Looking for a lovely last-minute gift to make, or a way to perk up your kitchen for the new year? This free printable folk-inspired 2018 tea towel calendar is the perfect project for you! You just need a few simple supplies to create a gorgeous Scandinavian folk art-inspired tea towel calendar, and you get to choose from THREE different colorways so you can get just the look you want for your kitchen. And don’t forget to download the coordinating printable card to give along with the calendar.

• This is a long post, so if desired, jump to the Calendar Download here.

Download the coordinating printable card!

About the Collaboration:

In 2010, I teamed up with talented designer Cathe Holden of Inspired Barn to create a printable tea towel calendar. She designed the printables, and I made the calendar and wrote the instructions, and then we provided the free printables to you! This year, we have a new design available — our all-new 2018 printable tea towel calendar, as well a sweet card, that you can download (click the image above), print, and make for a special handmade touch.

Now, on to the project!

Supplies for the 2018 Printable Tea Towel Calendar:

This project is simple, but you definitely need a few supplies that will make it WAY easier. Don’t skimp on these supplies, as it will save you some headaches.

Supplies Needed:

• Free Printable: 2018 Tea Towel Calendar
• A flour sack towel
• 2 Iron-on transfer sheets (buy them in a pack)
• Freezer paper
• Parchment paper
• Inkjet printer
• Iron and Ironing board
• Large wooden cutting board
• Sewing machine & thread
• Scissors, pins

Notes about the Materials:

Dollar store materials: I got the flour sack towel and parchment paper at the dollar store. I have seen iron on transfers there before, but I have never used the ones they sell, and I don’t see them there consistently. If you are using the dark fabric iron-on transfers, DO NOT SKIP THE PARCHMENT PAPER!

Tea towels: I got flour sack towels from the dollar store, but I also wanted to try something less plain, so I picked up a pack of four colored and patterned flour sack towels from Target for about $5 total. (The grey polka-dot towel used in the photo above is from the pack from Target).

Iron-On transfer sheets: I just bought a pack at my local craft store that had both transparent sheets and the type you use for dark fabric, because I wanted to experiment with both kinds. Honestly, I would not recommend the kind I used (you can see the brand in the photo), as I had many craftfails while making this project! If you are using a patterned tea towel, use the dark fabric type of iron-ons, but if you are using a white tea towel, use the transparent kind.

Freezer paper: This paper is waxed on one side, and paper on the other side, which means you can iron it onto your fabric and then easily remove it later. The freezer paper is a DO NOT SKIP supply because it stabilizes the flour sack towels while you apply the iron-ons, which is essential because of the loose weave of the towels. You can find freezer paper in the food wrap section of your local grocery store, or online (affiliate link to Amazon for your convenience): buy freezer paper.

Freezer paper is cheaper if you buy it in a store, but one roll will last you forever, and you can use it for many cool craft techniques like making iron-ons for perfect fabric stencils, or for paper piecing in quilting.

Download the 2018 Printable Tea Towel Calendar:

Phew, that was long. Let’s dive into the project!

Step 1: Download the Calendar Top & Bottom

Choose your favorite color combination, and download the files you will need for your calendar. Click on the image to be taken to Google Drive to download the printable tea towel calendar files you want.

Note: If you are using transparent (light fabric) iron-ons, you will need the REVERSED bottom calendar image. If you are using opaque (dark fabric) iron-ons, you will need the normal, readable one!

Red & Blue 2018 Tea Towel Calendar Downloads:

Click on the image to be taken to Google Drive to download the files you want.

• Download Red & Blue Calendar Top
• Download Red & Blue Calendar Bottom (Regular)
• Download Red & Blue Calendar Bottom (Reversed)

Blue 2018 Tea Towel Calendar Downloads:

Click on the image to be taken to Google Drive to download the files you want.

• Download Blue Calendar Top
• Download Blue Calendar Bottom (Regular)
• Download Blue Calendar Bottom (Reversed)

Green 2018 Tea Towel Calendar Downloads:

Click on the image to be taken to Google Drive to download the files you want.

• Download Green Calendar Top
• Download Green Calendar Bottom (Regular)
• Download Green Calendar Bottom (Reversed)

Step 2: Print the Calendar Printables on Iron-on Transfer Paper

I don’t have a recommendation for a specific variety of iron on paper at this time (because I didn’t like the type I used). Do be aware: if you are using a dark or patterned tea towel, you will need to use the dark fabric type of iron-ons.

If you are using the transparent kind of iron-ons, you will need the REVERSE image file for the calendar.

