Art Tea Towels

Our art tea towels are where function meets art and imagination.

Each design begins as an original illustration by our artist Emily May, a Melbourne based tea towel designer with a love of all things fun and whimsical. Then they are beautifully printed and sewn right here in Melbourne.

Whether you hang them on your wall as artwork, or use them to dry your dishes, these art tea towels will bring a little fun into your world every time you see them.

Both! Hang them, use them, love them!

Use them in the kitchen, or hang them on the wall as art using a tea towel frame. Our art tea towels, as with all our quirky homewares, are made to be absorbent and practical, and beautiful enough to display.

Either way, these tea towels are designed to bring a little magic into the everyday.

We use a high quality blend of cotton and linen to make our art tea towels.

We love this blend for two important reasons:

• Linen is beautiful - we all love pretty things in our homes!
  

• Cotton is absorbent - no one wants a tea towel that doesn't dry things properly. We love a practical gift.
  

The result is the best of both worlds! A practical and beautiful gift. An Australian tea towel that feels good in your hands, and looks beautiful in your home.

Absolutely, in fact they are perfect for it! Here's why:

• Lightweight for low cost shipping - this is especially important when sending gifts internationally!
• Unbreakable so you can be sure it will survive the journey in one piece.
• Easy to send in a regular post bag.
• Uniquely Australian made making them a perfect Australian souvenir.

Maybe most importantly, they solve the classic gifting dilemma: how do you send something that feels special, thoughtful, and not generic? Unlike many other Australian souvenirs, our art tea towels are artist designed, so each one carries a little piece of Melbourne with it.

For more lightweight, easy to send, Australian gift ideas to send overseas take a look at our Australian Coaster and Australian Magnet collections!

Our tea towel artworks are hand illustrated by our very own tea towel designer, Emily May, here in Melbourne. We focus on thoughtful, small-scale production with help from small businesses in our local community.

Our tea towels are printed in Thornbury by local fabric printing experts Next State Print, and sewn in North Melbourne by our talented machinist Karin.

When you choose our Australian tea towels, you’re supporting local creativity rather than mass-produced sameness. Well done you!

Hanging a tea towel as art is super easy, and is a fun and quirky way to turn a tea towel into unique wall art!

For a fun and easy way to hang your art tea towel, check out our tea towel frame. These are great because:

• They are easy to use, and simple to hang.
• You can swap out different tea towel designs, which is great if you have a few favourites.
• They don’t hide the fabric behind glass - after all that’s the fun thing about hanging a tea towel instead of an art print!

For more information, and ideas on framing art tea towels, read our blog – Tea Towel Art: 10 Fun Ways to Hang a Tea Towel as Art.

Our art tea towels are 40cm x 65cm.

This is a standard size for everyday use, and perfectly sized to fit onto a tea towel frame if you prefer to display your tea towel as art.

You can find more information regarding size and packaging details on each tea towel product page.

Taking care of your art tea towel is easy-peasy:

• Machine wash in cold water
• Skip the harsh bleach
• Line dry (no dryers please!)

A little care goes a long way in keeping your art tea towels looking their best. As with all linen tea towels, keep it out of the heat to avoid shrinking.

If you’re based in Melbourne, it’s your lucky day! You can find us at several markets throughout the year. Keep an eye on our socials and sign up to our mailing list for updates.

Pickup can be arranged from our Brunswick (VIC) studio, just contact us to organise a time.

Take a look at our stockist list to see if there is a Nonsense Maker stockist in your area.

The whimsical artwork on each tea towel is hand illustrated by our very own Melbourne based artist Emily May. Emily is inspired by her love of old-time story books, and bringing a touch of nostalgic whimsy into the everyday.

Explore more of her work transformed into homewares, stationery, and art prints.

Learn more about our favourite tea towel designer here, follow her adventures on Instagram, or sign up to our mailing list for more updates.