DIY Potholders: How to Sew Potholders

Learn how to sew potholders by machine in this easy tutorial for DIY quilted potholders that are heat resistant and super cute!

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Have you been looking for a cute-as-can-be sewing project, that also doubles as a sweet gift?! Or what about just a simple sewing project that you can whip up in an afternoon for yourself?

Well, you’re in the right place!

I’ve been working on getting more comfortable with my sewing machine for years now. I don’t have much time as a wife, momma, and homemaker, so I LOVE a quick sewing project.

I really believe that making things yourself, whether its bread, or cleaning recipes, or sewing projects, can be SO FULFILLING. It feels so good to be self-sufficient and to get creative with my hands.

Hence, these DIY potholders.

Interrupting your potholder tutorial to let you know about a NEW sewing tutorial. These adorable, DIY Oven Mitts! You can whip one up in an afternoon for your kitchen, or make a set with matching potholders to gift a friend! Click HERE to get the tutorial.

Sewing Potholders By Machine

Now, let me tell you, if you have a sewing machine and you know how to sew a straight line, you can do this!

Basically, to give you the quick run-through, you’re quilting together two pieces of fabric, with some insulated batting in-between.

I’ll give you the FULL step-by-step below.

I’ve seen tutorials for potholders that are made just using regular old batting. I think this is fine….BUT if you want to make a good quality potholder that will last a long time, I recommended buying the heat-resistant batting.

These DIY potholders are also made with a fabric ring sewed onto the corner so they can be hung. They’re CUTE so you might as well display them if you can;)

You can use any kind of fabric you like in terms of patterns and colors, but I recommend using a 100% cotton fabric. Other synthetic fabrics may be susceptible to melting or having heat-related issues when used.

You’ll sew the pieces together inside out, or right sides together, leaving an opening (while attaching the loop) Then, turn it right side out, sew the opening closed when you sew all along the edges, and quilt the middle.

Are you ready?! Let’s get started then!

RELATED: How to Sew Lavender Sachets

DIY Potholders Supplies

Please note, this is what you will need for ONE potholder.

• Sewing Machine (THIS is the machine I use and love)
• Scissors
• Iron and ironing board
• (2) squares of 9″x9″ fabric
• (1) rectangle of 5″x2″ fabric
• (2) squares of 9″x9″ insulated, heat resistant batting (I used Insul-Bright, which you can find HERE.

DIY Potholders Instructions

Gather your supplies. Let’s start with your 5″x2″ piece of fabric! When you’re all finished this will be the small ring to hang your potholder from.

Fold your small piece of fabric in half lengthwise with wrong sides together (like a hot dog) and press it flat. Now open it back up and fold the outside long edges in to meet at the middle crease. Press it again.

Now, with those sides still folded in, fold the whole thing in half again lengthwise on the already pressed crease, and press again.

Finally, top stitch down each of the edges, about a 1/8″ in to seal it.

Moving on to the potholder! Lay one piece of insulated batting down, then on top of it a fabric square right-side up. Lay the other fabric square right-side down on top of that, and the final piece of insulated batting to top it off.

NOTE: Make sure at this point that the fabric pieces and batting pieces are either lining up even, OR that the fabric is slightly bigger than the batting. You’ll want to err on the side of the fabric being bigger rather than smaller.

Now, make your way around the edges of the pieces, pinning it all together. I like to make a mark with two pins on one side about a third of the way down. This is a note to yourself that this is where you will stop sewing.

What you are going to do is sew almost all the way around the edges, leaving about a 2″-3″ gap on one side to be able to turn the potholder inside out.

Now, you’re going to insert the hook, before you sew around the potholder.

Choose a corner to have the hook in. Fold your finished hook in half, and place it inside of the pot holder in one of the corners, with about 1/2″ of the raw edges hanging out.

Be sure to put it in the very middle, in between your two pieces of fabric. Pin it in place if you want.

Moving on to the sewing machine. Start sewing at the bottom edge of the opening you decided, and sew about 1/4 in from the edges. Be sure to do a back-forth-stitch when you start.

Sew all the way around the edges, making sure to sew over the hook to sew it in place, and stopping about 2″-3″ from where you started. End with a back-and-forth stitch.

Trim off the excess on the corners and all the way around the edges, getting close to your stitches but not cutting over them. You can also trim off the excess raw edges of the hook.

Now you can turn your potholder inside out, using the opening you created. Be sure to push the corners out as best you can with your fingers.

Once you have it turned inside out, fold the raw edges into the middle of the potholder at the opening. Do a top stitch all the way around, about 1/4″ in to seal all of your edges.

Finally, you’re going to do a top stitch over the center of the potholder, quilting it together so the insides don’t move around too much.

You can keep it as simple as a big X through the middle with your stitches, or get more creative. In this one I did striped pattern.

Cut off any stray threads and that’s it! You have a really cute and simple potholder now.

It would be fun to make your potholder double-sided with a different, coordinating fabric on the other side.

DIY Potholders As A Gift

I LOVE a good, handmade gift. With Mother’s Day right around the corner I can’t help but think these DIY potholders would make the perfect gift for the mom’s in your life.

You could pair it with the DIY apron below and make them out of the same, OR coordinating fabrics.

Spend an afternoon making a dozen or so and you’ll always have a little something extra to throw in a gift bag. Or a quick gift idea when you’re short on time! Does anyone else forget birthdays until the day before?! EEK!

This would be SO cute and a great gift paired with my DIY apron, in the same or coordinating fabrics.

Enjoy Your Handmade Potholders

I hope you enjoy your handmade potholders! If you love easy sewing projects or you’re a newbie sewer, then this tutorial was made for YOU.

Sew some up and then tag me on Instagram so I can see what you create.

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