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How to Embroider Tea Towels: Quick, Easy, and Fun DIY Embroidery Ideas
Embroidered tea towels are one of my favorite projects to stitch. Not only do they enhance the look of your kitchen, but they make excellent gifts. Additionally, they are quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive. They are a wonderful beginner project, but they also allow an experienced embroidery enthusiast to step out of their comfort zone with unique and creative stitch files and designs. Today, we will break down the steps for making embroidered tea towels, discuss some of my favorite Designs By JuJu embroidered tea towel patterns, and look at some simple but adorable gift ideas.
Supplies Needed:
- Tea Towels - I purchased flour sack towels from Wal-Mart, but tea towels can be purchased from most major retailers and online
- Medium Weight Wash Away Stabilizer
- Magnetic Hoop (optional, but it makes hooping your tea towel so much easier)
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Various DBJJ Designs
Let’s Get Stitchin’!
Step 1: Hoop Your Stabilizer
I almost always utilize medium-weight wash-away stabilizers when creating embroidered tea towels and kitchen towels. I find that wash-away stabilizer provides a solid foundation for my stitches while giving my towel a professional aesthetic from both the front and back. If you are using a very dense pattern with a large stitch count, a heavy-weight cut-away stabilizer may provide the support and longevity your design will require.
Step 2: Locate the Center of the Tea Towel and Hoop on the Stabilizer
I prefer to use a magnetic hoop because it allows me to center my tea towel easier and I know I am not stretching out the towel's fibers with rough tugging and pulling. You can also float your towel onto your stabilizer if you prefer.
Step 3: Choose your Design, Size, and Placement
When selecting an embroidered tea towel pattern, I enjoy using a variety of stitch files, including sketch, monogram, word art, and applique. I look at the sizes available for the design file I have selected (DBJJ always includes multiple sizes) and choose what I feel will look best for my tea towel. Because I have already centered my towel in my hoop, I now have to decide where my design placement will look best. I have seen others print out a picture of their design to visualize its appearance on their finished project. I tend to measure it out and decide what I think will look appropriate size wise and placement location for my tea towel.
Step 4: Stitch out Your Embroidered Tea Towel Pattern and Design
I’m stitching out the Christmas Wreath Word Art, SKU: DBJJ3155 for my embroidered tea towel.
Step 5: Double-check Your Work
Before you unhoop your towel, double-check that you have successfully stitched your design. I have accidentally had my towel fold behind during stitching before. It is much easier to fix this mistake before you unhoop your project. The best way to prevent this mistake is to have your tea towel secure in your hoop during stitching with all edges safely away from the stitch path.
Step 6: Trim Your Jump Stitches, Extra Thread, and Stabilizer on the Front and Back of Your Embroidered Tea Towel
You want the back of your towel to look just as clean and professional as the front. This is a relatively quick step, but it truly makes all the difference in presentation. I trim my stabilizer within ¼” of my design. The remaining wash-away stabilizer will be removed once the embroidered tea towel is washed.
Now that you know how to embroider a tea towel, the possibilities are endless! Embroidered tea towels make excellent gifts for housewarming, weddings, college students, and any occasion. You can easily pair an embroidered tea towel with a loaf of bread or a fun gift basket. I also love adding them to my kitchen as a fun seasonal decor item. Designs By JuJu has many fun and creative embroidered tea towel patterns. You are sure to find something for everyone!
Embossed Monogram, SKU: I2S_3046
Farmhouse Alphabet, SKU: DBJJ2491
Forest Silhouettes, SKU: DBJJ2074
Make sure to join the Designs by JuJu Embroidery Blessings Facebook Group for more inspiration and to share your own creations using the hashtag #designsbyjuju. We can’t wait to see what you make!
