A million little fibers

Whether you’re enjoying the comforting solitude of your pool or water-sliding in the crowded rush-hour madness of Sunsplash, a beach towel can be a makeshift picnic blanket or simply a place to dry off.
But once the summer heat has faded away, and the pools are deserted, what do you do with your old beach towel?
Be green, and give your old towel new life.

Wear it.
The terry cloth most towels are made from is comfortable, light and absorbent, making beach towels perfect for refashioning into workout wear.
To make a sporty wristband, cut an approximately 2” x 7” piece of fabric from your towel. You may want to double-check that the strip is long enough by wrapping it around your wrist. Fasten it around your wrist with safety pins or sew on a button and make a corresponding hole for a more permanent fit.
To make a matching headband, simply cut a strip of fabric from the same towel and tie it around your hairline.
To make an eco-friendly sleep mask, trace a mask-shaped pattern (available free online) onto a piece of construction paper. Pin this to your towel, and cut the fabric along the pattern. Add two holes and ribbon. Cut eye holes for a spa mask.
Beach towels can also be folded into undeniably stylish togas, which can be safety pinned or tailored and sewn to fit.

Reuse it.
Beach towels, even at their rattiest and most worn out, can still be salvaged and used for something useful.
To make a phone sock, fold your towel in half, so that you will only have to cut out your pattern once. Trace a pattern slightly larger than your cell phone onto construction paper, cut it out and pin it to your folded towel. Cut around the pattern. Mesh the two halves of the phone sock together, inside-out, so that the prettier side of the towel is facing in.
Sew three of the four sides of the phone sock together, leaving one open for your phone. Flip it inside out and voila!
If you own a dog, you can make a simple dog toy by tightly braiding three longer strips of towel fabric together and tying off the ends with shorter pieces.
If you’re a cat owner, you can make a toy for your kitty by following the cell phone sock tutorial, adding catnip or small, cut-up bits of towel fabric as stuffing and sewing up what would have become the cell phone opening.
To spice up your bathroom décor, you can fold your beach towel like origami, using one of the myriad of YouTube tutorials on the subject. There are methods of folding everything from elephants to swans.
For quick pedicure toe-dividers, wedge rolled-up strips of towel material between your toes.
If your car becomes an oven during the day, you can fashion a nifty sit-upon to avoid having your legs glued to your upholstery. Either drape your towel over the seat, or cut out a small cushion from the fabric. You can also make steering wheel grips from towel fabric strips by wrapping them around the wheel and rubber-banding them in place.
If you find your towel is too bedraggled-looking to make something out of it, you can never have too many rags lying about the house. Simply cut it into squares. Hem the edges for a more clean-cut look. These mini-towels can always come in handy, from polishing screens and CDs to wiping up spills.

Give it.
If your towel has survived the summer somewhat unscathed, you could always try to give it a new home.
Some charities will sell donated towels at consignment shops, such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army. These organizations are more likely to accept beach towels in good condition with few stains.
Animal shelters, such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, will often accept used towels as bedding for pets. They are also very appreciative of dog and cat toys (see above).

No matter what you choose to do with your summer beach towel come September, be creative. Make nifty towel trinkets and help conserve the world’s resources.