Add a simple tab top hanger to your kitchen towels.
Credit: Mara Drogan
One of the easiest waist to cut back on your paper towel usage—and your budget, and your carbon footprint—is to keep towels for drying dishes, mopping up spills, and messy hands within easy reach. And giving your regular towels a custom, hanging makeover is simple with this tutorial from Mara of Kleio's Belly.
She includes a downloadble pdf of the pattern, but the idea is simple: cut a dishtowel in half to form a pleat, and then use the pattern to make a topper for the towel. The topper will include a flap that buttons into a loop—so you can hang it on your oven handle, refrigerator, or (now unused) paper towel rack—and if you've never made a buttonhole before, this is the perfect time to learn. (Too scared? Try using Velcro or a snap instead.)
This simple project is an ideal way to use up small scraps of fabric you have around the house, since you only need a piece that's 7"x12", and you could also use two coordinating fabrics (or combine several for a patchwork look). It's also a great hostess gift and an inexpensive way to turn your stained old kitchen towels into crisp new accessories.
(Via Craft)
