15 Minute Fall Decor from Repurposed Dish Towels


Hi there, Friends!  When my brother and his family visited San Antonio for a mini vacation a few weeks ago, I met them at the resort and spent the night to celebrate his birthday. Unfortunately their vacation was cut short due to Hurricane Harvey, but we were able to have a nice dinner and visit the following morning. On my way back home, I stopped at a few stores that aren't available in my rural town, including Ross. It was there I found these adorable dish towels. I'm so glad I picked up these two sets, because they were perfect for starting some crafty fall projects during all of the wet weather. For today's 15 Minute Fix, I'm sharing two different ways you can repurpose dish towels as fall decor. 


15 minute fall decor from repurposed dish towels


Can we talk about how cute these dish towels are? I knew as soon as I saw the one with the squirrel that it would make an adorable pillow. 


15 minute repurposed dish towel pillow


Once I got it home and realized how well the dish towel matched my existing pillow, I came up with a slightly different idea. You know I love me some pillows but storing a few for every season can become an issue if I'm not careful. Since the dish towels were on the small side, I decided to create a cover that would slip over the pillow I already have. 


15 minute fall decor from repurposed dish towels


Here's how: If you already have a pillow you would like to use, experiment by laying the dish towel over the pillow to see if the type of cover I described works with your dish towel. If your towels are also on the small side--16" x 25" or smaller--start by using a seam ripper to remove the hem at the top and bottom of the dish towel. This will add a little extra seam allowance and for my pillow, I needed it for the entire squirrel design to be visible. Then press the fabric thoroughly where the original hem was. {Skip these steps if your dish towels are larger.}


15 minute fall decor from repurposed dish towels


Next, stitch the top and bottom of the towel, right sides together to create a seam. This will create an open ended cover that slips over your pillow. I ended up stitching a second wider seam so it would fit snugly. 


15 minute fall decor from repurposed dish towels



If you read my post from Friday, then you already saw how I used the pumpkin filled pick-up truck towel. This hoop art was crafted much like my vintage hankie hoops but was actually a little simpler. Simply place your dish towel over the inner hoop and pull taut as you replace and tighten the outer hoop.


15 minute fall decor repurposed from dish towels


Because the towel was thicker than the hankie, it fit snugly inside the hoop and didn't need the adhesive squares used with the hankie hoops. Last, cut the fabric close to the hoop. Remember to save your scraps for your craft stash! 


15 minute fall decor from repurposed dish towels
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Isn't it fun? 


15 minute fall decor from repurposed dish towels



My Thrift Store Addiction


15 minute fall decor from repurposed dish towels



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MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING FOR FEATURING THIS POST: 








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  1. What a great idea! I've been making pillows out of "tapestry" looking placemats but THIS is a heckuva lot simpler; i'm all for the space saving.

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  2. Those are cute, Cecilia. Amazing how well the squirrel one matches your pillow! I thought at first you'd sewn an entire pillow from it. Love the truck in the hoop too! Funny, I picked up two towels to turn into decor too. I was going to make pillows. Maybe I'll use your idea. So much easier to store!

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  3. They are both super cute! I definitely would have bought them, too:) Love your "slipcover" idea, I'm sure I'll be trying it one of these days (Lord knows I buy enough dish towels!) I also picked up like 5 different size hoops at Goodwill a long time ago and STILL have not put anything in them.Perhaps now it's time. Love yours!
    xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home

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  4. Awe...total cuteness here! Love the pillow. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  6. So cute!! I love to change out my pillows but like you don't have a lot of room to store them so pillow covers work the best! Oh and that cute truck is just the best!

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  7. I love the colors of the towels and the clever way you used them.

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  8. Great ideas, Cecilia! I love the towel in the hoop. You have inspired me...

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  9. Really cute towels Cecilia ... love how you used them to decorate for Fall.
    Hugs,
    Audrey Z.

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  10. I love those towels and you made them cuter by repurposing them the way you did!

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  11. The towels and your projects are so adorable! What a great way to think outside the box! Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!

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  12. Kim mentioned this post in her blog so I came over to check it out. Great ideas, Cecilia. I have a pile of vintage towels inherited from my grandmother, I should put them to such good use.
    Amalia
    xo

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