HGTV Upcycles Vintage Tea Towels In This Gorgeous Home Decor DIY
If you're looking for a new way to add a colorful touch of decor to your kitchen, you can find inspiration in the collection of vintage tea towels you inherited from your grandmother. HGTV has provided a simple way to turn one of these nostalgic items into a perfect accent piece for your home. Setting a tea towel in a frame is a unique way to create a truly special piece of art. Once you've framed the piece, you could hang it on the wall or rest it against a set of cookbooks on the kitchen counter. The familiarity and simple design will add a touch of vintage decor while making any space feel cozy and elegant.
Displaying a vintage tea towel from your own family is a special way to enjoy fond memories of loved ones, or you can use this project as the perfect excuse to visit an antique store to supplement your collection. Marnie Fogg, author of "The Art of the Tea Towel," shared in an interview with Arkansas Democrat-Gazette why the elaborate stitching and artistic creativity of a tea towel can make such a difference in a home. "I would emphasize the importance of making small things matter," she said. "If you are going to do something, anything, whether you're making a meal or setting a table, do it beautifully. Make the details in your life matter." Framing your tea towels can help you highlight these small details of your home's design.
Turning a tea towel into a piece of art
When framing your tea towel, begin by gently washing the linen, then press it with a cool iron if it's not too delicate. Keep in mind that it doesn't need to look pristine because some signs of aging will contribute to its charm. The next step is to choose what size frame you need. HGTV demonstrates how to create a display with a frame that is slightly larger than the whole linen or just a piece of the tea towel that's been cut off. Remove the backing from the frame, then select a mat or piece of cardstock in a complementary color that is slightly larger than the tea towel, so that it can serve as a border. Use either a glue stick or double-sided foam tape to attach the linen to the mat, then center the item inside the frame. Once you replace the backing and close the frame, your towel has been made into a beautiful piece of art.
Another method of displaying your tea towel is to choose a frame that is slightly smaller than the fabric. Simply fold the towel over the backing and then set it back inside the frame. This technique may work best for a large tea towel with a prominent design that doesn't need a border. You can choose to display one large tea towel as a point of interest or gather several small ones together to create a vignette.