Cook and Clean Embroidered Apron

The Cook 'n' Clean Apron makes it fun and easy to stay spotless in the kitchen. This apron features a detachable terrycloth towel, making clean-up a breeze.

Spice up your apron with some mouth-watering kitchen designs and get cookin'!

Read below for these free project instructions.

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies Needed:

1 yard denim, twill, or lightweight canvas (we used denim)
1 yard terrycloth
Medium weight cutaway stabilizer
Temporary spray adhesive
Air-erase pen (or other marking tool)
26 inches of sew-on Velcro - 1/2 inch wide
Two D-rings for adjustable top strap

The designs used in this tutorial include:

Chef Pig - Lg

Cook Swirls - Md

These designs are available in the following design packs:

A Hats Off to the Chef Design Pack - Lg

A Hats Off to the Chef Design Pack - Sm

A Savory Swirls Design Pack - Lg

A Savory Swirls Design Pack - Md

A Savory Swirls Design Pack - Sm

Gather Materials:

First we will prepare the fabric for the top front of the apron. Cut a piece of denim, twill, or lightweight canvas (we are using denim) to 27 inches wide by 18 inches high.

Orange-handled scissors rest on a white fabric piece spread on a wooden table against a neutral wall background.

Fold the fabric widthwise (bring the short ends together). Measure and mark in 7 inches from the top corner of the raw edge on the top edge of the fabric. Then, measure and mark down 11 inches from the top corner of the raw edge along the side.

White fabric folded on a wood-grain table with a metal ruler and a hand holding a measuring tape along one edge.

Draw a curved line between the two marks you just made.

Hand holding pencil drawing a curve on a square piece of white fabric on a wooden table. Metal ruler lies nearby on the table.

Cut through both layers of fabric along the line.

White fabric pieces for an apron laid on a wood table; one piece is cut with a curved neckline. Hand with orange-handled scissors cutting fabric.

Lay the fabric flat with the right side up. Create paper templates of the designs by printing them at full size using embroidery software. If you don't have embroidery software, you can cut a piece of paper the shape and dimensions of the design to help with placement and centering.

Place the template on the fabric and center it from side to side by measuring in between the two sides and dividing by two. Also, we are placing the design about 3 1/2 inches from the top edge of the fabric to the top edge of the design. Using an air-erase pen (or other marking tool), poke a hole in the center of the template and mark the fabric. Also, mark the horizontal and vertical axis points.

Hand holding a pen, drawing horizontal and vertical guidelines on beige fabric with a black and white pig chef print pinned to fabric on wooden table.

Remove the template and draw lines to connect the marks -these lines will be used for hooping. We extended the vertical axis line down to the bottom edge of the fabric to help us place the border designs. Poke a hole in the center of the first border design template. Then align the bottom edge of the design with the vertical line about 2 inches from the bottom edge of the fabric. Mark the horizontal axis points.

Paper pattern for an apron is marked with vertical and horizontal guide lines in purple ink; a hand holds a purple pen tracing the word "COOK" on a small paper stencil.

Remove the template and draw a line connecting the horizontal axis points - extend the line all the way across the width of the fabric. Align the first template back on the fabric. Then, align the center points of the remaining templates with the horizontal line. We spaced the designs about a 1/2 inch apart from one another. Mark the vertical axis points, remove the templates, and draw lines connecting the marks.

Hand holding purple pen drawing embroidery design on white apron fabric over dark wood table, with sketched guidelines and printed pattern pieces.

Start Embroidering:

Spray a piece of medium weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric. Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design. Move the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point on the fabric. Embroider the design.

After the design has finished, trim away the excess stabilizer on the backside of the embroidery. Repeat the hooping and embroidering process for each design.

White fabric stretched in an embroidery hoop with marked pink alignment lines on a wooden surface, ready for embroidery work.

To prepare the fabric for the top back of the apron, lay the embroidered front panel on top of the denim fabric, trace the shape, and cut it out.

White fabric piece cut in a pattern shape lies flat on a dark wood table with an orange-handled pair of scissors placed on top.

To prepare the straps, cut two pieces of the denim 36 inches long by 3 inches wide (for side straps). Cut one piece to 30 inches long by 3 inches wide (for top strap). Cut one more piece 4 inches long by 3 inches wide (for top loop).

