I’m always looking for new ideas for a hostess gift. These towels are a great idea because they are practical, specially made by you, and cute too! Customize them in so many different ways to fit whomever you’re giving them to. I wrapped mine in a berry basket tied with baker’s twine and a thank-you tag as a fun way to package for the hostess.

Materials and Tools

Flour Sack Tea Towels (can be found at Target or Amazon)

Fabric Paint, colors of your choice*

Paint Brush

Brown Craft Paper

Painter’s Tape

Yard Stick or Ruler

Iron

 

Optional: Alphabet stamps, detail paint brushes, Q-tips

* If you want a color that doesn’t come in fabric paint, you can purchase fabric medium (sold on the same aisle as acrylic paints) that will make any paint usable on fabric. Just follow directions on the bottle for mixing.

Directions

  1. Start with a smooth surface by ironing your towels.
  2. Lay out a piece of craft paper large enough to protect your work surface from paint. Lay the ironed towel on top.
  3. With a yard stick, create as straight a line as possible and mark with painter’s tape (start horizontally). Firmly press, with your finger, along the edge of tape to ensure no paint bleeds through.
  4. Create your first set of stripes by painting between the painter’s tape. Let dry for a few minutes and check to be sure the paint has evenly absorbed into the fabric.
  5. When completely dry, peel away painter’s tape and repeat the previous step vertically to create a second set of stripes. I added a third set of thinner stripes next to the vertical stripes, but feel free to create whatever design you like.
  6. Once your stripes have dried, pull away the painters tape and create a personalized touch by adding a monogrammed letter or initials with an alphabet stamp. To do this, simply dip a detail brush or Q-tip into paint and dab that onto the letter portion of the stamp, then press the stamp onto the towel.
  7. Let paint dry completely for 24 hours. Now you will need to heat-set your design so it will stay after the towel has been washed. To do this, simply put another thin towel over your towel and gently press down on the design with an iron. The heat will lock your design in place.