Hand Painted Linen Kitchen Towels & Napkins – Easy DIY Project

In my kitchen, each season I change out accents to make the otherwise neutral room feel more like that particular time of year.  Little touches like adding fresh colored kitchen towels and a stack of linen napkins can make a big difference in making the entire room feel like Spring, for example.  To be able to keep up with my seasonally evolving kitchen, I have made a variety of custom kitchen linens that boast my favorite color combinations and hand-stitched monograms.   Best of all, this project can be done by the most un-gifted artist.

UPDATE : I’ve started stocking my own collection of linens in my Everyday Occasions store – some inspired by these hand-painted towels.  My collection for this season has a selection of warm, muted tones for fall.  Some even come with coordinating cocktail napkins and dinner napkins – perfect for making your kitchen and family dinners cozy and warm this season.  Visit the store here.

The Entire Linen Collection (in order of photo) :

Cream & Grey : Tea Towels & Napkins

Warm Grey Plaid : Tea Towels

Classic Cafe White & Black :  Tea Towels

Orange & White : Tea Towels

Natural Multi Striped : Tea Towels & Cocktail Napkins

hand painted linen kitchen towels & napkins     fabric paint     brushes     painter’s tape     water     drop cloth or craft paper     linen fabric     sewing machine     thread     pair of scissors    Directions : Begin by cutting the linen into the size of the item you’d like to make.  For a napkin, a 20-inch square is a standard size, and 24 by 30-inches works great for kitchen towels.  Allow 1-inch extra around the perimeter for the seam.  Place a piece of craft paper on your surface before beginning.  Place the linen down and use painter’s tape to create stripes.  For a ‘plaid’ effect you’ll need to do the perpendicular stripes in separate phases.

To make the paint, mix the color you’d like to use, then dilute it with 2 parts water.  Dip your paint brush in the paint, then dab off until almost all of the liquid is off of the brush, leaving only a small amount coating the bristles.  This is called a dry brush method.  Lightly begin to brush the liquid on with even strokes.  Continue until all of the stripes are a homogeneous color and intensity. Remove the tape and repeat to complete your selected pattern. 

Let the paint dry for several hours.  Hem the edges of the linens with a 1/2 seam.  Wash in cool water and press. I put an “H” monogram on our napkins with embroidery floss using a simple running stitch.  

Here’s the in-one-image snapshot for pinterest!

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