Anthropolgie, a chic clothing and home decor retailer, is one of my favorite places to shop. Their items always have some small detail that make them special. I wish I could dress and decorate as chic yet nonchalantly as the people in their catalog (insert daydream here). But I don’t have $24 to spend on a tea towel. (This one was a gift!)

I can, however, be inspired by their designs and make my own for a lot less. Here are a few examples of tea towels they’ve had in the past. Aren’t they sweet?

We took the challenge and came up with own darling towels.

These are plain tea towels in bright colors and machine-appliqued simple designs on each. We added embroidery, some buttons, a bit of ric rac, and a pom-pom trim to finish them off. Very chic. And nonchalant. Very Anthropologie. For a lot less.

Another simple way to embellish your dish towels is with leftover fabric scraps. I sewed several strips of fabric together, then trimmed them evenly on the long sides. I folded under the long edges and pressed them, then top-stitched them along the bottom edge of my potato sack towel.

And if you’re an embroiderer, try stitching a towel for a vintage look.

You can even make dish towels for every season and holiday, like these Christmas towels I gave out last year.

Embellished tea towels make great hostess gifts, or a simple way to brighten up your kitchen for your next dinner party.

Little Birdie Secrets are regular contributors to Make and Takes and was born from the crafting obsession of three friends living in the Pacific Northwest. Our mission is to share the wealth of fun projects and helpful tips we find in books, on the Internet, and sometimes in our own imaginations. Come visit us at www.littlebirdiesecrets.com.