Most tea towels spend their lives folded over an oven door or tucked away in a drawer.
We think these deserve a little more attention.
With beautiful New Zealand artwork, quirky humour and colourful designs, a tea towel can brighten your kitchen while doing its very important tea-towel job. But it can also become wall art, a thoughtful gift, a sewing project or the finishing touch in your caravan or bach.
A little piece of cotton. Quite a lot of personality!
Our range celebrates the character of Aotearoa through designs featuring native birds, local colour and a generous helping of Kiwi charm. You’ll find beautiful bird designs including Hushed Tui, Bright Tui, Botanical Tui, Bright Fantail, Botanical Fantail, Kapiti Tui and the New Zealand Native Birds tea towel, along with design-led favourites such as Gordon Walters' Untitled No.1 and the Fishes of New Zealand and Dunedin tea towels, plus playful picks including Cracking Up, Hangry, Made From Scratch and Kitchen Shithole.
And because we’re NZ owned and operated, every one feels right at home in a New Zealand kitchen, or anywhere you’d like to add a little local character.
More Than Just Tea Towels
A beautiful piece of printed cotton can become almost anything.
Of course, you can use one to dry the dishes. That’s what it was made for, after all. But why stop there?
A well-designed tea towel is an easy way to bring colour and personality into your home without committing to a major decorating project. Hang one from a rail, fold it over a basket, style it on a shelf or use it as the starting point for a small creative project.
They’re especially lovely for adding a little Kiwi personality to:
- Kitchens and dining areas
- Holiday homes and beach houses
- Children’s rooms and playrooms
- Home offices and craft spaces
- Caravans, boats and campervans
- Guest rooms and cosy corners
They pack flat, weigh almost nothing and are simple to move around when you feel like a change.
Psst… they’re also a lovely way to enjoy New Zealand art without needing a large blank wall or a very serious art budget.
Frame Them as Affordable Wall Art
I have a confession.
Sometimes I look at one of our tea towels and think, “That’s far too nice to dry the dishes with!”
Many of the designs we stock are genuine works of art, so why not let them become part of your home?
Framing a tea towel is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to bring NZ wall art into your space. A native bird design can look beautiful in a kitchen, hallway, holiday home, caravan or children’s room. Anywhere that could use a little extra colour and charm.
A framed Hushed Tui or Botanical Tui design can add a gentle natural note to a neutral room. Bright Tui brings instant character. Botanical Fantail offers a beautiful way to introduce soft colour, while Kapiti Tui and Gordon Walters' Untitled No.1 can give a space a more graphic, design-led feel.
Your easy weekend framing project
You’ll need:
- Your favourite Design Withdrawals tea towel
- An A2 frame
- A mat board, if you prefer a more finished gallery-style look
- An iron
- A few minutes
A2 frames are easy to find at any of the big sheds quite cheaply, unless you want to push the boat out and buy a genuine bespoke frame, of course!
Give the tea towel a gentle press before framing. We suggest ironing on the opposite side of the print to help protect the artwork. Then place it carefully in the frame, step back and admire your handiwork.
That’s it.
A simple project, a fresh piece of home decor NZ, and a favourite design given a whole new life.
You might never look at a tea towel the same way again.
Sew Something Unique
If you enjoy sewing, tea towels are a wonderful way to create something uniquely New Zealand.
The fabric is already printed with a beautiful design, so you have a head start on a project that feels personal, useful and a little bit special. You could turn one into:
- A cushion cover
- A reusable tote bag
- An apron
- A table runner
- A bread bag
- A fabric basket
- A picnic accessory
- A gift bag
A cushion made from a native bird tea towel would be lovely in a reading nook or bach. A tote bag featuring a Tūī or Fantail could come along to the markets, library or beach. A bread bag adds a little colour to the kitchen while helping keep your everyday essentials beautifully organised.
And if your sewing skills are more “enthusiastic beginner” than “master craftsperson”, that’s perfectly fine. Start with something simple. A tote bag or envelope-style cushion cover can be a satisfying weekend project without requiring a whole sewing room and an advanced degree in pattern cutting.
The best part? You’ll end up with something no one else has.
A Gift Within a Gift
Looking for thoughtful Kiwiana gifts or easy NZ gifts for someone who has everything?
Wrap a bottle of wine, homemade baking or a cookbook inside a tea towel instead of using traditional gift wrap.
It’s a gift within a gift.
The tea towel becomes part of the present itself, rather than something that gets crumpled up and put straight in the recycling. Choose a native bird design for a bird lover, something colourful for a new-home gift or Cracking Up for the person who appreciates a little quirky humour.
They’re also lightweight, beautifully packaged and easy to post, making them a simple choice for birthdays, thank-you gifts, Christmas presents or a little something to take when you’re visiting friends. Image shown is an example only.
Pair one with a cookbook, a bottle of local wine, a jar of homemade chutney or a bunch of flowers. No complicated wrapping required. Just fold, tie and enjoy!
Add Kiwi Personality to Your Caravan or Bach
There’s something about a holiday space that welcomes a bit of colour and fun.
A tea towel can instantly brighten a caravan, campervan, boat or bach without taking up precious room. Hang one from a rail, fold it over the oven handle or use it to add a splash of pattern to an otherwise simple kitchenette.
They’re practical too. Tea towels pack flat, weigh almost nothing and can be folded into a drawer when you’re travelling. They’re easy to wash, easy to replace and cheerful enough to make even the smallest holiday kitchen feel like your own.
Bright Fantail might suit a leafy bach. Fishes of New Zealand is perfect for a boat or coastal retreat. Kapiti Tui or Botanical Tui could be just right for a family campervan. Or choose a funny one like Hangry or Cracking Up for a space that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Because holiday homes should feel relaxed. A little bit mismatched. A little bit joyful.
Of Course, They Still Dry the Dishes Beautifully
After all these creative possibilities, we should probably mention their original purpose.
Yes, our tea towels still dry the dishes beautifully!
They’re made to be enjoyed every day, whether they’re hanging in your kitchen, framed on a wall, wrapped around a gift or transformed into your next sewing project.
That’s what makes them such a lovely little addition to your home. They’re useful, but they don’t have to look purely practical. They can carry a bit of colour, a bit of humour and a bit of Aotearoa into the everyday.
A small detail. A lovely print. A little more personality around the house.
Which One Will You Choose?
Perhaps you’ll choose a Tūī — Hushed, Bright, Botanical or Kapiti. Maybe a Fantail is more your style. Or perhaps Cracking Up, Hangry or Gordon Walters' Untitled No.1 catches your eye, and stays there!
However you use yours, a Design Withdrawals tea towel is an easy way to bring New Zealand art and design into your home. Keep it in the kitchen, frame it for the wall, make something new or wrap it around your next thoughtful gift.
Explore the Design Withdrawals range and find a design that feels like you.
We ship across New Zealand and Australia, so your favourite piece of New Zealand art can find its way to your kitchen, wall, bach or sewing basket wherever you are.
Just don’t be surprised if it ends up being far too nice to dry the dishes with.