Forget the Dishes! Put Your Tea Towels to Work With These Crafty Upcycles
- Words by Peppermint
If you’ve been following us over the past few weeks, you know we’re already knee-deep in thrifted-goods upcycling projects (see: preloved blanket remakes and vintage-tablecloth DIYs). But as every sewist knows, there’s always room for more! And this time we’ve got our sights set on the kitschiest of kitchenware: we’re talking koala-filled linens brimming with banksias and quippy quotes. Yep, vintage tea towels!
We’ve gathered up a bunch of shoppable treasures, tutorials and sewing inspiration. Because drying dishes is boring! And getting stitchy is good for the planet and the soul. (Side note: if you can’t bear to cut up your op-shop scores, use them to wrap gifts! We’d be pretty chuffed to receive this perfectly presented tea towel package from UK homewares designer Ella Parks.)
above HOUSE OF CLARE
PARTY FAVOURS: TEA TOWEL DRESSES
Aussie tea towels are hot right now (really! Take a look at the gorgeous designs Tara Whalley presented at New York Fashion Week). Of course, Brisbane’s Sue-Ching Lascelles has been making magic with them since her original creation back in 2021 (above, right). In the centre, we have @KatieMakesADress, who deserves a standing ovation for her work. Having bravely taken on a @Roberts.Wood pattern, Katie crafted this covetable make from an incredible 194 pieces. And, because more is always more, we had to include these stunning frocks by Scottish seamstress @JoyfulGrapefruit.
THE DRESS TO IMPRESS
Californian sewist Cait Trantham of @CaitConquers takes the upcycled dress to a whole new level with this beauty, a project that took 18 months to complete. The skirt alone weighs almost seven kilograms and the bottom tier is about eight metres long! Supporters sent in tea towel donations from every state in the US and from countries around the world (including Australia – there’s a Mildura patch on the bodice).
TOP MAKES: TEA TOWEL SHIRTS
Like fellow Queenslander Sue-Ching, Clare Wright of House of Clare is known for her handy ways with a tea towel. Her specialty is boxy button-downs (above, left) but she also does custom pieces, so if you have the linen and lack the sewing skills, you can have Clare bring your vision to life. Meanwhile, Californian sewist @Selina_Sanders does a gorgeous sleeve (above, centre) and, call us biased, but we rather fancy this Newcastle top by sewing teacher @MadeByMeJessieB (ahem, it’s a hacked version of our easy-sew Peppermint Tansey Top).
INSIDES OUT: TEA TOWEL HATS
If you’ve made it through an Aussie summer, chances are you’ve spent some time with a wet tea towel on your head. These hats are not that. Less suburban Survivor and more vintage glam, these flora-filled, retro delights are sure to turn heads. We love the fringing on this Tassie make (above, left) by Tanya of @VintyHQ, while the reversible styles by Jessica Wolf (above, centre) and Rachael Laura of Billie + Billy offer two sun-fighting noggin-covers in one.
BOTTOMS UP: TEA TOWEL PANTS
As if the foliage on the front wasn’t enough, the shorts (above, left) by sewing school @SipAndSew.Sydney happen to have a very handy recipe for damper (“bread of the bush”) on the back. We also love the laid-back look of these pants by Victorian label GiselleSaysHello (above, centre) and Mumbai brand Tiger and Twig (it took eight tea towels to craft this finery!).
CARRIED AWAY: TEA TOWEL BAGS
We’re of the firm belief that the bags by UK seller @Clarice.Vintage (above, left) are the cheeriest, most sunshine-filled totes out there. Whatsmore, they’re lined with lovely vintage pillowcases. Sadly, she’s on maternity leave at the moment, so you won’t be able to get your hands on one for a while. In the meantime, we advise you take a gander at these clever tea-towel bag tutorials: there’s Orange Bettie’s speedy Tea Towel Origami Bag (above, centre) and Vicky Myers Creations’ super-speedy Ten Minute T Towel Tote. Both are great and both are free!
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
