If you’re anything like me you’ve got a pile of tea towels that are covered in scorch and burn marks because you’ve been using them to take things out of the oven. Make DIY potholders and you’ll not only protect your hands, but you’ll also minimize the damage to your dish towels.

DIY potholders are also a great way to use up those off-cuts of fabric you have poked away in the cupboard. You know the ones, those bits, and pieces that are “too good to throw away” but aren’t big enough to make into anything substantial.

Finally, DIY potholders make thoughtful gifts. Coordinate the colors with the recipient’s kitchen, make matching sets, or personalize them with a special message.

Materials

⦁ 1/2 yard of your main cotton fabric or one fat quarter
⦁ 1/2 yard of your heat safe or cotton batting
⦁ 1/4 yard of your complimentary cotton fabric
⦁ Washable fabric pen
⦁ Rotary cutting mat set
⦁ All-purpose thread
⦁ Wonder sewing clips
⦁ 1/2” double bias tape
⦁ Sewing machine

Instructions

Step 1

Measure, mark and cut two 8”x24” pieces of your main and one 8”x24” piece of your heat safe or cotton batting. If possible, you can cut on the fold and the pieces would be 8”x12” instead.

Step 2

Next, you will cut four 6.5”x8” pieces of cotton and two 6.5”x8” pieces of the heat safe or cotton batting.

Step 3

Place a glass on the 4 corners of the longer piece and trace around it, making rounded corners. You will do the same on the small pieces in the two bottom corners (you will position these pieces with the 8” on the east and west and the 6.5” on the north and south.

Step 4

Lay one piece of the longer piece of fabric, right side down, then the heat safe or cotton batting piece and then the other piece of the longer fabric, right side up. Pin around all 4 sides.

Step 5

Using your fabric safe pen, running along the 24” length of the fabric, mark lines 1.5 “ apart and stich along the lines, so they have a quilted look. Because the fabric may shift during the sewing, you may need to trim where it is uneven. It is completely optional, but I stitched a 1/4” seam around the edges to make securing the bias tape in step a bit easier.

Step 6

Take the four smaller pieces of fabric and heat safe or cotton batting and layer like you did with the longer pieces in step 4. Pin and sew a 1/4″ seam allowance around the four sides.

Step 7

Attach bias tape along the top of each of the smaller pieces.

Step 8

Matching the round edges of the smaller pieces to the longer pieces, clip or pin into place.

Step 9

Sew a 1/4″ seam allowance around the four sides.

Step 10

Pin or sew your bias tape along all four sides and secure into place with a 1/4″ seam allowance around the four sides.