Happy Monday, y’all! I’m starting off the week with a cute little project I’m planning to use as a Mother’s Day gift. This project is the second of 10 you will find in the Mother’s Day Handmade {love} Series. Yesterday, my sweet friend, Kelly from live. laugh. rowe, shared her adorable Vintage Inspired Painted Mason Jars. Run over and check those out and then come on back. I’ll wait. 
This DIY Ruffled Kitchen Towel was really fun to make and I’m loving the finished look!
Materials I used:
- White tea towel {mine came 5 to a pack for $5 at Walmart}
- Silhouette machine
- Freezer Paper {you can find it at the grocery store}
- Fabric Paint {I used Martha Stewart’s Satin Craft Paint in Habañero}
- Paintbrush
- 3 different fabrics cut into 3 inch strips {you’ll want to use the entire width of the bolt}
- 7/8 inch ribbon
- coordinating thread
- scissors
- sewing machine
1. Using your chosen design from the Silhouette software, enlarge it to your desired size. I used a flourish design and enlarged it to cover a 7 inch by 4 inch area. I put a piece of freezer paper, large enough to cover, on my cutting mat and fed it in to my Silhouette machine and then hit “Cut.”
2. After the design was cut on the freezer paper, I took the outside of the design and placed it exactly where I wanted it to go on my towel. I had folded my towel in to thirds and put the design on the middle section. To secure it in to place, I ironed the freezer paper on to the towel, with the shiny side down. I made sure to iron REALLY well around the edges to keep the paint from bleeding.
3. Using your paintbrush, or any tool you would like to use to apply your craft paint, you can paint the fabric without worrying about staying in the lines. It will probably take more than one coat to get it all covered.
4. Once your paint has dried completely, you can begin to peel off your freezer paper. I usually give it at least 30 minutes to dry. Who knew how awesome that freezer paper could be!
5. With each of your three strips of fabric, you will turn the edges in 1/4 inch and iron and then turn it 1/4 inch again and iron. You will do this to both the top and bottom side of the strips.
6. Sew a top stitch on each side of your strip. This will keep your ends from fraying.
7. Once you have sewn your top and bottom edges down, you will sew a gathering stitch on to one side, which will be your top side of the strip. Using your stitch, pull one piece of the thread and gather your fabric together. The goal is to make your strip gather enough so that it’s the length of your towel edge. Repeat this for all three strips of fabric.
8. Once you have your fabric gathered to the correct length, you will pin it along the edge of your towel. This will keep your strip in place as you’re sewing it in to place.
9. Sew the ruffle in to place and pull the pins as you’re sewing.
10. Moving up 1 1/2 inch from the top of your bottom strip, you will pin your next strip and sew in to place. Pin and sew your last strip 1 1/2 inch above the middle strip.
11. To hide the top edge of your top strip of fabric, pin and sew the ribbon down on top of the top edge of your fabric strip. You’ll want to sew the top and bottom edge of the ribbon, as well.
12. Fold your towel in to thirds, with your painted design in the middle section and then fold the towel over your oven door handle.
13. Step back and admire your beautiful work and then tell yourself how awesome you are for making such a cute addition to your kitchen.
That pretty new thing hanging on your oven door handle will totally hide the little finger prints that cover the oven door, too!! I call that a win!!
If you like this project, I’d just love it if you wanted to pin it, too!
Be sure to swing by The Remodeled Life tomorrow to catch Megan’s handmade Mother’s Day project. You won’t be disappointed!
