What's your most used kitchen accessory? Chances are your well-worn stash of tea towels wasn't the first thing that popped to mind, but think back to how many times you've grabbed one to dry the dishes, sop up a spill, wipe your hands with or wave in front of the smoke detector (hey, it happens). That's why we're recommending our new line of Studiopatro tea towels as the perfect hostess, housewarming or any-time gift—because when something so practical looks this chic, it's guaranteed to be a gift-giving success.

Based out of the San Francisco Bay area, Christina Weber is the designer behind these hand-printed gems, and after Howone look at both her personal and business blogs, it's clear that her inspiration stems from the simple but stunning patterns and colours of everyday objects in nature and the home. Design blog Apartment Therapy has also taken notice, recently naming her one of their Textile Designers: 10 Women to Watch: "These humble kitchen cloths have been attended to as if they were canvases — palettes are balanced and cohesive." When you get your hands on one, you'll be hard-pressed to deny such a statement.  

Once you've chosen a lucky recipient, check out some of Christina Weber's savvy, stylish and innovative ways to gift one of her gorgeous Studiopatro tea towels:

1 Nestled in a Cookie Tin: Line a cookie tin with a Studiopatro tea towel and fill with a freshly baked batch of spicy gingerbread cookies—recipients will appreciate the cookies and new tea towel.

2 Wrapped Around a Wine Bottle:  A bottle of wine is everyone’s go-to hostess gift, but set it apart from the rest by using a tea towel to wrap it. To do so, lay the tea towel flat and place your bottle in the middle, bring each corner up towards the top of the bottle and use a small piece of ribbon or twine to keep held together.

3 A Gift Fit for a Cook: The perfect gift for a foodie: grab a new copy of your favourite cookbook and use a tea towel as the wrapping, and again, use ribbon or twine to keep the towel in place.

4 Perfect for Potlucks: Attending a potluck? Wrap your dutch oven dish in a tea towel, and if it has them, pull the tea towel through the handles for chic presentation.

5 As Is: A Studiopatro tea towel doesn’t need to be accompanied to be appreciated—they’re perfect on their own too!

And just for fun, we'll go ahead and invite you to snoop around Christina's stunning apartment (featured on Design*Sponge) where you'll find pattern, neutral hues, typographic details and a laidback-looking pup named Lily B. Good.

Images and tips courtesy of Studiopatro