When we’re at in-person events, customers occasionally pause in front of the tea towels display and ask, usually in a quiet voice: “What exactly do people use tea towels… for? Does it have to be for tea?” We have a good laugh and I say, “Good question. It is kind of a weird name. They’re for whatever you want!”

Shall we count the ways?? (Add your ideas in the comments!)

• 1 / Kitchen decor. Perhaps most obviously, a stylish tea towel bumps up the design interest in your beautiful kitchen! Imagine this: you’ve just given your kitchen a deep clean. The appliances are gleaming, the counter is organized. You pull out your favorite kitchen linen and hang it from a well-placed hook or on the oven handle. It’s that little focal point that pulls the room together. Nice.
• 2 / Small table runner / dresser topper. If your dining table is petite, a full-on runner might be too much. Enter the tea towel: it makes for a snack-sized bit of textile beauty in the center of the table. Plop something pretty on top: an interesting bowl or cluster of vases filled with wildflowers—and you’ve got a nicely set table. This idea also works atop a dresser or sideboard: layering with textiles adds texture and interest.

• 3 / Wall hanging. The simplest decorative touch for your walls! Easy to hang, easy to change up. We love these magnetic poster frames from Well Made. 
• 4 / Lunch on the go, with linen. You’re bringing your lunch in a tiffin or other zero-waste container, so why not add a big, beautiful linen to keep your lap clean? Before setting out, tie your container up, with a fork, in the tea towel to carry with ease, furoshiki-style (see below).

• 5 / Furoshiki. The prettiest, most eco-friendly way to wrap a gift or share a little extra bounty from your garden. Here's my go-to online resource for the interesting world of traditional Japanese furoshiki.
• 6 / Large napkin. A customer told us that she uses her collection of ‘Stacks’ tea towels as extra-luxurious, full-coverage dinner napkins. Love, love, love it.

• 7 / A bib! Who among us doesn’t need a little extra drip protection now and again? Our tea towels make a generous bib for the wee folk among us. Wondering about washability? Have no fear: 100% linen is incredibly strong and stands up to use beautifully. The printing that graces our items is professionally set for permanence, so you can feel free to incorporate our linens into your daily life—like we do!

What did we miss? How do you use tea towels?