Easy Tea Towels to Make for Gifts

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When fall comes around, I love swapping out my kitchen linens to celebrate the new season. A few years ago, I stumbled upon a unique way to make DIY tea towels without breaking the bank. These custom towels will add just the right amount of farmhouse feels to your fall decor.

DIY tea towels with fall pumpkin images and text overlay reading "DIY Farmhouse Tea Towels"

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Fall Pumpkin Crafts

Today, I'm joining a wonderful group of fellow bloggers to bring you a variety of pumpkin-related crafts for fall. A big "thank you" goes to my friend Kippi from Kippi at Home for hosting this fun collaboration!

You'll find links to all of my friends' posts at the end. I hope you'll stop by to see their wonderful creations!

How to Make DIY Tea Towels

For this easy craft, all you will need is an inkjet printer and a few budget-friendly supplies.

As for the design…the sky's the limit! I'll link to a great source for graphics below. However, you can customize your tea towels with any image.

So if you're dying to immortalize an Instagram image or family photo on a tea towel, have at it!

To watch me make these towels step-by-step, check out the DIY Tea Towels video on my YouTube channel.

Supplies for DIY Tea Towels

Image or graphic art (I used this fall graphic art bundle)
Inkjet printer
Image transfer sheets
Flour sack towels
Iron
Buffalo plaid ribbon (optional)

Get the Fall Graphics

Step 1: Wash and iron the dish towels

Before beginning, you should wash and iron the tea towels to make sure the image transfers will adhere smoothly.

Step 2: Print the image transfer

Make sure your image transfer sheets are made for ink jet printers. If you saw my tutorial for wood slice ornaments with Mod Podge Photo Transfer, you'll remember that project requires a laserjet printer. Not so with this craft!

You can use any editing software like Word, Photoshop, PowerPoint, or even Canva to size your graphics. I used Microsoft Word to click and drag the image to the appropriate size (about 6-inches wide).

Photo resizing for printing image transfer to make DIY tea towels

Be sure to reverse your image (if necessary) by flipping it horizontally. In many cases, the image would look fine either way, but you especially want to pay close attention if there are words on your design.

Before printing on the transfer sheets, do a few test prints on plain printer paper to see if your design looks proportionate to your tea towels.

Finally, print your design on the blank side of the transfer sheet with the highest quality or "photo" settings.

Step 3: Trim around edges of design

If your design does not fill the entire transfer sheet, you'll need to trim around the edges of your graphic.

Cutouts of images for image transfer to make DIY tea towels

I used a craft knife to cut out some of the finer details of the farmhouse truck and wagon.

Image transfer of farmhouse truck with pumpkins for use in making DIY tea towels

Step 4: Iron the image transfer onto the towel

Make sure the ink on the transfer sheet has dried 30 minutes before ironing.

To transfer the images to the towels, heat your iron with the following settings:

Highest heat (usually cotton or linen)
No water
No steam

Your iron must be well heated before applying the images. Beware of any auto shut-off features while your iron is preheating.

Try to remove as many wrinkles as possible before transferring your image. Then, place the image face-down on the tea towel and iron slowly in a circular motion.

Continue heating the transfer backing paper according to the manufacturer's instructions. Typically, it only takes 1 to 1.5 minutes for the image to transfer.

Step 5: Peel the transfer backing paper

After the image transfer has completely cooled (about 1-2 minutes), gently peel back the transfer backing paper. If the image appears to stick to the paper, run the iron over the image for another 15-30 seconds.

Repeat the process until you can safely remove the backing sheet.

DIY tea towels with fall farmhouse watercolor art — Completed DIY tea towels

Step 6: Attach or Sew Decorative Ribbon (Optional)

These DIY tea towels are beautiful enough without embellishment, but you can always choose to add ribbon along the bottom for an extra finishing touch.

I quickly sewed a simple buffalo plaid ribbon to the bottom of each flour sack towel to complete the fall farmhouse look. You can also use fabric glue to attach the ribbon, though I like the finish of a sewn hem better.

I think these towels would pair nicely with my decoupage wooden spoons for a seasonal hostess gift or teacher gift.

