In the midst of one of those many hours spent surfing around Pinterest, I stumbled on someone selling "un-paper towels" on etsy. A very cute notion indeed.
I liked the idea of us using a lot less paper towels (haven't 100% eliminated them yet) and I have a bunch of cute novelty fabrics that I never can figure out how to use.
So the towels (napkins, cloths, whatever you want to call them) are terry cloth on one side and quilter's cotton on the other. They are simply serged around the edges. This is what I saw several people doing on etsy. Many of theirs have plastic snaps so you can actually roll them up on a paper towel dispenser, but that seem an unnecessary step I didn't want to add.
I pre-washed all the fabric and really the trickiest part was figuring out how to turn outside corners with a serger. But, let's face it, they didn't need to be perfect. I did dab a little fray check on the thread ends to stop unraveling. I made a whole bunch more than I show here, but I'll probably make more because lots are always in the wash.
I started using mostly fruit and veggie prints because that seemed appropriate in the kitchen but I think anything that makes you smile is perfect. It's a bit like my vintage drinking glasses...just a mini pick-me-up every time I use them.
It is a little weird to get over the potential for staining them (TOTALLY happens and that's the point) and use them like a regular paper towel. But the kids are getting used to them and even have specific prints that they want at each meal.
Made anything quick and fun lately?
JT
