How to Make Quilted Pot Holders with Recycled Towels and Fabric Scraps

Towels wearing thin? Ready to toss them and replace them with new ones? Don't throw them away! Recycle them into new potholders for your kitchen. With a few simple steps, you too, can make potholders to express your own individual style and complement the décor of your home.

Materials

Old towels
Scissors
Measuring tape
Scraps of cotton material
Thread
Sewing machine
Quilter's pencil/pins
Bias tape

Cutting the Squares

Begin by cutting your old towel into 8-inch squares. You will need 2 or 3 towel squares per potholder, depending on the thickness of the towel squares. If your towels have worn very thin, you may need 3 layers to create a potholder. With thicker towels, two layers are generally enough. Layer the towel squares to the appropriate thickness.

Decorative Cotton Covers

Cut 8 inch squares from cotton material. You will need two for each potholder. You may wish to use a decorative piece for the top and a coordinating solid for the bottom. Use your creativity to select colors and designs that reflect your individual style.

Layer and Pin

Place one square of cotton material on the bottom of the towel squares and one on the top of the towel squares with the right sides facing out. Pin these layers together with quilting or dressmakers pins. Smooth the material as you pin to prevent puckers.

Sketch the Quilting Design

Draw a quilting design on the top of the potholder. You may wish to create a decorative design, but a simple diamond design is fine. With a ruler or straight edge, draw a line from corner to corner on the potholder. Mark parallel lines one inch part all the way to the point on both sides of this centerline. When you are finished you should have eleven lines that decrease in length as they near point of your potholder.

Stitch

With a sewing machine, simply sew a straight line along the lines you have marked. Once you have completed this step, repeat the same procedure on the opposite axis by drawing a line from corner to corner, marking 1-inch sewing lines, and sewing the potholder on these lines. You will now have a diamond design quilted into your potholder.

Trim