Scrap Christmas Potholder Tutorial

As I’ve been working on my holiday potholders, I realized I had WAY TOO MANY scraps.  I wanted to use them to create something cute and practical. For this tutorial my holiday fabric is Blend’s Tinsel line.

Scrap Christmas Potholder Tutorial

These potholders would be a great gift for the holiday season to make in a couple of hours.  If you need something for a teacher, co-worker, hostess gift and/or stocking stuffer.  Let’s be honest you know you will need something quick for someone on your list.  This let’s you use up some scraps and give them something they will use.

Here’s the list of what you need:

  • 4 8″ squares, 2 in white, 2 in coordinating color with scrap prints for the back.
  • 2 8″ squares of cotton batting, 4 if you don’t have Insulbright.
  • 2 8″ squares of Insulbright batting.
  • 2 4″ of ribbon at least 1/4″ wide.
  • 1/4″ steam-a-seam or glue stick.
  • Embroidery floss (optional)

supplies for scrap christmas potholderssupplies for scrap christmas potholderTo get started sort through your scraps and select 5 fabrics to use for your tree.  Stack your fabrics smallest to largest to make sure it’s the layout you want.

scrap christmas potholdersAdd steam a seam to the back of all the strips you selected to help secure the fabrics to your 8″ square.

scrap christmas potholdersBegin with your biggest scrap and put towards the bottom of your 8″ square.  Leave at least an inch from the bottom.  Layer your next strip onto the first strip.

scrap christmas potholderYou can press the bottom strip to the background square with your iron to help hold it in place.  Sew the two pieces together using 1/4″ seam allowance.

scrap christmas potholderPress the strip up.  Press with iron to adhere to background square.  Repeat this process until all 5 strips are on your background square.  Press the square to adhere all of the steam-a-seam.  Your finished tree should like this.

scrap christmas potholderTo secure the rest of the raw edges, use a zig zag stitch around the outside of the strips.  Pay attention to the corners where the strips adhere to prevent unraveling.

scrap christmas potholderscrap christmas potholderOnce completely secure your square will look similar to this.

scrap christmas potholderTo finish this square, add a rectangle with embroidery floss or stitches.  Add a stump to the tree and a star on top.

scrap christmas potholderWith your completed top you are ready to make your potholder.  Stack Insulbright, batting, backing, and your top.  Put your top wrong side up.  If this is your first time making a potholder this way, I would suggest pinning each corner to prevent sliding of the layers.

scrap christmas potholderStart on the side and use a 1/4″ seam allowance all the way around the potholder.  In one corner add your ribbon.  Fold in half and insert with loop between the top and back fabric.  Leave a 1″-1.5″ opening to allow to enough room to turn the potholder inside out.

scrap christmas potholder

scrap christmas potholderTurn potholder inside out.  The Insulbright and batting should be in the middle and your ribbon loop should be out in a corner.  Push the corners out with your scissors to avoid so much bulk in the corners.  Sew the seam shut with a whip stitch.

scrap christmas potholderTopstitch the potholder with a coordinating or contrasting color.  Whatever you feel would be best.  You have a completed set of potholders using the scraps you have around.

scrap christmas potholderI prefer to use the turning inside out method.  I think it makes the potholder more secure.  These potholders are not fire resistant, but are heat resistant to the specifications of Insulbright batting, see here.  The cotton batting is used to absorb moisture and recommended to use with Insulbright.

If you have questions or trouble, ask away.  Can’t wait to see what you create with your holiday fabric scraps.