An Elle Belle Birthday!

Elle Belle has you covered when it comes to those littlest birthdays! For the actual birth day, nothing beats an Elle Belle sling! They come with written instructions that include pictures, so if Mommy hasn't used a sling before she'll be a pro in no time. I guarentee the first time baby is inconsolable and the only thing that works is the sling, you'll get a call from the new Mommy to thank you for your gift that saved the day. Or maybe she'll thank you instead for actually being able to make herself a sandwhich or fold laundry for the first time because baby won't let her put him/her down. Slings are new Mommy life savers!

First birthdays are great for hooded towels that make bath time and those trips to the beach/pool even more fun. The recycled no-break/no-roll crayons are also a big hit with this creative crowd.

Second birthdays beg for an Elle Belle I Spy quilt! They’re an extra special gift that makes for lots of quality fun time with Mommy & Daddy and is sure to become a cherished heirloom.

Third birthdays are the perfect time to start preparing for pre-school and get a jump on letter, number, & color recognition with Elle Belle Count & Spell beanbags.

Forth birthdays and that little one isn’t quite so little anymore. Elle Belle Tooth pillows make one of those rites of passage a little less painful!

Stop by the Elle Belle shop the next time you get a playful party invitation in the mail!

Big Comfy Hooded Towels

I received a handmade hooded towel as a shower gift when I was pregnant with Elle and didn't realize at the time what a great gift it was. I should have guessed that those thin little hooded towels you pick up at the big box stores aren't absorbent or big enough to actually dry a completely soaked squirming 9 month old. I figured it out pretty quickly though. I love them because it's such a simple idea (have you noticed I like the immediate satisfaction type projects best?!), they're super useful, and if you use quality towels like I do, they'll be around for years of bath and beach time fun!

So here you have it, I'll share the love, a tutorial on how to make these simple hooded towels. Although if you need an extra special one for a super cute gift or if all your kid's stuff has his/her name emblazoned on it, but you don't have an embroidery machine of your own, I still suggest you buy one of the super fantastic Elle Belle embroidered towels!


1) pick up a nice quality bath towel and wash rag in the same or a coordinating print.
2) fold the wash rag in half long ways, right sides together
3) sew one of the short ends of the wash rag together. Flip inside out to make the hood.
4) pin the unsewn side of the wash rag to the middle top of the long side of the bath towel (pin it further up the wash rag if you're making the towel for a baby, or closer to the rag's edge if you're making it for a toddler or older child).
5) Sew the hood on and enjoy that cuddly after bath time with your little one even more!