How to Make the 2018 Printable Tea Towel Calendar

Step 3: Cut & Sew the Tea Towel

1. Iron your tea towel before you start.
2. Flour sack towels are usually large and square, so cut it in half.
3. Fold the cut end over and iron it flat. This is where you will hem it to make it match the other side! Pin the hem (don’t skip this step, because this floppy fabric is hard to sew if you don’t pin it).
   

Sew the side hem.

Step 4: Freezer Paper — The Secret Weapon

Iron a piece of of freezer paper to the back of the tea towel. Place the waxed side DOWN onto the fabric, and iron over the paper side. It will stick to the tea towel and stabilize it, making it WAY easier to successfully apply the iron on transfer to the other side. When you’re all done with the process, you can easily remove the freezer paper by peeling it away. (Do that at the end of the project!)

Step 5: On to the Calendar!

Your iron-on transfer paper will come with instructions for printing and application, so follow them. I will give some general guidelines for success here:

1. Use a hard, heat-proof surface to iron on, if you can. I pulled the built-in wooden cutting board from my kitchen counters.
2. If you are using opaque (dark fabric) iron-ons, use a piece of parchment paper to iron over the top of your iron-on. My iron-ons included a piece of parchment paper that was the same size as the iron-on sheet, and since it was impossible to keep the same-size parchment paper covering the transfer while I moved the iron, it ruined my transfer.
3. Iron the top and the bottom pieces very close together. Once you’ve ironed the first one, protect it with a piece of parchment paper while you iron the second one.

Remove the freezer paper from the back by simply peeling it off!

Pin this Project!

If you enjoyed this project, I would appreciate any shares you can spare! Thank you for reading, and please let me know if you have any feedback on this project, or tips you discovered while making it!

Don’t forget to download the matching free printable card!

The post Free Printable: 2018 Tea Towel Calendar appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Are you looking for the perfect printable card to top off that perfect gift? I have a fabulous FREE PRINTABLE card for you. Just in time for holiday gift wrapping, I have collaborated with Cathe Holden of Inspired Barn to give YOU a gift! Please print out these adorable folk art-inspired printable cards and use them for all your holiday occasions (and beyond). And don’t forget to download the coordinating printable for the 2018 Printable Tea Towel Calendar!

About this collaboration:

In 2010, talented graphic designer Cathe Holden and I teamed up to create a printable tea towel calendar. She designed the printables, and I made the calendar and wrote the instructions, and then we provided the free printables to you! This year, we have a new design available — our all-new 2018 printable tea towel calendar, as well as this sweet card, that you can download, print, and make yourself for a special handmade touch.

Download the Printable Card Templates:

Download the files below to print out your own cards. Each printable will make two cards (just cut the printed sheet in half, then fold the cards to make them complete). They will fit in an A2 envelope.

To download, just click on the image to be taken to the file on Google Drive, where you can download it.

Red and Blue Printable Card Template

Blue Printable Card Template

Green & Blue Printable Card Template

Card-Making Tips:

You really can just print this, cut it, fold it and go, but if you are looking to make your printed cards look nicer, I recommend a few products to get a top-of-the-line look. I used these products to make the cards you see in the photos in this post, and they are some of my favorite products that I can’t do without (disclosure: these are Amazon affiliate links):

1. HP Inkjet Brochure Paper

If you are using an inkjet printer, I hands-down recommend this HP brochure paper for gorgeous printing. It is smooth, heavy paper that can be printed on both sides, and it makes the ink shine. It’s great for paper projects like this one, or for printing anything that you want to make look extra pretty.

I should also disclose that I work with HP, and have received this product for free, but they did not ask me to promote it here. I just really love it and I highly recommend it.

2. Trimming and Scoring Board

If you make cards or paper crafts often, you should treat yourself to a Trimming and Scoring Board – it is a paper trimmer with a built-in board that has grooves in it so you can gently add a crease wherever you want to fold the paper. It also comes with a bone folder (which you use to make the score in the paper) that you can also use to make a clean, crisp fold.  The paper trimmer is so handy for creating perfectly measured and cut lines — no more wiggly scissor lines!

Thank you for joining me at Dollar Store Crafts! I truly value everyone who is part of my community, and I would love to hear your feedback about this project or the site.

The post Free Printable Card: Folk Art Gift Notecards appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I have a lot of random jewelry components in my Craft Hoarder’s Paradise (aka, my garage), so I’ve been dipping into that stash to create my latest wreaths. For today’s wreath, I used a color palette I’m very fond of (turquoise and red) to create a small fun and funky wreath that has a bit of a folk art/Scandinavian flavor: a Red & Turquoise Valentine Heart Wreath.

