13 Apron Design Ideas That Are a Recipe for Success

An apron is a must-have item in any kitchen, making it an excellent and practical gift for someone else or a treat for yourself. However, cooking up design ideas can be tricky, whether you want to design aprons to sell on an online store or order a unique item yourself.

We’re here to help you with a list of 13 apron design ideas you can try—read on to find out what they are!

How to pick the right apron

Before we get to the apron designs, let’s look at how to pick the best apron and what you should take into account. 

When choosing an apron, consider these 4 elements:

• Style—see if the apron has adjustable straps and pockets, and check if the fit matches your needs

• Fabric—opt for organic fabrics if you want an eco-friendly choice

• Customization techniques—depending on your designs, embroidery or printing might be more suitable

• Price—embroidery designs require a one-time digitization fee, making them a more premium option

Printful offers two types of aprons: an embroidered apron and an organic cotton apron, which supports both embroidery and printing. Both aprons are high-quality products, so consider all the factors we mentioned above to decide which one works better for you. 

Both aprons offer unlimited color embroidery, letting you create even more colorful and inventive embroidery designs. 

Once you’ve chosen your apron, let’s look at design ideas for these products.

13 apron design ideas for you to discover in 2024

Here are 13 ideas for apron designs to inspire you.

1. World cuisine

Source: HeidiHDesigns

A custom-designed kitchen apron referencing someone’s favorite world cuisine can be the perfect gift and a sweet reminder of a fun trip. Create a collection of various cuisines or let customers submit a request for a custom-made apron design.

2. Baking goods and equipment

When you’re baking and dealing with flour in the kitchen, an apron definitely comes in handy. Include baking equipment, ingredients, pastries, cakes, or anything else baking-related in your designs. Adding a joke or pun about baking can make it even more fun.

3. Names or initials

Source: RichDesignCo

The print-on-demand dropshipping model opens up opportunities for personalization since each item is made only when someone orders it. For example, you can create apron designs with placeholders for people’s names or initials. Customers submit the information they want in the design when they order the apron, making it a one-of-a-kind gift.

4. Holidays and celebrations

Source: Karma

Whether it’s Christmas, Halloween, Easter, or any other celebration, people will be in the kitchen doing the cooking. So why not make this process more fun by wearing a kitchen apron specifically tailored to the celebration you’re having?

5. Couples designs

 While some people prefer being alone in the kitchen, others find cooking more entertaining when it’s done with a loved one. Create apron bundles with designs that complement or mirror each other. This can be a wonderful gift for a couple or the whole family.

6. Coffee or other beverages

A coffee enthusiast will love a beautiful apron design based on their favorite beverage. It can be a great gift for a barista to wear at work or home. You can even create an entire drink-related apron collection with various beverage-themed apron designs.

7. Farmhouse lifestyle

Source: theThreadedStitchCo

The rustic design trend is still popular, so jump on it by adding your unique apron designs to the mix. Imagine an idyllic farmhouse with a beautiful kitchen—a lovely apron with a themed design will fit right in. An embroidery design will suit the style particularly well, giving it a handmade feel.

8. Culinary puns and jokes

Source: theThreadedStitchCo

Some may groan, but deep down we all love a good pun. “You butter believe it,” “We’re mint to be,” “You're the zest”—they’re all great examples that just make cooking more fun.

9. Recipes

Source: The Recipe Preserve

Printing a favorite recipe on an apron can be both practical and a beautiful way to remember someone close whenever you set foot in the kitchen. An even better idea? Use the original handwritten recipe for the design, which will give the apron an extra personal touch. 

10. Pop culture references

Source: FestiveFamilyFits

Your apron design can feature wordplay referencing a famous movie, book, or song. A clever kitchen-related pop culture pun can turn an apron into one of the bestselling print-on-demand products on your store.

11. Line drawings

Source: TheDirtyApronShop

Minimalism has never gone out of style, and you can use this design trend for aprons as well. A simple drawing of a utensil, wine glass, fruits, vegetables, or anything else cooking-related can be a lovely addition to a minimalistic kitchen.

12. Cute animals as chefs

Source: RabbitPrint

Remember the film Ratatouille with a rat chef who was a wizard in the kitchen? While rats in the kitchen still doesn’t sound like the best idea in the world, an image of a cute animal chef on an apron has a lovely ring to it. Create a collection of animal-themed designs or let customers make special requests.

13. Gardening

Source: WithCongratulations

Although an apron is a must-have item when you cook, the kitchen is not the only place it comes in handy. Aprons are often worn in the garden to protect your clothes from dirt. This is another apron design option that may attract audiences outside the cooking world.

It’s time to step into the design kitchen

Aprons are useful items for any type of household, making them one of various trending products in the home decor world. Whether you borrow a design idea from this article or come up with something else, you can create an apron design that makes spending time in the kitchen or garden more enjoyable and stylish.

So pick your apron, choose your customization technique, and start designing!