Pot Holder Pattern Maker
A pot holder is a small quilted square or circle of cotton and heat-resistant batting, bound at the edge. Set the size, choose square or round, and add a hand pocket if you want to use it a little like a mitt, and a hanging loop.
Read the maker’s heat note on this page before you choose materials.
Make it yours: Measure the pot or tray you will lift, then change the size, the thickness and the shape.
Make this pattern in your size →Read before you sew
The maker prints this note with the pattern. It is guidance for choosing materials and using the finished item, not a guarantee.
- Heat safety: use only 100% cotton or other natural-fibre fabric, batting made to be heat-resistant for the oven, and 100% cotton thread. Polyester, nylon and other synthetics (fabric, batting, thread or binding) can melt onto skin. Never use a wet or scorched mitt or pot holder, which passes heat straight through, and keep it away from open flame. Not for use in a microwave unless every layer is 100% cotton.
What you can change
Size
- Side: 12–32 cm (4¾–12⅝″). Across the square, or the diameter of a round one.
Sizes are typed in centimetres, millimetres or inches. The starting size is Side 20 cm (7⅞″).
Options
- Shape: square or round
- Switches: Hand pocket, Quilting lines, Hanging loop
- Measurements and counts: Corner radius, Batting layers, Visible binding width
Starting points
These are sizes and settings to begin from, and every one stays fully editable. Type your own measurements, or start from the nearest one.
| Starting point | Finished size, cm | Same starting point in round inches |
|---|---|---|
| Pot holder | 20 cm square | 8″ square |
| Hot pad · round | 23 cm across | 9″ across |
| Pot holder with pocket | 19 cm square | 7½″ square |
| Large trivet | 28 cm square | 11″ square |
Cutting list
At the starting size (Side 20 cm (7⅞″)) the pattern has these pieces. Fabric sizes include seam allowance, interfacing is cut to the stitching line, and pieces cut on the fold are shown opened out. Each size is the width and height of the piece as cut.
| Piece | Fabric | Cut | Size to cut | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pot holder | Main fabric | 1 | up to 20 × 20 cm (up to 7⅞ × 7⅞″) | Shaped: cut from the printed piece |
| Pot holder | Lining | 1 | up to 20 × 20 cm (up to 7⅞ × 7⅞″) | Shaped: cut from the printed piece |
| Pot holder | heat-resistant batting, 2 layers | 2 | up to 20 × 20 cm (up to 7⅞ × 7⅞″) | Shaped: cut from the printed piece |
| Bias binding | Main fabric | 2 | 8 × 45.3 cm (≈3⅛ × ≈17⅞″) | Strip: cut by measurement |
| Hanging loop | Main fabric | 1 | 4.8 × 15 cm (≈1⅞ × ≈5⅞″) | Strip: cut by measurement |
You will also need: Heat-resistant batting; Thread. The cover page and materials list give the amounts for your size.
The maker’s fabric estimate at this size: Main fabric about 0.4 m of 112 cm fabric; Lining about 0.3 m of 112 cm fabric.
How it goes together
These are the maker’s own instructions at the starting size. They change with the options you pick, and the PDF carries the full set with the cover, cutting list and materials list.
- Safety first. Everything that goes in this pot holder must be natural: 100% cotton fabric, heat-resistant batting made for the oven, and 100% cotton thread. Wash and dry your fabrics hot first, so they shrink before you sew, and press them.
- Cut on the printed lines: one outer, one lining and 2 pieces of batting. The edge is bound, so there is no seam allowance.
- Make the sandwich: the lining right side down, the 2 layers of batting, then the outer right side up. Smooth the layers flat, pin or clip them, and baste round the edge 0.6 cm in.
- Quilt along the marked lines through all the layers, from one edge to the other, so the batting cannot shift.
- Trim the edge level all round, and round the corners to the printed outline if they have crept.
- Make the hanging loop: press the strip in quarters to 1.2 cm wide and edgestitch both sides. Fold it in half and baste its ends to one corner of the pot holder, raw ends level with the edge and the loop pointing in, so the binding catches them.
- Make the binding: join the strips on the diagonal, right sides together, press the seams open, then press the strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.
- Bind the edge: with raw edges level, sew the folded strip to the right side 1 cm from the edge, starting 2.5 cm in from one end of the strip and stopping the same distance short; join the strip's ends on the diagonal to fit, then sew the gap. Wrap the fold over the raw edge to the back and stitch in the ditch of the first seam from the front, catching the fold behind.
- Wash it in hot water and dry it before first use, so the cotton shrinks and the quilting settles.
Fabric suggestions
Outer: 100% cotton only: quilting cotton, cotton canvas, cotton duck or linen. No polyester blends, no metallic prints, no vinyl or laminate.
Lining: 100% cotton: flannel, quilting cotton or terry. The lining is what touches your hand.
Interfacing, padding or other layers: Heat-resistant batting sold for oven mitts and pot holders, or two layers of 100% cotton batting; 100% cotton thread throughout. Never fusible interfacing, foam or polyester wadding.
How each fabric family suits it
- Stable woven: great choice. Use it only if it is 100% cotton. It quilts and binds neatly.
- Heavy or stiff: possible, with care. Cotton canvas or duck is good. Vinyl, oilcloth, laminate and faux leather melt or scorch: do not use them.
- Stretchy knit: not recommended. Knits are usually blended with synthetics, and they stretch out of shape under the binding.
- Slippery or fine: not recommended. Satin, nylon and polyester linings melt onto skin. Do not use them.
The maker’s advice adjusts to the fabric family you pick in the Fabric tab.
Printing it
At the starting size the printed pieces take 2 A4 pages, taped together using the page labels, alignment marks and page map. For a print shop, choose a sheet from A0 to a 36″ roll: the pieces are packed onto as few sheets as they will fit on, and if one is too big for the sheet the maker says so. How printing, tiling and the test square work.
Frequently asked questions
What materials does the maker recommend?
Only 100% cotton or other natural-fibre fabric, batting made to be heat resistant for the oven, and 100% cotton thread, because polyester, nylon and other synthetics can melt onto skin. This is guidance for choosing materials, not a safety guarantee, and a wet or scorched pot holder should not be used.
What size can I make?
The pot holder pattern takes side from 12–32 cm (4¾–12⅝″). It starts at Side 20 cm (7⅞″), and you can work in centimetres, millimetres or inches. There are 4 starting points to begin from (Pot holder, Hot pad · round, Pot holder with pocket, Large trivet). Every starting point stays fully editable.
Which fabric suits the pot holder pattern?
100% cotton only: quilting cotton, cotton canvas, cotton duck or linen. No polyester blends, no metallic prints, no vinyl or laminate. In the maker’s fabric advice, stable woven is a great choice; heavy or stiff is possible with care; stretchy knit and slippery or fine are not recommended.