Handmade Holiday Blog Hop | Spoonflower Blog

Celebrate the holiday season by transforming a family recipe into the perfect gift using Emma Jeffery’s tried and true Handwritten Recipe Tea Towel Tutorial. Spoonflower crew member Maria shares how she put a German twist on this project using her father’s Stollen recipe in the next installment of our Handmade Holiday Blog Hop!

Stollen recipe tea towel | Spoonflower Blog

Maria: Every holiday season I look forward to time spent with my family. While my home in Berlin is only a couple hours north of Dresden, where my parents live, heading home for Christmas is always the most special trip. The excitement that was once filled with gifts and surprises has now been replaced with simple traditions I look forward to year round. My favorite being a slice of my dad’s Stollen, a recipe he only makes once a year. Stollen is a traditional German bread containing dried fruit topped with sugar or icing meant to resemble Jesus as a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths. And while I might be a bit bias, my dad makes the best Stollen! This is my first Christmas working at Spoonflower and after seeing the original recipe tea towel I knew I had to make one for my dad for Christmas. Follow along to learn how to whip one up for your friends and family this holiday season! 

DIY recipe tea towel | Spoonflower Blog

Once you’ve decided on the perfect family recipe, or three, it’s time to start creating your digital version for uploading to Spoonflower. I choose to sketch out a string of Christmas lights to use as a border but you could include a family photo, a colorful frame or keep it minimal with a simple scan of the original printed recipe just like it looks on paper. If you need a little help formatting your file, take a peek at the original Recipe Tea Towel Post for a full how-to!

When your file is complete and uploaded to Spoonflower, simply order what you need to make your tea towels. Perhaps one for your dad to celebrate your favorite recipe he makes each season or a few for the whole family! Linen Cotton Canvas is my favorite fabric for tea towels due to its beautiful print quality and how it softens after washing. It’s durable for many uses and has a lovely texture.

Recipe tea towels being cut down | Spoonflower Blog

Once your fabric arrives you’re ready to start sewing!

You have a couple options for finishing the edges. Serging the edges makes for a super fast and clean way to whip up a whole slew of these for everyone, or you can opt for a folded edge or mitered corners. I decided to go with a simple turned edge on all four sides.

For this you’ll need:

  • Your printed recipe on Linen Cotton Canvas (a fat quarter is perfect for just one, or you can get four per yard!)
  • Scissors or rotary blade
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Matching thread
  • Iron and ironing board

Step 1: Trim off your excess edges, fold over twice and press.

Cutting edges of tea towel | Spoonflower Blog

Then pin along the edge to keep your folded edge in place while sewing. I started with the two long edges and finished the short edges last.

pinning tea towel edges | Spoonflower Blog

Straight stitch along the edge of your folded hem using a matching thread.

Sewn tea towel edge | Spoonflower Blog

Once you’ve completed all four sides you’re done! Super simple and fast gifts for the whole family.

Finished recipe tea towel with Stollen recipe | Spoonflower Blog

Finished DIY Stollen tea towel | Spoonflower Blog

DIY recipe tea towel | Spoonflower Blog

What recipe is most special to your family that you would like to turn in to a keepsake tea towel? Please share in the comments below or on social by using #spoonflower!