper tears away when you're done and any remaining bits dissolve completely with water, leaving only your stitches on top of the nap.

7. Float Your Towel on Your Hoop

Thick towels are too bulky to hoop in the traditional sense. Instead, you float them.

To do this, place a piece of stabilizer securely in your hoop and spray it generously with a temporary adhesive or basting spray. Then press your towel firmly onto the sticky surface, smoothing it down flat. Pay extra attention to the corners of the hoop because you do not want the towel shifting once your machine starts stitching.

Don't worry about getting basting spray on your hoop itself. It wipes off easily with a cotton ball and a little rubbing alcohol.

8. Double-Check Your Placement Before You Start

Precision matters here. Once your embroidery machine starts stitching, you can't reposition. Take your time to check and double-check where the design will fall on your towel, using the ruler grid on your machine to confirm placement. Getting this right the first time is so much better than wishing you had!

Supplies Checklist

Here's everything you need to embroider on towels:

• Medium-weight tear-away stabilizer

• Temporary spray adhesive

• Water-soluble topper (Sulky Solvy is a great brand)

• Machine embroidery thread

• Size 90/14 embroidery needle

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Embroidering on towels is one of those skills that feels tricky at first but becomes second nature quickly. Once you've made a few, you'll have a go-to gift idea for every occasion.

I use the Bernette b79 with its 6"x10" hoop for most of my towel projects. I previously used the Brother SE400 with a 4"x4" hoop, which works, but the larger hoop makes everything so much easier.

Have you tried embroidering on towels? I'd love to see your projects in the comments!