The Easy Way To Customize Flour Sack Dish Towels

The Easy Way To Customize Flour Sack Dish Towels

Drying the dishes was my chore as a little girl. It was one of the many things I loved doing with my Grandma. I’ll never forget the feeling of the soft flour sack dish towels that soaked up the water like a sponge. It made drying dishes fun.

Grandma had a few special towels embroidered with beautiful flowers, but those didn’t come out of the drawer. Only for special occasions. That’s what SHE said! They now live in my kitchen drawer.

This stencil reminded me of those days, and since I already use the flour sack towels in my kitchen, I decided to add a few fun designs. Let’s craft in the kitchen!

SUPPLY LIST:

• 100% Cotton Flour Sack Towels (perfect for crafts)
• Tea Towel Floral – Stencil
• Sonoma Art Tile – Stencil
• Fairies – Stencil
• foam brush – great for stenciling!
• Colonel Mustard chalk mineral paint
• Pine Cone chalk mineral paint
• Holy Guacamole chalk mineral paint
• Cobalt Blue chalk mineral paint
• Caviar chalk mineral paint
• painter’s tape

How To Stencil With Chalk Paint On Flour Sack Dish Towels

STEP 1:

If you purchase new flour sack dish towels, be sure to launder them first to remove any chemicals that may have been used on the fabric. Because flour sack material is 100% cotton, it will shrink after laundering. You’ll also need to give them a quick press with the steam iron. This will make stenciling the fabric easier.

STEP 2:

To protect the surface you’ll be working on (kitchen countertop, etc.), you will need to lay a barrier between the flour sack dish towels and your surface. I used the plastic wrapping that the stencil came packaged in. You can also use parchment paper, plastic bags, etc. Use whatcha got! Doing this will protect the work surface from any paint that bleeds through the fabric during stenciling.

Stenciling With Chalk Paint

STEP 3:

Gather your supplies.

I’m using a foam brush to apply the paint over the stencil for this DIY flour sack dish towel project. Usually, I would use a stiff bristle brush, but I’ve seen other DIYers do it, so I thought I’d try it.

STEP 4:

Lay the stencil directly over the fabric, and be mindful of the placement of your stencil. The design should be visible when you hang or fold your flour sack dish towels. Secure the stencil with painter’s tape to the fabric to prevent slipping.

STEP 5:

Apply the chalk mineral paint over the stencil with a foam brush using a dabbing up and down motion. Remember to dab and not brush the paint over the stencil. Resist the urge.

This foam brush worked beautifully with the application of the chalk paint, and I was able to blend some of the colors I chose over the stencil for a hand-painted look on the towels.

I was concerned that the paint would bleed through and I wouldn’t get that clean, crisp stencil line, so I went a little sparingly with the paint on my first set of DIY flour sack dish towels.

The result was beautiful, but I should have applied more paint to this design. Getting bleed through when stenciling over cotton fabric is minimal as the fabric soaks up the paint immediately and doesn’t spread under the stencil as fast. The towels are 100% cotton, and chalk mineral paint dries quickly on the fabric.

The next three towels I made with this design were perfect! Note to self: Use more paint.

Try Different Designs On Flour Sack Dish Towels

Go BOLD or go home! I used Cobalt blue chalk mineral paint with this fun Fairies Stencil. Oh my, is it cute? This stencil design may be my favorite of all three I used.

Flour Sack Dish Towels – Gift Ideas

If you need a quick gift idea, this is a great way to add your special touches, and who doesn’t love a homemade gift? Can you ever have too many dish towels?

I purchased a 12-pack of these flour sack dish towels, intending to make gifts. Should I keep them all?

This project took me a few minutes to add a beautiful stenciled design to something I use every day.

Thanks for joining me here on my blog, and I hope you have enjoyed this fun tutorial. Have you ever tried stenciling on fabric? I’d love to hear about your experience or just say hi. I’d love to know if you were here in the comment section. Don’t forget to SHARE and PIN this idea on PINTEREST to your favorite craft board.

Until the next project, xo Do