this is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own (and I love heat transfer vinyl with my whole heart!!). Post may contain affiliate links.
What is it with kitchen towels – mine were in SAD shape! It was time for some new ones, stat. Which worked out nicely – first, I saw this dreamy fabric and knew I had to have it, second, I wanted to try vinyl on terrycloth. So yeah, these Custom Kitchen Towels were meant to be, all the crafty stars aligned. And I’m here to show you how to make your own kitchen towels.
Aren’t they the cutest thing ever?!? I was still using my kitchen towels I blogged about back in 2010, so it was definitely time to update. And of course this time around, I had to add vinyl, since I’m addicted and all 😉 The hardest part of this project is deciding what words you want to use!
My first choice word was “whisk”, it’s just so fun, so I picked the other words based on that.
So let’s dive right in to the tutorial- – you’ll need:
–blank dishtowels (mine are from good ole walmart)
–fun fabric (I found this colorful pear print at JoAnn)
–heat transfer vinyl (I buy all my vinyl from Expressions Vinyl, they’re the best!!) and a method to cut it (I use my Silhouette machine)
First up, cut your fabric in strips to fit where you’d like them on your towel. Mine go edge to edge and I cut them 6 inches wide.
Then you’re going to use an iron and turn under all 4 edges. You only need to turn them under once because you’ll sew the fabric down – you won’t ever see the back.
Then place it where you want to attach it to the towel. Mine is in just a little on the side seams, and there’s about an inch and a half of towel space under the bottom edge of the fabric (in the pic below, the bottom edge is on top…I like to keep ya guessing…)
Now, just sew down all those edges with a top stitch (that means sewing on top) all along the edges.
That’s it for the fabric – next you want to add your words. I got so excited to add my words, that I completely forgot to take pictures of that – what?! Complete blogger fail. But, not to worry, I’ve covered how to use heat transfer vinyl a bunch, most recently on my Hello Pillow, so you can see step-by-step pics of the process there. Basically you:
–design your image (I know you’ll ask, the font I used on the towels is KG Eyes Wide Open)
–MIRROR your image (the most important thing to remember!)
–cut it out on your silhouette – you cut it from the back side, so shiny side of vinyl down on your mat
–weed out all the extra vinyl, leave behind your design
–place on your towels, press firmly with an iron for a while, until really adhered (like 20-30 seconds??) – – I used my new heat press on these towels, and that was pretty awesome!
I recently taught all about vinyl at a Silhouette conference, and one person asked if I had ever tried heat transfer vinyl on terrycloth – I don’t remember if I ever have, so I had to try it. And yep, totally worked – here’s a better upclose view:
That’s all there was to it!! Here’s a view of all four towels (and of our under-the-counter microwave – LOVE that it’s down low where the kiddos can reach!)
So grab yourself some towels, fabric, and vinyl, and whip up some custom towels perfect for your own kitchen!!
If you love heat transfer vinyl projects, you may also love:
personalized baby outfit | hello pillow | big sis little bro tees
And YES, there’s a GIVEAWAY for vinyl – you know you want it!! Enter using the Rafflecopter below:
Aria | Purrfectly Inspired says
Those are so cute! Love them.
Aria | Purrfectly Inspired recently posted…How to be Mature and Classy in Your Teens (Part I)
Candi says
I absolutely adore this idea, I think I need to go find some adorable prints & grab some towels and break out the sewing machine….and as someone who avoids the sewing machine like it’s a plague (we just don’t get along) that’s saying something! Quick question, where did you get your adorable colored colanders?
Mandy Beyeler says
I’ve been hunting them! So a couple I found at the thrift store (can you believe it?!), a couple off of Zulilly, and one is from the Pioneer Woman line at Walmart – hope that helps!
Candi says
Thank you for responding! I love that you’ve hunted them down, makes them that much more special!
Chelsea @ Life With My Littles says
These are so cute, and such a fun idea! We are in desperate need of some new kitchen towels. And this is a great way to make them exactly how I want!
Chelsea @ Life With My Littles recently posted…What Moms Really Want for Christmas
Carma says
Very cute!
Virginia Fynes says
These are super cute! I had no idea you could use HTV on terry towel, now I have to try too!
Virginia Fynes recently posted…Christmas Photo Advent Calendar
Estelle @ Petit Bout de Chou says
I love the idea and the font is a great choice as well.
I have never tried vinyl before but this makes me want to try! Thanks for sharing.
Estelle @ Petit Bout de Chou recently posted…DIY: Super Soft and Colorful Baby Blanket
Jamie says
How does HTV stand up to repeated washing/drying in dryer?
Mandy Beyeler says
I haven’t had any trouble with it, and they get washed all the time!
Morgan says
Hi! Which of the HTV do you use to best hold up against the mositure and washing on these items? Sister Stretch, Easy Weed, etc?
Mandy Beyeler says
I just used the regular easyweed and it help up great