How to Sew Fabric Onto a Dish Towel

Decorate dish towels with fabric strips.

You can sew fabric on a dish towel to make a nice hostess or housewarming gift or to jazz up your kitchen decor. Add decorative strips, borders or fabric appliques to complement the kitchen theme or colors. Use fabric scraps to create your own shapes or cut out printed fabric motifs for embellishments. Make several towels with seasonal or holiday themes for a fresh look throughout the year. Be sure to prewash and dry all towels and fabrics prior to sewing to avoid uneven shrinkage later.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Measuring tape or ruler
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Fusible web (optional)
• Iron
• Ironing board

Instructions

Decorative Strips

1. Iron the fabric to remove wrinkles.

2. Measure the towel width and note the measurement.

3. Cut a strip of fabric 1 inch longer than the towel width and 1 inch wider than the desired finished width of the decorative strip. Fold over 1/2 inch on each side and each end of the strip to the backside of the fabric and iron.

4. Lay the towel face up on a flat surface. Lay the fabric strip on the towel in the desired location. Pin along both edges of the decorative strip to hold it securely in place.

5. Sew close to the folded edges of the decorative strip on both sides and both ends to attach the strip to the towel.

Fabric Appliques

1. Iron the fabric to remove wrinkles. Iron fusible web to the backside of the fabric, following the manufacturer's directions.

2. Draw and cut out simple shapes or cut out fabric motifs for applique. Peel the paper backing from the applique shapes.

3. Lay the towel face up on the ironing board. Position the appliques face up on the towel. Place a press cloth over the appliques to protect your iron.

4. Press the appliques with an iron, following the fusible web manufacturer's directions.

5. Sew around the appliques close to the raw edge to attach them permanently to the towel.

Tips & Warnings

• Sew strips together before attaching them to the towel if using more than one fabric.

• Add washable ribbon or lace to your towels for additional embellishment.

• Zigzag over the edges of your appliques if your machine has a zigzag stitch.

References

• Sewing Web: Dish Towels

Resources

• Better Homes and Gardens: Monogram Dish Towel
• Martha Stewart: Tea-Towel Napkins