by Patricia Pearson & Ashley Stelck, Hansell & Halkett Vintage Home Decor – 

The holidays can be very busy, and finding time to craft and create with the family is not always easy. But this quick craft makes something so lovely it’s the perfect gift idea for even the hardest person on your list. I mean, who wouldn’t love a tea towel adorned with a sweet pattern designed by little hands and minds! This craft only took us about 30 minutes, with a quick five-minute clean up.

• Tools & Supplies
  A colour selection of chalk paint – we used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
• White or cream cotton tea towels, pressed smooth
• A mix of veggies and fruits cut in half or quarters to make “stamps’’
• Small paint brushes
• Brown kraft paper to cover your table (optional)
• An iron to heat seal the paint
• A warm rag to wipe away any stray paint drips

Step 1 Cover your work surface with paper to protect and for easy clean up. Annie Sloan chalk paint cleans up very easily off any hard surface if wiped before fully cured! Lay out your tea towels. Give lots of room to avoid the towels overlapping with wet paint.

Step 2 Get stamping by choosing any fruit or veggie shape. We used zucchini, celery, lemons, apples, peppers and pears to create a mix of shapes and sizes. Stamps need to be a very flat surface to give an even stamp. Paint your stamp with a generous amount and gently press down; carefully lift up and repeat or grab another shape!

Step 3 Stamp as much of the tea towel as you would like. Create a pattern as you go, mixing colours and shapes.

Step 4 Once pattern is complete, lay flat to fully dry. Once fully dry, heat iron to low-medium (no steam) and press tea towels; this will heat set your paint and make it permanent. We did this the next day to insure the paint was fully dry.

Step 5 If giving as a gift, neatly fold and tie with a beautiful ribbon or twine. And your handmade gift is ready to go!

Happy Holidays!

Photos by Janis Jean Photography