My favorite type of DIY gifts are ones you can use. These DIY hand towels are just that.

Veggies and fruit on the right side of the photo with paint on them. On the left side a towel with painted peppers.

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I love making gifts for people. And I also love to receive DIY gifts. There’s just something special about someone taking their time to make something for you.

I find it difficult sometimes to DIY gifts for people. There’s only so many handprint and footprint crafts that you can do.

Don’t get me wrong, I love those. These mistletoes are still one of my favorite things I’ve made and I know both sets of grandparents absolutely love them and display them every year.

But when possible, I like to gift DIY projects that can actually be used. That way it’s not just taking up space, but actually adding to daily life.

Green artichoke stamps along the bottom of a towel

I’ve made personalized bookmarks, fake candles, and plenty of Christmas ornaments. Each one unique and special and I know the gifts were really appreciated.

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How To Make DIY Hand Towels

Something special about these DIY hand towels is that they can be a part of the gift and also used as wrapping. They would make a great addition to any gift!

What You Need:

Here’s what you’ll need from the store.

Tools Needed:

Knife
Paint Brushes

Supplies Needed:

Veggies and Fruit
Fabric Paint
Flour Sack Towels

Multi colored paint on a paper plate with sponge brushes sitting in the paint. A hand painting artichoke pink and and fruit stamps on a towel

DIY Hand Towel Tips

Why Should I Pre-Wash?

Anything 100% cotton will shrink the first time it’s washed. If the paint is applied first and then washed, the towel might shrink and the design could shrink or stretch or just become dis-formed. It’s best to wash and dry the towels before painting.

What produce should I use?

I basically went through the produce section and picked the most interesting looking fruits and vegetables. Because this works best with produce that has a unique shape.

Limes didn’t work if cut in round slices, but looked super cute cut in quarters. I got limes, bell peppers, mini bell peppers, avocado, celery, carrots, and also artichoke.

Artichoke, avocado, and limes sitting on a plate. Celery and bell pepper sitting near by.

My favorite were the artichoke, bell peppers, and limes. The celery looks almost like a rose. The avocados didn’t work great, and the bell peppers only work if you get super unique ones.

Painted fruit sitting on a plate. Avocados, celery, limes, and peppers

My produce is really wet, what should I do?

Adding the paint can be difficult as the produce is wet. I tried to pat the produce down with a towel, although it didn’t really work.

So instead I just added a lot of paint to the brush and kind of globbed it on the produce and then gently wiped off the excess. Once the produce has enough paint, just press the produce on the towel paint side down and then lift straight up. Additionally, more paint needs to be added between every ‘stamp’.

A hand painting a artichoke pink with a sponge brush

Do I need to Do a Pattern?

While I think it looks best when there is a little bit of a pattern, there doesn’t have to be a pattern. Most towels I chose to do the bottom 1/3 of the towel rather than the whole towel.

But it’s fun to play around with the colors and make unique towels. For the mini bell peppers, we painted orange and red so it looked multi colored.

Can I Do This Project With Kids?

This is a great project to do with kids. My 4 year old had a ball making these! She kept asking to make another and another.

Multi colored paints sitting on a paper plate with a sponge brush in the middle and cut produce off to the side

Use as Gift Wrap

Use this DIY hand towel as gift wrap around a small book or kitchen utensils!

Yield: 8

DIY Hand Towels

These DIY hand towels are the perfect gift by themselves or as wrapping to a gift.

Prep Time 2 hours

Active Time 40 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $20

Materials

Veggies and Fruit
Fabric Paint
Flour Sack Towel

Tools

Knife
Paint Brushes

Instructions

Prewash your towels before painting.
Slice all your fruits and veggies so that you have a flat surface for the paint.
Glob the paint on the produce and then gently wipe off the excess.
Press the produce onto your towel.
Add more paint each time before stamping the produce.
Once decorated, lay aside or hang up to dry.

Notes

Unique looking fruits and vegetables work best.

Decide if you want a pattern before you start.

Let paint cure according to paint directions before using towels or washing.

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