25 Things To Make With Old Tea Towels
/Have you ever bought a tea towel that was too pretty to use but didn’t know what else to do with it? Then I’ve got just the answer. Here are 25 cute things you can make with tea towels.
These tea towel craft ideas are great for all ages and skill levels. You can turn your old tea towels into tote bags, cushion covers, aprons and even baby’s bibs.
Don’t let those pretty tea towels sit in a drawer. Re-purpose this inexpensive and versatile material to make a practical gift.
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Ways To Re-Purpose A Tea Towel.
There are so many fantastic designer tea towels out there (you can find some of my favourites here) that it seems wrong to stuff them in a drawer and never let them see the light of day. Why not re-purpose them to create something new and exciting?
Of course, you don’t need to use a brand new fancy towel. You can find old tea towels at charity shops or thrift stores as well as pick up some cool vintage ones on Etsy.
The fantastic thing about using tea towels is that they’re such a hard-wearing and versatile material. They’re tough enough that you could use them in an upholstery project but also soft enough to make a baby’s bandana bib.
Tea Towel Crafts.
Feeling crafty? I’ve collected 25 of my favourite DIYs you can make using old or new tea towels. They’re all easy to make, practical and budget-friendly. Whether you’re looking to upcycle an old tea towel or find a use for a new unused one I hope they inspire you to get making.
Tea towels can be used for so much more than just drying the dishes!
What can I make using a tea towel?
It turns out a tea towel is a perfect size for making a small project like an apron or tote bag. They come in lots of cool colours and patterns and are ideal when you don’t need a lot of yardage for a sewing project.
Not only do they make fantastic gift wrap (as well as a gift) but you can even use them to make a cute cushion cover, a roll-up organiser for craft supplies or cutlery and even a stocking to hang from the fireplace.
For those ones that are too pretty to even consider re-purposing why not frame them and hang them on your wall as a cool piece of art. Or why not make a reusable origami bag that you can unfold and put away after use.
And don’t forget you can make your own from scratch. Check out my favourite DIY Tea Towels here.
What can you do with old tea towels?
The best thing about using tea towels is that they’re already hemmed which means minimal sewing. This list includes a lot of simple tea towel sewing projects as well as some clever no-sew crafts as well.
Great if you don’t have much experience with a sewing machine or if like me, you struggle to sew in a straight line! For one of the aprons, all you need to do is sew on the ties and buttons. How easy is that?
If you’ve got any tea towels that have survived years of drying dishes and are simply a bit faded breathe some new life into them by cutting them up and turning them into useful patchwork hot pads or a sweet lavender sachet. The faded pattern gives them a lovely shabby chic feel and even adds a bit of vintage charm.
Where can I find vintage tea towels?
You can pick up vintage tea towels for next to nothing in charity shops or car boots so make sure to keep your eyes peeled. Pretty florals or those fantastic brightly coloured souvenir tea towels from holiday destinations would look stunning hanging on a wall.
For modern designer tea towels, I love Etsy although it does take a bit of digging to find the gems. If you’ve got a favourite designer or illustrator it’s worth checking to see if they sell any of their designs as tea towels.
Even Amazon is worth a look. Check out these gorgeous vintage-style tea towels from Cavallini. The succulents and mineralogy are my favourites.
Ready for a tea towel sewing project or a way to make quick and easy art work? Scroll down to find out.
Wall Hanging Tea Towel
Make cool wall art with this easy hack.
DIY Tote Bag
Learn how to make a DIY tote bag from a tea towel. This project is easy, cute, and budget friendly! Makes a great gift idea.
DIY Roll-Up Organiser
A 15 minute project that is almost too easy (and functional) not to take the time to make. A DIY rollup caddy that makes the perfect pen and pencil organizer.
Dishtowel Utility Apron
Sew this clever tea towel apron complete with pockets for all your DIY needs.
Tea Towel Wall Art
There are some tea towels that are just too cute to use for their intended purpose of drying dishes so why not frame them instead.
DIY Tea Towel Pillows
Learn how to turn a simple Ikea tea towel into a cushion in 4 different ways.
DIY Vintage Tea Towel Throw Pillow
Take a favourite vintage tea towel and turn it into a cute throw pillow with this tutorial.
DIY Tea Towel Flatware Holder
Make a flatware holder using a tea towel and ribbon. You’ll love this space-saving organizer that protects your utensils and tidies your cabinet.
Tea Towel Origami Bag
This tea towel origami bag sewing tutorial is simple and can be customized to any holiday, season, or event!
Easy Buttoned-Up Tea Towel Apron
s super quick apron DIY to help you get your bake on…or your gift on, because these little tea towel aprons make a great gift as well!
DIY Holiday Stocking
Have an extra tea towel lying around? Give one of these a stockings a whirl (each one takes less than an hour to make).
DIY Tea Towel Cushions
Learn how to make some easy but stylish stripey cushion covers.
Tea Towel Tote Bag
Whip up a tote bag in minutes with a gorgeous tea towel craft.
4 Tea Towel Crafts
Expand your humble tea towel’s horizons with four fun and very easy craft projects. The plastic bag holder is revolutionary!
Easy Sew DIY Origami Bag
Use it to store items at home or give it as a fun gift to someone that you love as well.
Quick And Easy Tote Bag
If you fancy making some yourself a bag there are two versions here, a quick ten-minute version and a thirty-minute version.
No Sew Kids Apron
No sewing required and takes less than 5 minutes to make. Perfect for holiday baking with the kiddos!
DIY Retro Artwork
Turn a vintage tea towel into striking artwork and brighten up those empty walls.
Tea Towel Furoshiki
I’ve got the perfect solution for a unique handmade gift which is super practical too – TEA TOWELS!
DIY Bandana Bib
Here’s how to make a super easy DIY bandana bib for babies and kids using fabric napkins or tea towels.
Tea Towel Half Apron
A simple sewing project that takes 20 minutes (or less!) to complete and is as practical as it is cute.
DIY Tea Towel Origami Basket
Make a cute last-minute table setting that is pretty and functional.
DIY Picnic Basket
Learn how to give a plain basket an update with leather handles and a tea towel lining.
Simple Plaid Baskets From Ikea Tea Towels
These baskets can be anything! Bread or fruit baskets, they can hold extra hand towels in a guest bathroom and so much more.
DIY Beach Bag
This DIY beach bag sewing tutorial is so easy. If you can sew a straight stitch then you can make this beautiful bag to carry to the pool or beach this summer.
What do you think? Any favourites? I have a lot of pencils and felt tips lying around so I love the idea of the roll-up organiser. And of course, we all know love a good gift box so there was no way I wasn’t going to love the tea towels used as Japanese furoshiki gift wrap.
