How to Make a Dishtowel Angel
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Looking for an easy and frugal homemade gift idea? Learn how to make a Dish Towel Angel with this step-by-step picture tutorial!
Dishtowel Angels
If you’ve ever been to a craft fair, you may have seen a Dish Towel Angels in a corner booth. Or maybe you have been given one as a gift for yourself? This step-by-step picture tutorial will show you how you can make your own dish towel angel to give as a gift to someone else.
These are such a cute and practical gift idea, and they are very inexpensive to make. You can get creative with your angel by using different towels, tea towels, cloth, and ribbons to make it the perfect personal gift for your friends and family during the holiday season.
Tip: Grab an extra set of towels and make a matching Dish Towel Apron.
How to Make a Dishtowel Angel Step By Step
What You Need:
- 1 Dishtowel
- 1 Washcloth
- 1 Pot Holder
- Ribbon
Grandma wanted dishtowels for Christmas – boring! We just made 3 angels out of the dishtowels and potholders. So cute and much less blah! Thanks for the idea!
Jennifer, Little House Living reader
Here is a picture of what you will need to make this project: potholders, a dishcloth, a dish towel, some ribbon, and scissors. I picked up everything I needed at the local dollar store for $3, and I already have some scraps of ribbon.
*Note, I used a bright ribbon so you can see it easily in the pictures. You may want to use something that matches better. 🙂
Tip: Check out this list of Homesteading Supplies You Can Get at the Dollar Store!
Start by taking the dish towel and folding it in an accordion style on the long edge.
Then, fold the dish towel in half. This will be the top of the angel or the angel’s head. It will also turn into her dress as well.
Next, do the same thing with the washcloth; fold it accordion style. Don’t fold it in half like you did the dish towel, though. Set to the side.
Now, you’re going to scrunch together the middle of the pot holder. This will be the angel’s wings.
Use the ribbon to tie the folded washcloth to the scrunched pot holder to create the angel wings. Make sure to leave plenty of tails on the end of your ribbon for the next step.
Place the folded dish towel in the center of the angel wings and bring the ends of the ribbon (from the ribbon that you used to tie the dishcloth to the pot holder) and tie it about 2 inches down from the folded center of the towel. This makes the angel’s “head.”
You won’t be adding anything more to the ribbon here, so you can tie it in a bow and cut off any excess ends.
To finish, bring the “arms” (dishcloth) around the front of the angel and tie them together with another ribbon about an inch from the ends of the dishcloth. Tie in a bow and trim the tails. That’s it; your kitchen towel angel is complete!
This is such a cute way to give someone some little kitchen or bathroom towels, and it’s so easy to put together! It would make a great housewarming gift, or you could use Christmas towels and make it a Christmas gift!
If you’re looking for a gift for a baby shower, you could even try this using small cloth baby items like a blanket, burp cloth, and baby washcloth.
Tip: Give your angel as a stand-alone gift or as a part of a gift basket. It would fit very nicely into a housewarming or wedding gift basket!
Thanks for the instructions! I made one last night and it turned out so adorable! I also found these to go along with them…
I am your Kitchen Angel
I’ll watch over all you do,
Baking all those goodies,
And snitching one or two!And if you ever tire of me,
Or some help is what your wish is,
Just untie my little ribbons,
And I’ll help you with the dishes!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An angel in the Kitchen
Watching the stew
Blesses your cooking
And all that you do.Merry Christmas
Brenda, Little House Living reader
More Homemade Gift Ideas
- Homemade Fizzy Bath Bombs Recipe
- Homemade Teacup Candles
- Non-Food Gifts in a Jar
- Easy Handmade Gift: DIY Cloth Napkins and Un-Paper Towels
- Homemade Gifts for Kids
You can find more fun, inexpensive gift ideas here on our Simple Homemade Gifts page or on our Make Your Own page.
What kinds of homemade gifts are you making this year?
Merissa Alink
Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.
This DIY Dish Towel Angel was originally published in November 2010. It has been updated as of November 2023.
My daughter made me a towel angel years ago. I kept it dear to my heart. I was so happy to find the pattern on how to make it, without having to take it apart and put it back together. My plan is to make around 60 for Christmas gifts for co-workers. Hopefully I will be able to start this summer. I will have to keep my eyes open for great sales on towels. Thanks for posting the pattern. Sharon
Thanks for posting the pattern of “dish towel angels” I have always wanted to know how to make one.
I just tried this pattern. My towels and dishcloths were a bit thick and unwieldy, so I came up with an idea that proved helpful. I grabbed a spool of thread, and as I pleated each piece I wrapped it with thread to hold it in place. That is, once I adjusted the pleated towel so that I liked the shape of the head, I held it in place by wrapping thread around the “neck”. I pleated one end of the dishcloth, and thread-wrapped the “wrist”, repeating on the other end. I wrapped the pleated pot holder a few times on either side of the hanging loop. After pleating the center of the dishcloth I lashed the “neck” ribbon to the dishcloth and then the pot holder. Tying this ribbon around the “neck” in a bow also held the “arms” and “wings” on. It was easy to catch the tied-off “wrists” in a ribbon to complete the “angel”. The thread wrapping was a quick motion, holding the tail of the thread against the pleats with my thumb, wrapping the thread around several times and breaking off the thread. It didn’t add much time but greatly reduced my frustration level! My angels are neat, sturdy, and can be hung by the potholder loop without slipping apart. Thanks for the great pattern!
yes, I also did it this way. it helps a lot!
I’m confused, whats the difference between a dish towel and a dish cloth? At the very beginning it says I need 1 wash cloth but then does not mentioned it again. These are super nice and I would love to make them as thoughtful, loving yet affordable gifts this year.
The dish cloth is used to make the arms. 🙂
in my house we dry with the dish towel and use the dish cloth (rag) we say dish rag) to wash dishes.
These are enchanting! I am trying to have a frugal and/or homemade holiday season as much as possible this year. I love that this gift is both frugal and hand crafted. Thanks for the great idea!
Thanks so much for the instructions—so cute and affordable.
Grandma wanted dishtowels for Christmas – boring! We just made 3 angels out of the dishtowels and potholders. So cute and much less blah! Thanks for the idea!
what store are you finding dish cloths and pot holders 2 for a dollar?
The Dollar Store 🙂
Thanks for the instructions! I made one last night and it turned out so adorable! I also found these to go along with them…
I am your Kitchen Angel
I’ll watch over all you do,
Baking all those goodies,
And snitching one or two!
And if you ever tire of me,
Or some help is what your wish is,
Just untie my little ribbons,
And I’ll help you with the dishes!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An angel in the Kitchen
Watching the stew
Blesses your cooking
And all that you do.
Merry Christmas
Very sweet, thanks for sharing!