Sew Your Own Country Potholders- Easy Homemade Christmas Gifts

Looking for a handmade Christmas gift idea that people will actually use? These country potholders, padded with heat-safe batting, will be useful in every kitchen.

Materials needed for Two Country Potholders:

¼ yd each of 2 country plaids (if you want to make 2 matching potholders, otherwise use ¼ yd of 4 country plaids). I made mine reversible to make a coordinating look. If you want the potholders to be the same fabric on both sides instead of reversible, just use all the same fabric! (This Dunroven House Homespun Fabric would work nicely for these potholders.)

It's nice to make them in sets, but it's fun to make an assortment too! 

¼ yd microwave safe batting (like this Wrap-N-Zap Batting available here.)

Instructions:

First, prepare your squares.

For each potholder, you'll need four 8” squares of fabric, two from each plaid fabric, plus one 7” square of batting.

For each potholder, take all four pieces of fabric, and layer them, making sure every other one is a different color. One color plaid should be on top, with the other color plaid on the bottom. Put the batting in the center. 

You should have two layers of fabric on both sides.

 Pin the edges together.

Sew around the edges, about ¼” to ½” from the edge. You want to encase the batting, and just have the material around the edges.

Using seamstress chalk, mark a line from corners to corners.

Sew these lines to keep the batting in place. Iron the lines off.

Now for the fringe part! Cut lines about ¼” apart into the fabric on the outside of the sewn edges, being careful not to cut into the seam. If you accidentally cut into the seam, just sew over top of that little section, to keep it from coming apart. You can remove the corner squares that come off when cutting the lines.

I used a wire brush (that I picked up for $1 at the Green Dragon) to rough up the fringe. Just scrub back and forth with any abrasive item (a rubber eraser or sand paper may work as well). I scrubbed on both sides to make the fringe appear fuller.

If the potholders look linty after that, just use some tape or a lint roller. Wash the potholders in cold water and dry before use. 

Some add-ons you could try are adding a little strip of material in one corner for a hanging loop, or an applique of a smaller square, heart or other shape, in the center of one side of a different material, and after sewing it on, rough up its edges too in the same way. 

These make great homemade gifts for any home!

Click here to read more about Good's Store serving as a fabric store in Lancaster, PA.