What 10 Years of Tea Towels Taught Me
When I launched my first tea towel, I had no idea it would turn into one of my best sellers in my product line. Ten years later, I’ve designed and sold more tea towels than I can count, and along the way I’ve learned a lot- sometimes the hard way. If you’re just starting your own tea towel journey (or any product-based business), here are the top 10 lessons I’ve learned from a decade of designing, manufacturing, and selling tea towels.
1. Order Samples
Never skip samples. Trust me, what looks perfect in a PDF can come back completely different in real life. Ordering a sample lets you check the quality, fabric feel, color, print accuracy, and overall look before committing to a big order. It saves you from costly mistakes and a whole lot of disappointment.
2. Packaging Can Evolve
The way you package your tea towels doesn’t need to be perfect right out of the gate. Over the years, I’ve gone from belly bands to individual belly bands with coordinating motifs to a uniform belly band that my manufacturer packages for me. Packaging can (and should) evolve with your brand as you grow. Don’t be afraid to start simple and refine later.
3. Colors Will Change Based on Print Runs
Here’s a reality check: no matter how consistent your factory is, colors can shift between print runs. It might not be noticeable to customers, but you’ll see it. The key is to build in quality checks and adjust expectations. You’re working with textiles, and there will always be slight variations. When this happens I always remind myself I am the most attached person to my work, nobody else knows it like I do.
4. Linen Can Flake
If you’ve ever unpacked a box of linen tea towels and thought, why is there fuzz everywhere?, welcome to the club. Linen naturally sheds a bit, especially when it’s fresh off the press. It’s not a defect- it’s just part of working with natural fibers. Noticed a bigger flake coming off? I have found that there are occasional bigger tags that come off with heavy ink. I don’t love this look, so I put this to the side for a seconds sale.
5. Sending a Video on How to Fold Will Change Everything
One of the smartest things I ever did was send my manufacturer a video on exactly how I wanted my tea towels folded. That one step saved me hours of refolding when orders arrived. If you’re particular about presentation, show them- don’t just tell them.
6. Tell Them to Pack Your Order in a Trash Bag
This one sounds odd, but it’s a game changer. Asking your manufacturer to pack your order inside a large plastic bag (basically a giant trash bag) will save you hours of unpacking each towel from the most awful plastic sleeve. Bonus: it also protects your products from warehouse grime and saves the planet from excess packaging.
7. The Margins Are Better Than Washi Tape
Here’s a little math insight: the profit margins on tea towels are stronger than on a roll of washi tape. Towels take up more space, yes, but they’re a staple product with solid margins that make them a reliable part of any product line. After a few years in business, I realized that the only way to grow was to increase my margins. Adding tea towels really changed my margins and my customer base.
8. Designing With Collections Completes the Line
When I design tea towels as part of a collection—coordinating with gift wrap, tags, or other products—the whole line feels stronger and more intentional. Collections help your brand look cohesive and give buyers more reasons to order multiple products together.
9. Scale Really Does Matter
One of the first lessons I learned is that scale can make or break a design. A beautiful illustration might look great on paper but feel overwhelming or underwhelming when printed at full size on a tea towel. Learning how to scale artwork for textiles will make your line look polished and professional.
10. Not Every Design Will Be a Hit
This one’s important: not every tea towel will be a bestseller. Some designs will fly off the shelves, others will just quietly hold their place in your inventory. And that’s okay. Every product line has highs and lows, and sometimes a design you thought was “just okay” ends up being the sleeper hit. I usually give each product at least a full year to see how it does through each season.
Final Thoughts
Ten years of tea towels has taught me that product development is as much about learning as it is about creating. From ordering samples to figuring out packaging, from understanding margins to designing collections- you’ll make adjustments along the way. And remember, not every design will be a hit. The key is to keep creating, keep refining, and keep learning. That’s how you build a product line (and a business) that lasts.