Post by Contributing Writer Amy
These dish towels make a practical gift for anyone who loves your kids, a wonderful house warming gift, or just a fun addition for your own kitchen! We made them as Christmas gifts for the great-grandparents. Since the project uses cookie cutters, you could do any holiday or season you’d like. I chose a winter theme, so they can be used after Christmas, too. Here’s what you need:
- White dish towels
- New pencils
- Fabric paint
- Pen
- Scissors
- Cookie cutters of your choice
- Contact paper
- Masking Tape and extra paper or cardboard to put under the towel while stamping are not pictured, but very handy!
- Choose your cookie cutter and trace onto the back of the contact paper. For the snowflake, I cut a square of contact paper, then folded and cut like you would a paper snowflake. Cut out, and peel off the backing.
3. Place your shape on the dish towel and chose paint. You could do as many colors as you’d like, but two worked the best for us since we each stamped a color. On our second towel, my daughter suggested taping the towel to the table and it worked really well to keep it steady for her when stamping. Be sure to spread out the towel and put paper under the towel as paint will bleed through!
4. Using either end of an unsharpened pencil, dip it in the paint and stamp around the shape on the towel. I did one color while my daughter (age 4) did the other. We switched pencils and colors whenever she wanted and talked about how much their great-grandparents would love the gift. It was a good time to chat with her and she sure had a lot to say!
5. When the majority of edges are covered, you are ready to pull off the contact paper shapes for the big reveal!
Since they made the towels, the girls are very excited to see the great-grandparents open them. Anywhere we go, people are asking them what’s on their wish list for Christmas. It’s fun to give them the opportunity to get excited about giving gifts, too. I’m sure these grandkid made dish towels will be a very well received gift!
Amy is a former reading and third grade teacher as well as a mother to three little girls with big personalities. She believes joy can always be found in playing, learning, and ice cream.
I really liked this article. It’s very interesting. The blog was very useful for my child and her play school activities. She currently studies in Greenwood High play school and she has received appreciation and rewards at many school activities.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Very useful blog for my school going kid. Thankyou!
Thank you!
Hi there, I love this idea but my question is how well do they wash? doesn’t the paint wash right off them in the washing machine?
I am thinking of trying something similar with the cookie cutters and contact paper…but maybe I will tie dye the towels and see how that turns out.
thanks for the idea
cheers :)
Dye would be interesting! I’d love to know how it works! As long as you make sure to use fabric paint, it should not wash out. I made a set of dish towels using the exact same paint last spring and use them often. The painted part is still just as bright as it was the day we made them. The only thing that faded a bit on those was the permanent marker names, however, it hasn’t even faded enough that I feel like I need to trace over it again. Here’s the link: (https://www.icanteachmychild.com/handprint-tulip-towels-for-mothers-day/) I hope you enjoy your project!
If you use Acrylic paint, it will be permanent. I have washed ours several times and the paint stays.
Fabric paint is made for fabric and should not wash away.
Hi. Do yiu need to wash the towels first? Before you paint them?
The towels I bought were pre-washed and shrunk (Mainstays Brand from Wal-Mart), so I did not. Otherwise, I probably would, just in case they shrink.
Hey, I was wondering if you could use different pain. instead of fabric pain.
Such a GREAT idea…I’m going to buy the supplies and do this with my grandchildren!! Thank you so much!!
Very nice work and promising for mothers
These look like fun and useful crafts for little dragons! Especially the towels!
~Lee
I wondered about using markers instead of puff paint. Dry faster maybe if doing for a group for at church for kids making parent gifts. Going to experiment.
Sandi Tax
Yes, we have used fabric pens to make kid-made pot holders: https://www.icanteachmychild.com/personalized-pot-holders/
If you use them for the dish towels, make sure to put some cardboard underneath as the fabric markers will bleed through the thin fabric.