How to Make Hot Pad Holders Out of Old Dish Towels
This project is easy to do, and it doesn’t cost a lot of money in materials. In fact, since you’re recycling dish towels that have lost their original usefulness, you’re actually saving yourself money in the long run!
Materials You’ll Need:
old dish towels
thick cotton batting
wide bias tape
Steps To Do:
1. The first step to make hot pad holders out of old dish towels is to lay a towel out flat on a hard work surface. You’ll need to use sharp scissors to cut out as many 7″ X 7″ squares as you can. Be sure to hold the fabric out flat as you cut it. If the towel has worn areas or holes in it, skip over those places. You’ll need at least two sturdy squares of cloth.
Notes: You can make your hot pad holders larger than this if you prefer. Just be sure to allow 1/4″ on each side for the seams. In this project, the finished pot holder will end up measuring about 6-1/2″ X 6-1/2″. If you want to make eight-inch square hot pad holders, for example, you’ll need two squares that initially measure 8-1/2″.
Don’t worry about using two different old dish towels too. It will simply give you a homemade hot pad holder with a different design on each side.
2. Cut out a piece of thick cotton batting that measures the same length and width as the two squares of dish towel cloth.
3. Sandwich the three pieces together with the cotton batting in the middle; make sure the edges are straight. The picture or design on each piece of dish towel should be showing on the outside. Then, use straight pins to secure each side together. Position each pin so they end up being a half inch in from the edges.
4. The next step to make hot pad holders out of old dish towels is to use your sewing machine to sew together each side of the hot pad holder. Place the thread half way in from each edge, in between the edge and the straight pins. Then, stitch across the homemade hot pad holder in whatever pattern you choose. Just make sure you place stitches every half inch or so in order to hold the batting securely in place. The stitching will also help give your homemade hot pad holder shape.
5. Use a pair of sharp scissors to trim off the rough edges of the dish towel fabric and batting. Also, trim the corners so they’re rounded nicely. Remove the straight pins before you move onto the next step.
Note: You can use your iron to press your homemade hot pad holder, paying particular attention to the edges. It does make the task of applying the wide bias tape easier.
6. Now, to make hot pad holders out of old dish towels, it’s time to apply the wide bias tape onto your homemade holder. Fold the bias tape over and use your iron to press it in half. Start at the middle of the top edge of the pot holder. Place the tape around the edges of your homemade hot pad holder securing it into place with straight pins as you go. Make sure the pins go all the way through to the other side of the bias tape.
Once you have covered all the edges with the tape, and are back to the top, make a two inch loop with the bias tape; pin it into place. This will be the hanger on the hot pad holder.
7. Finally, sew the bias tape onto the hot pad holder you’ve made out of old dish towels. When you reach the hanger, sew it down securely. Then, remove the straight pins, and you are finished!
