Hand Stamped Tea Towels

January 25, 2016

Some of our favorite DIY projects involve taking something plain, adding a little paint, and turning it into something pretty, like our cloth napkins. Paint is so inexpensive, versatile, and a fun way to add color to your home! This past weekend we stamped some fun tea towels to help brighten up our kitchen.

Hand stamping can be as simple or as involved as you want it to be (I think we opted for somewhere in between.) Stamps can be made using things you already have in your home (like sponges, potatoes, celery, pencil erasers, etc.) or designed from supplies like foam, rubber, or cardboard. We made our stamps by cutting shapes out of foam sheets and gluing them to a foam board base. We're really happy with the results! Want to make your own?

Here's what you need!
- Foam sheets
- Cardboard or foam poster board
- Scissors
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Plain cotton tea towels
- Iron

Here's what you do!
- Cut out your stamp design from your foam sheets. Repeat to make at least two copies of your design. Glue the foam sheets on top of each other and then glue to your cardboard base. Allow the glue to dry completely.
- On a drop cloth or protective surface, lay out your plain tea towels (iron first to remove as many wrinkles as possible.) Map out your design with your dry stamp to figure out your placement and spacing.
- In a small dish or palette, squeeze out your paint color(s) of choice and use a paintbrush to apply the paint to your stamp. Carefully but firmly stamp your desired pattern onto your tea towel. Repeat until completed.
- Carefully move your tea towel to a safe place to dry for 24 hours. After the paint has completely dried, heat set the paint with your iron. On medium to high heat, iron your towels on the unpainted side. Be sure to constantly move the iron to avoid scorching the fabric. For future care, wash in cold water and tumble dry low.

Aren't these the cutest? We can't wait to start using them. This DIY follows almost the exact same technique that we used for the cloth napkins that we made two years ago, which by the way have held up incredibly well. We use them every single day and haven't had any paint come off (they're just a liiiittle food stained from regular use.)

Are hand stamped tea towels a project you think you'd try? Which of our stamps do you like best? I'm pretty partial to the kitties... I am a crazy cat lady, after all.