Bathroom Towel Gingerbread Doll

I'm a thrifty (cheap) gal. I'm so thrifty in fact that I keep bathroom towels around until they start to come undone at the end...you know, where you have that really long string dangling down, and you're afraid to pull on it because you figure the whole thing will just unravel? Of course, eventually it gets so frayed and worn out that you literally have to throw in the towel. Or do you?

Why not transform that old bathroom towel into an adorable chew doll/toy for your little one?

Here's a simple way to make a soft, cuddly gingerbread man out of a towel that's past its prime:

What you'll need:

-An old towel made from child-friendly material, like natural cotton (thinner towels are easier to sew, just make sure its not too thin or threadbare that your child can rip pieces out and swallow them.)
-Thread
-Sewing needle
-Sewing Scissors
-Yarn or face-making decorations like buttons

1.Draw the gingerbread man template of your toy twice on the towel (one for the front of the doll and one for the back.) I chose a gingerbread man because its just a super simple design, but if you prefer, you can swap him out for a bunny or whatever else your child finds snuggle-worthy.

2.Cut out your templates. Leave about a half an inch around your outlines when you cut. You'll need that extra area for sewing the templates together.

3.Sew the templates nearly together, but leave a small area open so you can turn your gingerbread man inside out. Stick your finger in and push all the sewn edges out to smooth out his shape. (We don't him all lumpy, do we?) You can stuff him with what's left of your towel after you've cut it up into scraps. Pad him enough so that he's got a nice round shape, but not so much that he's not squeezably soft.

4. Sew up the hole you left for stuffing. Now you can embroider any expression you want on your gingerbread creation. Feel free to use buttons and other decorative items if your child's old enough not to swallow them.

Now you've got a chewable, soft, cuddly, machine washable companion for your little one to treasure. And to think...you were just about to throw that old towel out!