When you work with teenage girls as long as I have, you get a whole lot of graduation and wedding announcements in the mail. The timing worked out just right so that in moving back here, we were able to attend the wedding of one of my really special girls, Breanne.
I always find wedding gifts a bit of a challenge. I often want to make something, but I run the risk of getting their taste wrong or cluttering up their newlywed apartment. I want to stick to the registry but it’s just so unimaginative. I want to get something practical but it’s just so boring. When I got married, there were so many things I got that I just went, “What did they expect me to do with this?” and so many other things I returned thinking I’d never use them, only to go back out and buy them myself once I learned more about cooking or housekeeping or entertaining.
So this has become my solution: something practical, with a touch of homemade. Kitchen towels with a monogram.
And since I have so many weddings and graduations to deal with, embroidery is not an option. If you’ve ever done a freezer paper stencil, this project is self-explanatory. But if not, here’s how I did it:
I designed the image I wanted to print on my towels, and then printed it out the paper side of a piece of freezer paper cut to fit through my printer.
Using an exacto knife, I cut the letters out, making sure to save all those little interior pieces of the O’s and E’s. Iron them onto a blank floursack handtowel, centered and about five inches up from the bottom. Those little interior pieces can be a little bit tricky to stick in place, but you don’t need a ton of heat. Even the very tippy tip of the iron will do it.
Paint with a fabric or acrylic paint and let dry.
To add a second color, make a second stencil. Iron as before with the shiny side down so that the melted wax will stick to the fabric.
Paint again, and allow to dry. Then peel off the stencil. Follow the paint manufacturers recommendations for heat setting the image, but it’s typically ironing the painted section with a dry iron.
I made a stack of seven of these and just tied them up with a big bow. I think it’s got that sentimental factor that new brides love, with the practicality that she’ll thank me for later.
Ooh, I've just recently found out about freezer paper stencils! Love the personalized towels. I think something like that is perfect because it's practical and pretty. Here's my very first freezer paper stencil proj! http://beautyandinspirationblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/birthday-tee.htmlNot so great, although my husband loved it, but after reading your post I'm eager to make more stenciled stuff 🙂 Don't know why I didn't think of just printing it directly onto the freezer paper. duh. happy weekend!…
I learnt about using wax paper as patern pieces at a felt workshop, it was a lightbulb moment. Don't cut out the pieces of the toy until after you sew around it… WOW.Love these towels, be fun to do this for my home but with days of the weeks instead.Oooh verification code aproneen…I think it's dropping a hint.. stencil an arpon!