How To Sew A Kitchen Tea Towel

Kitchen tea towels are something you can never have too many of. These towels are a perfect beginner sewing project and make great gifts!

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As I have been starting to think about making some gifts for family this Christmas, these towels popped into my mind. A sewing project that doesn’t require a pattern is my kind of project! This tea towel sewing project can be completed during nap time, one of the reasons why I love it so much. Between raising disciples, cooking from scratch, and growing the homestead, I don’t often find the time to sew.

I was noticing the other day that my kitchen tea towels are getting low. Yes, they are fairly inexpensive but I had fabric on had already so I figured I’d just make some! Plus it adds that personal, hand-made touch to my home. There is so much satisfaction in creating things that I can use around my home. Functional decor is my favorite as of lately.

There is also something special about receiving a handmade gift from someone. I cherish handmade gifts because I know the time and effort that was put into creating it. This is something I’ve grown to appreciate the older I have become. I will admit that when I was younger, I did not see the value in hand-made items that I see now. Now, I make it a point to make others a hand-made gift as often as possible due to a tight budget and the love that goes into creating it!

What fabric material to use to sew a kitchen tea towel

You can use an array of materials to sew a simple kitchen towel. Some of my favorite options include: Cotton, Linen, Cloth diaper material, Drop cloth, and Flannel. Choose a fabric that has a tight weave. Avoid any fabrics that are too stretchy or have a loose weave. The ticking stripe fabric I used can be found here. I found the blue and white striped linen fabric at my local Hobby Lobby, but a similar one can also be found here for your convenience.

Uses for a kitchen tea towel

Tea towels are great for the obvious use of drying dishes. In our kitchen we also ferment a lot of our food, like sauerkraut or bread, for easier digestion. Because we always have food fermenting on the counter, these tea towels come in handy to cover the jar or bowl during fermentation.

Another thing I have grown to love more and more is functional decor. Things like hanging cast iron pans, displaying wooden spoons in a crate, storing seasonings and kitchen staples in visible glass jars, and hanging handmade tea towels all make the kitchen feel so cozy. Having several linen kitchen towels hanging around the kitchen give my kitchen that perfect farmhouse feel.

Kitchen Tea Towels also make great last minute gifts. I don’t know about you but I’ve been stuck a time or two trying to figure out a gift idea for someone. That is where handmade gifts come in handy. Not only can home-made gifts typically be made up quickly, but they usually save you money as well. Our budget doesn’t always allow for extra expenses and I love to save money whenever I can and make things with whatever we have on hand. Repurposing is a huge part of this process as well.

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What you will need for this project

• A sewing machine
• 36″ x 26″ Piece of fabric
• Thread to match your fabric of choice
• Scissors
• Iron
• Ruler
• Rotary cutter (Optional)

How to sew a kitchen tea towel step-by-step

To begin, cut a rectangle out of the fabric 17″x21″ for a small towel or 36″ x 26″ for a large one. For clean cuts and ease, use a rotary cutter for this step.

Next, fold each edge in 1″. Press flat with a hot iron.

Fold each edge 1/2″ and press again with a hot iron.

Fold the edges over again to meet the 1″ seam you ironed onto the fabric.

Place the folded edge of the right side of the rectangle into the sewing machine. Begin to top stitch all the way down the seam.

Once you get to the end, fold the next edge as instructed above and press with iron. Continue top stitching all the way down the next side of the tea towel.

To make a hanging loop, get some fabric to fold for bias tape. If making your own bias tape, cut a piece of fabric 3 inches in length and 2 inches wide. Fold the fabric in half, iron flat, and fold each side in 1/2 inch to the middle crease and iron again. Top stitch down the length of the fabric to secure.

Pin the hanging loop underneath the edge of the towel and continue to top stitch around the perimeter of the tea towel.

Once you get to where you began top stitching, back stitch a time or two to secure the thread. This will ensure that the thread does not unravel.

And voila, there you have a hand-sewn tea towel. Continue this step-by-step process to create more and more towels to have on hand for gifts or to use in your own kitchen!

For more DIY from My Abiding Home:

• Oven Mitts Easy DIY Tutorial
• How To Sew A Window Valence
• How To Sew An Elastic Cushion Cover DIY
• How To Sew A Curtain DIY Tutorial
• How To Make A Beeswax Wrap DIY

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