Looking for a skillet to fry some eggs in at Maria Robledo’s house, we opened a drawer to find a brilliant idea we never would have thought of: line a drawer with a cloth, such as a dish towel instead of the usual paper. It cuts down on clatter and the cloth can be easily washed. And it provides a lovely touch of hominess and color.

Since we saw Maria’s clever idea, we’ve lined the makeup box in the bathroom, and a shelf as well…
We’re fans of these big heavy cotton dish towels.
I have a thrift shop collection of lovely, antique embroidered dresser cloths and oddball monogrammed linen napkins from long ago that I once intended to stitch into a quilt. Having lost momentum for that project, I use them as drawer liners not only the kitchen, but in the bedroom. They’re especially nice for sweaters, underwear and delicate garments – anything that can catch or fray. Jewelry looks elegant on them, too..
Yeas, now I’m looking at my various clothes and tea towels to line silverware drawers, shelves, all manner of things. My EUREKA moment of the obvious!