Flour sack towels have been an essential household item since early colonial times. This item further came into prominence during the Great Depression when sellers started using it to pack flour, salt, and sugar to cut costs and save money. Today, many homemakers are putting it to use in different ways such as cooking, cleaning, sewing clothes, and a variety of everyday uses.
As the eras progressed, flour sack towels have grown a strong notoriety for being a household basic which is highly absorbent, does not contain build-up, is adaptable to different uses, and a cost-effective option for any person wanting to have a paperless kitchen.
The flawless, thin sheets of weaved cotton make this towel perfect for tablecloths. People also use them as decorative cloths, extended over a picture frame with patterns sewn onto it. They are usually quite helpful in the kitchen as well. These are even used for making bibs and handkerchiefs.
If above has made you wonder what all you could do with a flour sack towel, continue reading below:
Uses for Flour Sack Towel
- As an apron
As mentioned above, these come quite in handy for kitchen use. Flour sack towels can be customized as aprons and even a sewing amateur can do this. Or if you are someone with a taste for white, you can also leave it as is.
- For absorbing stains
You must have come across a TV commercial where someone mistakenly pours wire onto a carpet or dumps food on a floor rug. The end purpose of these ads is to sell you a vacuum cleaner or some kind of magic spray. In actuality, the easiest way to remove stains is the oldest one. If you have sack towels in stock, use them for they are highly absorbent. Use a spray of 3:1 water to vinegar proportion on any stain and press the towel against it. It is only about time that the liquid will transfer from the carpet to the sack towel.
- As a kid’s chef hat
Do you see your kid as a yearning chef? Then make them wear a chef hat to further encourage them! Stitch around the edges of 30×38 inch flour sack towel using elastic thread. Force the thread tight so that the fabric accumulates. Keep accumulating the fabric until hat hole fits well on your kid’s head. Tie the finishes of the thread together. You can beautify it by making a ribbon of colored lace around the opening of the hat. You can even decorate it with fabric markers to excite your kids about wearing a hat.
- As a furniture duster and Polisher
They make wonderful cleaning fabrics since they are build-up free and smooth to the touch. They additionally work extremely well as a fabric utilized for polishing wood. You can even tie it around the bristles of a sweeper and use to clean cobwebs and roof fan blades.
- As a reusable gift wrap
Flour sack towel works great for wrapping gifts, wine & champagne bottles, and even food. It adds a touch of vintage beguile. These towels can also be used to design crafts for your loved ones and gifted on the occasions of Christmas or birthdays.
- As a refrigerator liner
One of the ways to use flour sack towels is to use them as refrigerator and bin liner. When you place them in bins, these could first be slightly damped to keep fruits and vegetables fresh and store them for a longer time.
- Towels for cooking
Flour sack towels are safe to use around food items. They are a great alternative of cheesecloth or for when you need a strainer for recipes. If you do not want your fried chicken or rolls turn soggy, try wrapping them in these towels. The towel will absorb all the moisture and keep your food warm.
- As a hair towel
You can use flour sack towels also out of the kitchen. Instead of using your regular towel for hair drying, use these towels to prevent frizz and dry your hair quickly. After taking shower, wrap your hair in a flour sack towel and crunch the water out of your hair. The towel’s smooth texture will keep the frizz minimum and your hair static-free as compared to when you use a terrycloth towel.
- As a serving-tray liner
You do not have to use tissues anymore as your serving-tray liners. Flour sack towels work well as a liner for serving food. They will keep your dinner rolls warm and your tray clean and crumb-free.
- Flour sack towel pillows
You can transform simple or embellished flour sack towels into seat or sofa cushions in under thirty minutes. Pleat the towel in half such that the design goes inside. Stitch one end of the fold together to turn it into a pocket shape. Wind the inside of the pocket out and fill it with the stuffing of cotton or a material of your choice. Now stitch the open ends of the pillow together and there you go – you have a handmade pillow. You can even use them as gifts for your friends and family.
- As reusable grocery bags
One of the major environmental issues currently is recycling and reusability. You can add your contribution to eco-friendly measures by making your own reusable grocery bag out of a flour sack towel. You can decorate it using fabric paints. Cut an apple in half and plunge it into a fabric paint of your choice. Now press this half on a plain sack towel to make patterns. To make it a grocery bag, fold the sack in half such that shorter closures meet. Stitch the longer sides together from both corners and leave the shorter closure open to form a sack. Make sure the painted side is on the inside. Now take the inside of the sack out so the print is on front. To attach a strap or handle to the sack, take any ribbon or lace and sew it onto the opening.
- First-aid
These sack towels work equally well as a bandage to wrap wounds & sprain and for padding injuries.
- As a baking cover
When you are baking bread or lasagna, you can dust some flour onto the towel and use it as a cover on your baking tray. This will keep your food from burning and also keep it fresh.
- For cloth diapering
Babies who are allergic to diapers can be put to comfort using flour sack towels as actual diapers with the help of a snappi. Mothers can also use it for their babies at night for additional absorbency.
- As an art piece
Bring out your hidden artist and pull off a DIY task on these towels. Draw an art or a decorative embroidery and fix it in a photo frame. Hang it on your entrance or any place that has the visibility to please your eyes.
There truly are various uses of flour sack towels and the above are not just enough. They are resilient enough for any task – be it your craftwork or the dirty work.
