Anyone who knows me knows my obsession with tea-towels, especially calendar tea towels. If we’re going to have a good time this afternoon, DIY 2020 calendars may be beyond us. However, we can easily get in on the magic by creating a few simple block-printed tea towels.

How are we going to do it? We’ll sketch a few ideas on paper or print out images we love [in reverse] and transfer the best onto small rubber blocks. Then, we’ll carve our images on the blocks using linocut tools. Using screen printing ink, we’ll stamp our designs onto flour sac tea-towels. Then, iron to set.

Note: You could do just as well using a holiday cookie cutter on a potato to create a stamp! See our Summer of Funner craft from 2011 for potato stamp ideas! Super stretched for time? Use a pre-made rubber stamp!

Here’s the Aquarius Sign Zodiac Tea Towel I created as a test run!

And here’s my Block-Printed Tea Towels DIY in the form of a Recipe Card:

Print Recipe

BLOCK-PRINTED TEA TOWELS DIY

[Originally published in 2019. Sources & some techniques updated in 2025.]

Author: Roseanne Carrara, Smelling Salts Journal

Ingredients

For sources and product recommendations, see NOTES, below.
Paper and pencil OR washable marker for sketching your design
Flour sac tea towels,* ironed
Linoleum carving blocks* [We used 2.75 x 4.5 in Speedy Cut lino blocks. Use smaller blocks if using fabric ink stamp pads. You can also use pink erasers or pre-made rubber stamps, or carve potatoes!]
Screen printing ink or fabric ink stamp pads*
Spoon [one you can wash or compost]
Linoleum cutting tips and handles* [or a knife or cookie cutters for your potatoes!]
X-Acto knife [optional]
Twine [optional]
Brayer*
Plexiglass* or glass from an old frame on which to roll Ink
Iron
Parchment Paper
*If you don’t have a lot of these items I highly recommend the Speedball Beginner Block Printing Kit! See Notes, below.

Instructions

OPTIONAL: Print a design to the size of your block to use as inspo. [I like to print mine out in reverse, so that I can see exactly what I'll be sketching onto the block]
Sketch your design in pencil or washable marker right onto the block. [Remember, your print will be a mirror image of what you draw here!]
Carve the outline of your shape with linoleum carving tools. [Whatever remains raised will print on the towel — in reverse!]
If desired, use an X-Acto knife to cut the shape out of a larger linoleum block. [I don’t bother.]
Spread the ironed tea towel on a flat surface. [You might want to line that surface with craft paper to avoid damaging the surface with ink that bleeds through the towel. Note, the speedball ink we use is washable until iron-set.]
OPTIONAL: Use lengths of twine to grid the tea towel to produce equal sized zones for your block prints. [I used 8 lengths of twine to grid my tea-towel into 25 zones.]
For Screenprinting Ink: Place about a teaspoon ink on your plexi-glass and use the brayer to roll a thin layer of ink across the glass.
For Screenprinting Ink: Roll the inked brayer over the stamp to coat the raised image evenly.
OR
For Fabric Ink Stamp Pads: Press the stamp onto the ink pad.
Place the inked block on the towel and press down firmly with fingertips or palms.
Repeat the inking and stamping process as desired. [Try regular spacing or flirt with an irregular pattern. Try mixing colours or using multiple stamps. ]
Allow the ink to dry for an hour.
Set the ink with an iron by covering the prints with parchment and pressing for 3-5 minutes for Screenprinting Ink, 30-60 Seconds for Fabric Ink Stamps. [Consult the directions on your ink/paint/pad for proper heat setting and time.]
Enjoy!