What kind of design will you choose for your DIY tea towels? While you're deciding, be sure to keep scrolling down to see the great pumpkin-themed projects my friends are sharing today!

Pin it for later!

Steps showing how to make DIY tea towels made with image transfer sheets. Text overlay reads "DIY Tea Towels with image transfers."

More Pumpkin Themed Crafts

Be sure to visit my friends below to see the pumpkin crafts they are sharing for fall!

DIY Paper Pumpkin Hoop

Fall paper hoop decorations that look like pumpkins in various patterns

These cute hoop pumpkins from Kippi at Home are perfect to decorate your mantel, kitchen counter, buffet table, and more.

DIY Yarn Wrapped Pumpkins

These yarn-wrapped pumpkins from oliviaohern.com are the perfect way to add cozy charm to your fall home decor. It's the ideal craft for hygge vibes.

Sequin Craft Pumpkins

Make these pumpkins with sequins to add a "glam factor" to your fall home decor! Learn how to get the perfect ombre effect with your sequin pattern in this tutorial by Zucchini Sisters.

Chunky Yarn Pumpkins

Turn Dollar Tree foam pumpkins and yarn into easy DIY pumpkins for your fall decor. These chunky yarn pumpkins have lots of texture making them the perfect fall decoration. A Life of Balance has the complete tutorial.

Chalk Painted Pumpkins

Pumpkins painted with chalk paint mixed with acorns and fall accents

Chalk painting pumpkins is a great way to make fake pumpkins look real. Get tips from Cloches and Lavender on how to mix colors and add real stems for beautiful results.

Easy Fabric Pumpkins

Learn how to make a fabric pumpkin with this easy, step-by-step sewing tutorial from Chalking Up Success! Use these DIY pumpkins to decorate for fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.

Beach Style Pumpkin Decor

Create a unique, beach-style pumpkin with seashells and a piece of driftwood as a stem. What Meegan Makes shows you how to make this fabulous fall decor accent.

Chunky Knit Yarn Pumpkin

Add cozy vibes with a beautiful chunky knit yarn pumpkin. With this easy tutorial from My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and about 45 minutes, you will end up with a beautiful rustic-looking farmhouse pumpkin.

DIY tea towels made with image transfers showing farmhouse pumpkin wagon and truck theme

How to Make DIY Tea Towels with Image Transfers

Learn how to make beautiful DIY tea towels using a simple image transfer technique. These dish towels make the perfect hostess gift or housewarming present, and you can customize the design with any graphics.

Prep Time 30 mins

Active Time 1 hr

Additional Time 30 mins

Total Time 2 hrs

Project Type Arts & Crafts

Inkjet printer
Iron
Ironing board or padded ironing surface

Before beginning, wash and iron the tea towels to make sure the image transfers will adhere smoothly.
Use editing software like Word, Photoshop, PowerPoint, or Canva to size your graphics to match the size of your towels.
Reverse your image (if necessary) by flipping it horizontally in the software. (You will be placing the image face-down on the towels for the transfer.) You especially don't want to skip this step if there are words on your design.
Print your design on the blank side of the transfer sheet with the highest quality or "photo" settings. Let the ink on the transfer sheet dry 30 minutes before ironing.
Trim around the edges of your graphic, using a craft knife for finer details, if needed.
Preheat the iron on the highest setting (cotton/linen) without water or steam. Then, place the image face-down on the tea towel. Begin ironing slowly in a circular motion for about 1 to 1.5 minutes. (Note: Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for the image transfer sheets, if it varies.)
After the image transfer has completely cooled (about 1-2 minutes), gently peel back the transfer backing paper. If the image sticks, try ironing again for 15-30 seconds in the trouble spots. Then, let the towel cool and try to peel again.
For a finishing touch, you can sew a ribbon or trim along the edge of the towel.

Wait 24 hours before washing the towels. Use cold water and mild detergent when laundering. Lay flat to dry or tumble dry low.

If you own a heat press, you can also apply the transfer sheets at 350°-375°F for 20-25 seconds. Remove the paper backing after the towels have cooled completely.

If your design covers a full transfer sheet, you may need to extend ironing times to 1.5-2 minutes.

Let us know how it was!

If you try making these towels, be sure to share your photos and tag @firstdayofhome on Instagram!