How to Make & Design Custom Printed Tea Towels at Home

Printed Tea Towels are the simplest of the kitchen products and they can be so useful. We use them for drying dishes, for covering bread, for lining baskets and bags, for wrapping small presents and for just adding a splash of color to a dull area of the kitchen. Printed Tea Towels are easy to make without the need for a workroom. All you need is a piece of clean fabric, a simple design and a little time to get it right on the first try.

A simple printed tea towel can be so much fun to use in your home. And printed tea towels also make for great gifts. But above all a printed tea towel is a great way to test fabrics, colors and patterns before you start to produce more items.

Why Are Printed Tea Towels Worth Making at Home?

Consider the use of the towel before you start making it. A hand towel for drying your tea cups would need to be a soft and absorbent towel. A tea towel for the kitchen for decor would probably be more about the color and the print. A tea towel for gifts would ideally look great and feel great to use, be neat and folded up well.

They Make a Kitchen Feel More Personal

A simple tea towel is fine but printed ones add a touch of softness to the home. Whether a lemon print, drawing of herbs, tiny check or image of cups printed onto a tea towel, these add to make a dull corner of kitchen look warmer. These are small things but they show in kitchen.

They Are Useful Handmade Gifts

Our Custom Tea Towels are the perfect size to hold a few cookies, a loaf of homemade bread, a jar of jam or even a small kitchen gadget. They are functional as well as beautifully designed to hang in any kitchen and be used time and time again. Tea Towels are a very popular choice for housewarming gifts, for holiday gift sets and for many handmade gift ideas as they are practical and can be personalized.

They Help You Test Custom Ideas

If you are making small quantities of custom tea towels, it is a good idea to start with a couple of designs. We supply custom textiles, including tea towels, and our OEM and ODM services enable us to produce custom printed textiles as well as blank textiles. We have a tea towel collection that can be used as a reference, we have a range of cotton based fabrics including cotton / linen blend tea towels as well as terrycloth, waffle, crinkled cotton, cotton twill and cotton canvas tea towels. These will give you a better idea of how a custom made tea towel compares to a tea towel you have made at home as a DIY project.

What Do You Need to Make Tea Towels?

Great printed tea towels begin with a good base to your printed design. Start with a clean, flat surface, not too slippery, and ideally able to absorb water better than it looks shiny.

Choose the Right Tea Towel Fabric

Cotton Tea Towels - Great for Daily Washing and Drying - Really Easy to Clean. Linen Tea Towels Dry Very Quickly. Lovely and Sophisticated. A mix of Cotton and Linen Tea Towels are a great Medium. Flour sack Tea Towels - So Light, So Soft, So easy to fold and use.

Prepare Basic Tools

For sewing a tea towel together you will need fabric scissors, a ruler, pins, thread, an iron and a sewing machine or a hand needle for hand sewing. For printing on tea towels you will need fabric paint, stamps, stencils or heat transfer paper. Always test the color on scrap fabric first. It will save a lot of trouble later on.

Plan the Finished Size

Most tea towels are approximately 18″ x 28″, so to make a tea towel, you will need to cut a piece of fabric slightly larger than this to allow for folding of the edges. A 20″ x 30″ piece of fabric would be perfect for making a tea towel, allowing for a 1/2″ hem on each edge.

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How to Design Your Own Tea Towel Easily?

Simple designs work best for tea towels. After all, kitchen towels are used in lots of different ways – folded, hung up in the kitchen, washed and sometimes even used while wet, so the design should be clear and not too busy.

Pick a Simple Theme

You could start with some images of fruit, flowers, herbs, baking equipment, line art or even some short phrases related to the kitchen. As your own design for a tea towel gift, the design could be matched to the recipient. Perhaps a baker would love a design with wheat or bread? Someone who loves tea could have designs of cups and tea leaves.

Keep the Layout Clean

Place the main design in the lower third of the towel if it is going to be hung from an oven handle. Use a repeat if the towel is going to be laid flat or used to wrap food. Always allow space for the design to ‘breathe’.

Choose Colors That Wash Well

Using dark lines, soft green, warm red and two-color prints is more practical for printing at home. Using too many colors can lead to messy results.

How to Print Tea Towels at Home?

There are several simple ways to create DIY printed tea towels. They can be chosen depending on tools available, time one has and design he/she likes.

Use Stencil Printing

Fabric printing with stencils is a great way for beginners to get started with printing on fabric. Lay out your fabric on a work surface, tape down your stencil and then dab your fabric paint onto the design with a cloth. Try to use as little paint as possible as the edges can bleed.

Try Stamp Printing

Stamp printing is ideal for repetitive designs. Press the stamp firmly down onto the surface of the towel and lift straight up. Some areas may come up with slightly irregular marks but this is not usually a problem and can even add to the handmade feel of the finished product.

Use Heat Transfer for Small Artwork

For smaller designs such as names, small graphics and very clear custom tea towels heat transfer paper works well. Use the paper as a guide for temperature, pressure and peeling time.

How Do You Sew and Finish the Tea Towels?

Allow the design to dry completely after printing. Also some of the fabric paint need to be heat set so don’t rush this part.

Press and Fold the Edges

Use the iron to press out the towel flat. Press in each edge, iron that fold, then fold it in again to hide the raw edge. Use a pin or needle to secure the corners.

Sew a Clean Hem

Use straight stitch around all four sides of the quilt. Optional: Attach a small cotton loop to one corner for hanging.

Wash Before Use

Wash this towel gently before you use it in the kitchen to remove dust from the air, to softness the fabric, and to check the print.

How Should You Care for Printed Tea Towels?

A beautifully printed tea towel can last longer with the right care. It doesn’t need to involve a lot of different steps. In fact it can be as simple as changing your washing style to be gentler on your tea towels.

Wash Gently

When washing prints it is best to use a mild detergent and cold or warm water. Avoid the use of strong bleach as this can cause prints to fade and cause damage to the fabric they are printed on.

Dry with Low Heat

Air drying is best. Low heat on dryer for cotton tea towels is also fine.

Iron the Back Side

If your towel gets wrinkled – iron the back side first to avoid damaging the printed face.

FAQ

Q1:Which fabric is best for printed tea towels?
A:Cotton, linen, cotton-linen blend or flour sack fabric. These are all washable, absorbent and suitable for everyday use in the kitchen.

Q2: Can you design your own tea towel without having drawing skills?
A: Yes. Use stamps, stencils, simple lines and/or digital artwork. A simple and clean composition is more important than having great drawing skills.

Q3: How do you print tea towels at home?
A: Using fabric paint, stencil printing, stamp printing, hand painting or heat transfer printing on fabric.

Q4: Are printed tea towels good for daily kitchen use?
A: Yes, as long as the fabric is able to absorb water well and the print has fully dried or been heat set.

Q5: Can HOSHOM support custom tea towel ideas?
A: Yes. HOSHOM offers custom textile options and OEM/ODM service. We have several tea towel fabric styles for your custom printed tea towel planning.