23 ways to use a beautiful tea towel

Theyre versatile. Theyre inexpensive. And theyre often handmade, by local artisans to boot. The tea towel is more than a dish rag or an eco-friendly substitute for disposable Bounty or Viva these days. Its a bit of graphic art, available in a plethora of patterns and illustrated amusements. We scoured stores and websites for a range of the designs, then asked designers for these 23 ways to use a tea towel.

1. Line a bread basket.

2. Cushion the bottom of the fruit bowl.

3. Wrap up a handmade design as a hostess gift.

4. They also make cute reusable gift wrapping, using them like we do in Japan as a furoshiki, or wrapping cloth, Lookout & Wonderland designer Niki Livingston said.

5. Use stiffer materials such as linen in place of vinyl shelf liner. When the shelves get dusty, just toss the towels into the laundry.

6. Especially during the holidays I love packing up fresh citrus in a tea towel and tying it off with yarn and bakers twine, Culver City, Calif., textile artist Heather Taylor said. This makes for a great hostess gift.

7. A variation on that theme: Use a tea towel to wrap scented handmade soap and leave it out for house guests, suggested Kara Smith, president of SFA Design in L.A.

8. Use large ones as place mats.

9. I love using tea towels as napkins or bibs for those get-your-fingers-dirty meals like crabs and ribs, Studio City, Calif., textile designer Paula Smail said. They look great on the table, and if they are illustrated, they become conversation starters.

Continued here:
23 ways to use a beautiful tea towel