Category: Kitchen & Dining Linen

Indian table linen: where block prints meet the dinner table

Indian table linen is one of the easiest ways to bring authentic craft into a home. A table runner, a set of napkins or a tea towel is affordable, useful and full of character, and it carries the same traditional block prints, handloom weaves and hand embroidery that India has been making for centuries.

When buyers come to us for kitchen and dining linen, we usually begin with one question: do you want a coordinated story or a mix of crafts? Some stores like one print running across runner, napkins, placemats and tea towels. Others prefer a curated mix of Ajrakh, ikat and Chikankari side by side. Both are possible, and the guide below shows how.

What our kitchen and dining range covers

Our range includes tablecloths, table runners, napkins, table linen sets, table mats and tea towels, along with aprons and oven gloves in matching prints.

The crafts behind the linen

Hand block prints

Printers in Bagru, Sanganer, Kutch and Pedana carve teak blocks and print by hand, often with natural dyes. Look at the Ajrakh table runner, the Bagru Dabu runner and the Kalamkari placemat and napkin set.

Handloom and woven

Weavers in Telangana and Tamil Nadu make yarn-dyed ikat, checks and waffle weaves that keep their colour wash after wash. The Pochampally Ikat napkins and check tea towels are good examples.

Hand embroidery

White-on-white Chikankari from Lucknow brings quiet elegance to formal tables, as in our Chikankari runner and napkin set.

Natural fibres

Jute, Sabai grass and water hyacinth are braided and woven into placemats and runners by artisan groups in Bengal, Odisha and Assam.

Colours: what is easy and what takes time

Indian dyers are wonderful with indigo, madder red, mustard, rust and bright festive colours. Some colours Western buyers love, such as slate, greige, mushroom and lavender grey, often need to be dyed specially. They are absolutely possible, with a minimum quantity and a little time. If you choose from existing colours, we manage everything.

Minimum quantities

Because most of this linen is handmade, minimums are per design and colour and are generally modest. Printed pieces scale quickly; embroidered and handloom pieces are made in smaller batches. A mixed first order across three or four crafts is a very common way to start.

Who makes it

Many of our pieces come from artisan cooperatives and small non-profit organisations whose purpose is to keep these crafts alive. Some are too small for formal certifications, so we share what we can about who made each piece and how.

Packing and shipping

Linen is checked for size, print and stitching, folded and banded or boxed with your label. Sustainable paper and cloth packaging is available. We ship by sea in full or shared containers or by palletised air freight, and quote ex-factory, FOB, CFR or CIF.

Questions about Indian table linen

Can I buy matching runners, napkins and tea towels?

Yes. We work with the same printers across products so designs and colours match.

Is natural dye linen colourfast?

Natural dyes are fixed by repeated washing at the workshop, but a light bleed in the first home wash is normal. We print the right care advice on your labels.

Can I sell under my own brand?

Yes. Woven labels, swing tags, barcodes and branded packaging are standard on any order.

Tell us about your store and the table you want your customers to set, and we will suggest a starting range.