White fabric strips and a small rectangle piece laid out on a wooden table, with an orange-handled pair of scissors nearby.

For the three long straps, fold one short end in a 1/2 inch to the wrong side and press with an iron. For all the straps and the loop, fold the long sides in a 1/4 inch and press.

White and gray Black+Decker Steam Express iron pressing the folded edge of a beige fabric strip on a blue ironing board cover.

Bring the folded edges together and press.

Hand-held white steam iron smoothing a neatly folded light beige fabric strip on a light blue ironing board cover.

Sew a 1/8 inch seam along each side and end of each strap.

Close-up of a white sewing machine stitching a folded piece of beige fabric. The fabric is under the needle with stitching in progress. The machine is on a white surface.

Now it is time to assemble the apron! Lay the embroidered top front panel right side up. Then, insert the small strap (4 inches long) through the two D-rings and fold the strap into a loop. Place the loop at the top left corner about a 1/2 inch from the left edge of the fabric.

Align the raw ends of the loop with the top edge of the fabric and pin in place (the rings will be facing in towards the center of the front panel). Align the raw end of the long top strap (30 inches long) with the top edge of the fabric at the top right corner about a 1/2 inch from the right edge of the fabric and pin in place. Then, align the raw ends of the side straps (each 36 inches long) with the side edges of the fabric about a 1/2 inch from the bottoms of the side curves. Pin in place. Also, pin the straps in place in the center of the front panel to ensure that they are not sewn over in the next step.

White apron on a wooden table with an embroidered pink pig in a blue chef hat on the pocket and blue swirl embroidery on the hem.

Align the top back fabric on top of the front panel and the straps with the right sides together and pin in place. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the sides and top only - leave the bottom open for turning. You may sew back and forth over the ends of the straps to strengthen the seam.

White fabric apron spread on a wooden table, pinned with multicolored sewing pins along the curved edges, showing partial blue embroidered decorative swirls near the bottom edge.

So the fabric will turn properly, cut a slit in the seam allowance about every 1/2 inch along the curved edges.

Hand cutting white fabric with orange-handled scissors on a wood-grain table surface. Fabric piece has a curved edge and straight cut lines.

Turn the top portion right side out and press the seams. Also, turn the open bottom edges in a 1/2 inch and press.

Close-up of a hand using a white iron on cream-colored fabric with blue embroidered swirl patterns along the edge, on a blue ironing board.

Cut a 26 inch length of Velcro. Align the bottom edges of the top section of the apron together, place the loop side of the strip of Velcro along the bottom edge and pin in place.

White apron with embroidery of a standing pig wearing a chef's hat and apron, holding a wooden spoon, and decorative blue swirl embroidery along the bottom edge.

Top stitch a 1/2 inch seam along the top and sides of the apron and a 1/8 inch seam around the entire outer edge of the Velcro (this will also stitch the bottom opening closed).

Close-up of a sewing machine embroidering a decorative blue swirl pattern on beige fabric, with a loose red pin visible on the cloth.

To prepare the bottom towel portion of the apron, cut a piece of terry cloth to 27 inches wide by 30 inches high. Fold the fabric lengthwise (align the short ends together), pin in place, and sew a 1/2 inch seam along the bottom, top, and one of the sides - leave one side open for turning.

Turn the towel right side out and press the seams. Next, turn the open side in a 1/2 inch, press, and pin in place. Then, align the hook side of the Velcro strip with one of the long sides of the towel and pin in place. Sew a 1/4 inch seam along the sides and bottom - sew a 1/8 inch seam around the entire outer edge of the Velcro strip.

Light green rectangular fabric piece pinned on all sides with red, blue, and clear-headed pins, placed on a wooden table with fingers visible.

Attach the bottom towel portion to the top of the apron by aligning the Velcro together and pressing in place. To attach the adjustable top strap, thread the end of the long top strap through the D-rings.

Close-up of a hand holding the white strap of a beige apron with a black ring connecting the strap to the apron, placed on a wooden surface.

Then, thread the strap back through the first loop and pull tight.

Hand holding a beige apron strap with a metal ring on a wood surface, showing the apron corner and tie loop.

Get Inspired:

You now have an apron that's as stylish as it is practical!

Woman wearing a white apron with a chef bear embroidery and purple decorative trim, holding a light green towel over the apron pocket, standing against a teal background.