Wreath a Day #5: Turquoise & Red Valentine Heart Wreath

This post contains affiliate links.

I have a lot of jewelry supplies because I love making jewelry, but the sad truth is, I don’t make jewelry often enough to use up all the supplies I own. I could make a necklace every day for a year (maybe that will be next year’s project?), and still not use up all the supplies I have. Does anyone else have the same craft supply hoarding problem I have?

I got these jewelry components from the Fire Mountain Gems $1 Sale (Check out my haul video here).

Supplies Needed:

• Grapevine wreath*
• Wireless chenille stem ribbon
• Red ribbon*
• Turquoise Beads
• Metal Leaf Beads
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks*

I got the wireless chenille stem ribbon at Consumer Crafts, but you can use any white or silver ribbon you have on hand for this project. In fact, you can substitute any supplies you DO have for the ones I used in this project. Just use it as a jumping off point for your own creativity!

You can get wreath forms at DollarTree.com.

Step 1: Wrap Ribbon Around the Wreath Form

Secure a piece of silver ribbon or the wireless chenille stem ribbon to the back of the wreath, and then wrap it around the wreath form. When you get all the way around the wreath, cut the ribbon and glue the end of the ribbon to the back of the wreath. (Bonus points if you manage to line the ends of the ribbon up with each other!)

Step 2: Add Beads

Next, hot glue some of the metallic leaf beads to the wreath. I arranged them in alternating color order, and placed a wire mesh heart bead at the top of the wreath.

But the wreath isn’t finished… it needs something more.

Add 1″ plastic turquoise-colored beads to the top of the flat leaf beads. Hot glue them in place.

Somehow the wreath isn’t quite done. It needs something to pull it all together.

Step 3: Add More Ribbon

When I added this red ribbon over the top of the wreath, it really came together.

Hot glue the end of red ribbon to the back of the wreath, and then wrap it around the wreath, between the round turquoise-colored beads.

Tie a piece of ribbon or baker’s twine to the top of the wreath to provide a way to hang your wreath.

The red ribbon really makes the turquoise beads pop, and the chenille ribbon and leaves make a great backdrop and add visual interest to the wreath. Finally, the valentine heart at the top gives the wreath a sweet focal point.

I hope you are having as much fun watching me bust my stash as I am having making these crazy wreaths! To follow along with my project, check out my other Wreath a Day posts.

The post Turquoise & Red Valentine Heart Wreath appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We’ve totally been crushing on ideas using the carveable foam pumpkins from Dollar Tree.  There are just so many possibilities for them!  Here’s another one we love:  Jenn from Rook No. 17 turned a handful of them into adorable folk art!  Their quirky look will fit equally well with cute Halloween decorations or more creepy decor.  And their primitive styling means that perfection isn’t a must, which is great for crafters like me who enjoy a rough-around-the-edges aesthetic!  [how to make folk art pumpkins]

Project estimate:

• Foam pumpkin, $1
• Papier mache, on hand or $1 and up
• Paint, on hand or $1 and up
• Glue, on hand
• Wire, on hand or $1
• Printable facial features, free

Total:  $1 and up

Looking for more pumpkin crafts?

The post Make Folk Art Pumpkins appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Two years ago, I collaborated with Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made to design a printable tea towel calendar. She provided the printable, and I designed the project and wrote the tutorial. I loved the design, and I have had some requests for a 2012 version, so I updated the calendar part so we could use it again. This is a simple project idea, great for hostess gifts, teacher gifts, and gifts for friends, neighbors, mothers, or anyone else who would appreciate a pretty folk art-inspired tea towel calendar. [For instructions on how to make the calendar, check this post: How to Make a Tea Towel Calendar]

See below for the free printable downloads!

Project Estimate:

• Flour sack towel or stash fabric, $1 or on hand
• 2 Iron-on transfer sheets, about $1 each
• Patterned tea towel (optional), $1
• Dowel (optional), $1

Total: $2 and up

For instructions on how to make the calendar, check this post: How to Make a Tea Towel Calendar

For tons of inspiration, check out Cathe Holden’s site: Just Something I Made

For the 2012 Printables:

Download Printable for 2012 Calendar:

(Hosted at Scribd):

• 2012 Printable Calendar, Page 1

Printable Tea Towel Calendar 2012 (Page 1)

• 2012 Printable Calendar 2011, Page 2

2012 Teatowel Calendar Page2

The post Printable Tea Towel Calendar – 2012 Download appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.