19 Quick and Easy DIY Flour Sack Tea Towel Craft Ideas

Blank flour sack towels are one of the most versatile craft materials to get any project started. Look at these clever do-it-yourself craft ideas that turn ordinary into extraordinary.

Apron

Aprons are easy to create with a large flour sack. There are a variety of styles of aprons you could choose from. Select your favorite pattern and fashion it with ribbon. You could even add more pizzazz with dyes, stamps, and other embellishments. Aprons make great housewarming gifts and for those who love to cook, you can never have too many!

Ombre Dyed Hand Towels

Ombré projects have been very trendy lately. Ombré means “to shade” in French and is known for having the characteristic dipped dye effect that fades a color from light to dark. Want to add a splash of color to your kitchen towels or bathroom hand towels? This super simple project is accomplished with one packet of dye, salt, dish soap, and hot water. After dipping a third of the towel in the solution, you leave it to dry for 10 minutes before dipping it again. Each dip, more of the towel is submerged in the dye mixture--allowing more dye to set into the parts already exposed. The effect is quite spectacular!

Pillows

Pillows are another great project that can add a personal touch to your home decor. In less than thirty minutes you can fashion this simple sewing project and create sofa or bedding pillows in a snap! Just fold the towel in half, sew two of the sides to make a pocket, and stuff it. Be sure to turn the printed side out before filling so that unique flour sack design will show. Sew up the open side once stuffed and you’ll have a comfortable handcrafted pillow in no time.

Cloth Diapers

Flour sacks are soft on the skin and super absorbent. They can make great cloth diapers that are eco-friendly and fun to use. Cloth diapers are so easy to fold--with several tutorials and folding techniques to choose from. Select an adorable safety pin to fasten it all together and you’ll never want to use those store-bought printed diapers again!

Embroidered Wall Art

For wall art with a vintage touch, you can turn a flour sack into a beautifully embroidered canvas. Select a favorite picture or text to use for your design. Paint or iron-on print the image onto the flour sack. Use a sewing machine to embroider your design and the imagery will soon pop right off the fabric. Wrap the towel around a wood frame using staples to fasten and you’ll have a neat wall canvas ready to hang.

Curtains

For the sewing novice, you can easily create your own flour sack curtains with minimal effort. With the added advantage of hemmed seams, all you need to do to make some adorable cafe curtains is sew a 2-inch pocket hem on one side to feed the curtain rod through. You could even use no-sew hemming tape and iron the seam with no need to sew at all. Add some embellishments like ribbon, embroidery, or dyes to add even more personal touch.

Flour Sack Children’s Skirt

Flour sacks towels are the perfect amount of fabric for creating adorable skirts for kids. Want to try a fun project with your child? This project is even great for the young ones to get involved. Try some fabric dyes to make neat color splashes. Once the fabric is dyed, fold a long edge over about 1 inch and sew it to make a pocket. Next, sew the two shorter edges together and use ribbon to fasten the skirt with a drawstring. These skirts are great for spring and summer!

Reusable Grocery Bag

Everyone is getting into the eco-friendly trend and with so many stores offering reusable shopping bags, you might want to consider making your own for a more personal touch. Making grocery bags from bulk flour sack kitchen towels is super simple! Start by adding dyes, paint, or other embellishments before sewing. When ready, turn the printed side inwards and sew the sides shut--leaving one short end open. Turn it out and sew some ribbon for handles. Voila!

Checker Board Game

Flour sacks can even be used to create homemade games to use at home and backyard parties. Another fun project for young kids is to create a checkerboard pattern on the flour sacks surface. Not only will you be getting some hands-on fun, you’ll also be practicing math skills as you plot out the number of squares needed. Try making your own potato stamp for a fun painting tool, and gather some small smooth rocks and paint them for your game pieces.

Screen Printed Wall Art

Screen printing is fun and easy to do at home. Nearly any design can be transferred onto the absorbent flour sack surface. There are a few different methods that can be applied--screen filler method, drawing fluid method, and photo emulsion--all of them are great options. When finished and dried, stretch and staple on a wooden frame for a ready to hang wall canvas.

Wrapping Fabric

Embellish the flour sack with dyes, paints, and patterns and use it to wrap gifts. This fun wrapping technique is friendly to the environment and the gift recipient can re-purpose the wrapping in a variety of ways too! Fasten the wrap with a nifty knot, ribbon, or pins for an added touch.

Beach Tote Bags

Totes are always handy and creating your own allows you to customize to your personal taste. Add a design, embroider, paint, or dye. When ready to sew, flip the printed side inwards, sew to make a pocket, turn-out and add some handles. Totes make great gifts, and could even serve as a custom gift bag.

Favorite Recipe Tea Towels

Flour sack tea towels or napkins can be made for nearly any occasion. Fun for outdoor BBQ’s and parties, or for simple afternoon lunches. Tea towels are elegant and customizing them to match your home decor or themed event is even more fun. Try a variety of techniques to embellish your tea towel from--cut vegetables dipped in paint for unique prints, stamps, or dyes.

Screen Printed Flour Sack Towels

Decorative flour sack dish towels make great hand towels because they are so soft and absorbent. Use any screen printing technique--screen filler method, drawing fluid method, or photo emulsion to create a customized look that compliments your home’s decor. You and your guests will appreciate the softness of these hand towels.

Potpourri and Herbal Sachets

Cut and sew little drawstring sachets and fill with potpourri for an easy DIY home project or gift. Try adding rose and lavender to sachets used in your sock drawer or place a citrus peel blend in your kitchen towel drawers or pantry. Other herbs like spearmint, lemon verbena, and thyme also make great scents for the kitchen and bathroom. Add some drops of your favorite essential oils too for even more powerful fragrance.

Lamp Shade

Starting with a plain lampshade or re-purposing one you already have, you can upgrade the look using the flour sack towel. Glue the flour sack right onto the shade or embellish with dyes beforehand. Another great technique is to cut the sack into strips and use a hot glue gun to layer the strips in starting from the bottom and working your way up to create a ruffled look.

Milk Crate Ottoman

Re-purpose two things with a recycled project that takes a milk crate and turns it into a functional piece of furniture. Cut a piece of ply board that fits flush on the inner lip of the crate. Then cut a foam cushion to sit on top of the board. Take your flour sack and wrap the cushion, using staples to fasten the fabric on the underside. This ottoman is not only comfortable, it also doubles as a storage bin.

Flour Sack Towel Dress

In the 1930’s using flour sacks became popular for making clothes at home as the Great Depression took its toll on many households. With cotton shortages occurring, it was more important than ever to repurpose those sacks. This vintage look is making a comeback now, and this do-it-yourself project is perfect for creating a fashionable summer dress. Flour sacks are light, breathable, and soft--so you’ll love the way it feels.

Re-Upholstery

Tired of your outdated upholstery on those dining chairs? Use flour sacks to re-upholster them. Print, dye, and embellish the fabric before attaching. Depending on your chair, remove the seat and wrap the previous upholstery and fasten the underside with staples, then reattach to the chair. This simple makeover can really upgrade or update your look.

Flour sacks are easy and affordable to obtain. Whether you find a fun vintage printed sack at your local thrift store or purchase a package of plain ones from Mary’s Kitchen Flour Sack Towels -- there are a variety of crafty projects that you can create for gifts, home decor, or personal use.