15 Cute Quilted Potholder Designs

As a quilter, you may not always want to devote 30+ hours to completing a quilt.

Sometimes all you want to do is work on a small project where you can show your creativity without having to block out hours upon hours.

Finding simple quilted potholder patterns is a great way to get started on a project that requires less effort.

Potholders (also known as hot pads) are an essential kitchen item.

They are wonderful handcrafted gifts and, if well-made, will last for years.

Let’s have a look at some DIY potholder patterns to get some ideas for our own!

How Do You Make a Quilted Potholder?

It’s simple to make a quilted potholder. You’ll only need your sewing machine, thread, fabric (scraps work well for many patterns), and batting. To make your own potholders, simply follow these five simple steps.

Select a design. Use one of the entertaining patterns from the list below, or come up with your own.
Piece together your miniature “quilt top” according to the pattern.
Assemble your quilt sandwich, which includes a pieced quilt top, batting, and backing fabric, and baste it together using your preferred method.
As desired, quilt.
On small potholders, hand quilting would be beautiful.
Using bias tape or handmade binding, bind the edges.

What Kind of Batting Do You Use for Potholders?

I prefer 100 percent cotton batting, such as Pellon 100 percent cotton batting, if you just use the potholders for setting hot dishes and pans on. It quilts wonderfully and washes well. Because the batting is a little thin for this type of use, you may wish to use at least two layers.

If you intend to use these potholders in the microwave for any purpose, you must use microwave-safe batting.

What Is a Good Size for a Potholder?

Personal preference and the dish you intend to use the hot pad with will determine the “appropriate” size for a potholder. To protect my table or whatever surface I’m setting the dish on, I prefer larger potholders (approximately 9 12″ square).

If you have a large casserole dish, I recommend measuring the bottom of it and adding 2 inches to both measures. Then you may rest assured that the dish will not touch your table. A 9″x13″ pan, for example, will require an 11″x15″ hot pad.

15 Adorable Quilted Potholder Patterns

I’ve put up 15 appealing hot pad patterns in the hopes of inspiring you to make your own. There are several free potholder patterns available, as well as a few purchased ones that are well worth your money.

1. Half Square Triangle Pot Holders

These potholders epitomize what I meant when I said “fast project.” They should just take a few hours to put together, and they look stunning and contemporary. This is a free tutorial with fantastic photographs and easy-to-follow directions. These potholders are 7 12″ square when done.

2. Orchard Hot Pads

Aren’t these cute fruit-shaped potholders? This pattern is an 11-page PDF that you may download. For each fruit, the designer does an excellent job of providing directions and fabric needs. The following are the final potholder sizes: The Apple is 9 34″x8″ and the Pear measures 11″x 7 34″.

3. Folded Star Potholder

Wow! This tutorial is not only really well-written, but it is also completely free. Patchwork & Poodles’ Eliane has done an excellent job of breaking down a potentially difficult undertaking into simple steps. These heirloom-worthy potholders may be produced in only a few hours and are wonderful gifts for your loved ones.

4. Wholecloth Potholders

This easy but adorable potholder craft is perfect for beginners. The designer chose some interesting fabric and simply quilted it by following the lines of the cloth’s waves. She then shows you how to tie the potholder and use the extra binding to make a loop. This simple guide may be used to construct any size hot pad.

5. Patchwork Quilted Potholders

These potholders have a great form. The designer selected an oval shape instead of a square or rectangle, which looks charming when combined with traditional patchwork quilting. This free design includes downloads for the potholder pockets.

6. Leaf Potholders

These patchwork leaf potholders are a unique take on a classic kitchen essential. The designer’s choice of a leaf vein quilting pattern here emphasizes the leaf motif. You can choose from three different sizes for this pattern. Small: 5 12″ x 7″, Medium: 7 12″ x 9″, and Large: 9″ x 12″.

7. Coffee Cup Potholder

This is the pattern to use if you want to make the cutest potholders possible. This 3D potholder pattern will appeal to my fellow coffee drinkers. You may also use these potholders to hold various utensils and tools, as shown in the image above. How adorable! The completed heat pad measures 5 12″ x 8″.

8. Home Sweet Home

This adorable miniature house potholder would make a wonderful housewarming present. The design includes directions for making the potholder as well as applique parts. For adornment, the designer of the example item used some beautiful small buttons. The finished potholder will be 8″x8″ in size.

9. Happy Camper

This pattern was created by the same designer as #8, and as you can see, it is a mobile house! This charming camper pattern is both fashionable and ageless. This is another pattern with button decorations and applique pieces, and it’s a great weekend project for anyone. The finished size will be 9 14 x 7 14 inches.

10. Log Cabin Hexi Potholders

If you’ve always wanted to try a hexagon log cabin but were afraid to tackle an entire quilt top, now’s your chance. This step-by-step free tutorial will show you how to make these humorous potholders for yourself and your loved ones. If you have a lot of scraps and don’t know what to do with them, this is a fantastic option.

11. Fruit Slices

Don’t you think these fruit-themed potholders scream summer? All of the templates you’ll need to make the following fruits are included in the pattern: lemon, lime, grapefruit, watermelon, apple, and orange. Imagine constructing scrappy versions of these fruit slices using the precut pattern.

12. Sunny Side Up

First and foremost, this hexagon fabric for the chicken’s body is very adorable. It resembles chicken wire…ingenious! This adorable little chicken would be a welcome addition to any kitchen. Imagine your favorite meal perched atop the chicken’s body, the small feet protruding like the evil witch of the West. Funny and cute!

13. Two Toooo Cute Gnomes

Gnomes are currently “popular,” but let’s be honest: these gnome potholders would be fantastic at any time. This design includes two distinct beard styles for your gnomes to select from. For each occasion, you might make a different gnome. Both styles are approximately 11″x 6 12″ when done.

14. Heart-Shaped Potholder

This sweet heart-shaped potholder would make a wonderful gift for someone you care about. This is a basic free tutorial that would make an excellent starter project for anyone interested in learning to sew. This potholder is unique in that it contains pockets that may be used as handles for removing items from the oven.

15. Quilted Pocket Potholders

This free tutorial for these vintage-inspired potholders measures around 7″x 10″ and is a wonderful choice if you have numerous large dishes. Because the pocket on these potholders is so huge, they can also be used as an oven mitt. This video also includes well-drawn graphics, which will be beneficial to people who like to learn by looking at pictures rather than reading instructions.

I had a lot of pleasure putting up this collection of potholder templates for you. I hope they’ve given you some ideas and motivated you to make some potholders soon. I know I’m ready to do something with some of my scraps!

Have a good time and happy sewing!