TIP GARDEN: Recipe Dish Towels

Gifts kids can help make! This is a great project for a parent and child to do together. It is perfect for a grandparent, favorite aunt or parent. It makes a great Mothers Day, Christmas, or Birthday gift.
Materials:
8 1/2 x 11 white sheet of paper
crayons or markers
White cotton dish towel (flour sack towel).
T-shirt transfer sheets (I used Avery brand for ink jet)
Computer,scanner and printer (unless you want the copy shop to do this part for you!)
Iron

Instructions:
1) Have your child pick a favorite food that the recipient makes
2) Have your child draw a picture or the food, and in his/her own words (help them write their words down if needed) write down their version of recipe. Make sure to have them include the ingredients they think are in it and the directions they think are needed. Their own words are best so NO corrections! You can have them sign it at the bottom.

** Jan's tip: You can take the picture at this point to a copy store and have them scan and follow the below instructions and print on iron-on paper for you. You can then take it home and finish it from there.

3) Scan the picture into the computer as an image (not a file), open the picture and follow your computers instructions to flip/rotate the image. You want to flip it to a mirror image. (This is so that when you iron it on, it'll be right side up and readable.) Also reduce it by about 50%.

scanned picture that's been flipped to mirror image and reduced by about 50%

4) Print out a test picture on plain white paper first to make sure it looks like picture above. When you have it just right, print it out on the transfer paper.

5) Cut out the design with a narrow margin around picture. Keep edges rounded to avoid lifting durign ironing and washing.

6) make sure towel is ironed and wrinkle free. PLace iron on in desired spot on towel, with the printed image facing down, and the peel off backing of the iron on facing up.

7) Set iron to highest setting for cotton and preheat iron for about 5 min. Do NOT use steam. using both hands apply iron to rion on paper using frim pressure. Make slow passes across transfer. Make sure you cover entire picture several times.

8) After ironing remove towl from ironing board and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Begin peeling the paper backing from corner of the transfer. If you have trouble with iron on not adhereing to towel, you may need to re-iron.