  We develop a simple model and propose a scheme that allows the production of
twisted atoms in free space using the absorption of twisted photons by a bound
electron. We show that in the inelastic collision of a photon and an atom, the
twisted state of the photon is transferred to the center-of-mass state, so that
the projection of the orbital momentum of the atom becomes $m_\gamma-\Delta
m_e$. We also show that, depending on the experimental conditions, the
twistedness of the photon is either transferred to the atomic center-of-mass
quantum state or modifies the selection rule for the bound electron transition.
Proposed scheme is general and enables complex shaping of the atomic wavefront.
