15 Adorable Quilted Potholder Patterns That Are So Quick And Easy To Make

As a quilter, sometimes you don’t want to set aside 30+ hours to create an entire quilt.

Sometimes you just want a quick project to work on that you can still express your creativity without having to block out hours upon hours. 

Finding easy quilted potholder patterns is a perfect way to work on less time-consuming projects

Potholders (or hot pads) are something that everyone needs in their kitchen.

They make fantastic, handmade gifts and will last for years if made well.

Let’s look at some DIY potholder patterns and get some inspiration to make our own!

How Do You Make a Quilted Potholder?

Making a quilted potholder is a simple process. All you need is your sewing machine, thread, some fabric (scraps work great for many patterns), and some batting. Here are the five simple steps you can follow to create your own potholders.

  1. Choose a pattern. Use one of the fun patterns from the list below, find a different pattern, or create your own.
  2. Follow the pattern to piece together your tiny “quilt top.”
  3. Put together your quilt sandwich- pieced quilt top, batting, and backing fabric- and baste them using your preferred method. 
  4. Quilt as desired. Hand quilting would look adorable on small potholders. 
  5. Bind the edges using bias tape or handmade binding. 

 What Kind of Batting Do You Use for Potholders? 

If you strictly use the potholders for setting hot dishes and pans on, I recommend 100% cotton batting such as Pellon 100% cotton batting. It washes well and quilts beautifully. You may want to use at least two layers of the batting because it is a bit thin for this type of use.

If you have any plans for using these potholders in the microwave for any reason whatsoever, you must use batting that is microwave safe. Pellon Wrap-n-Zap is a great alternative and is microwave safe. 

What Is a Good Size for a Potholder?

The “right” size for a potholder will depend on personal preference and what dish you intend to use the hot pad with. I like larger potholders (about 9 ½” square) to protect my table or whatever surface on which I am placing the dish. 

If you have a large casserole dish you like to use, I would suggest measuring the bottom of the dish and adding 2” to both dimensions. Then you will ensure the dish won’t touch your table. For example, a 9”x13” pan will need an 11”x15” hot pad. 

15 Adorable Quilted Potholder Patterns

I have assembled 15 tempting hot pad patterns that I hope will inspire you to create your own. Several of these are free potholder patterns along with just a few paid that will be well worth your money. 

1. Half Square Triangle Pot Holders

Half Square Triangle Pot Holders

These potholders are a great example of what I meant by a “quick project.” They should only take a couple of hours to put together and look how beautiful and modern they look. This is a free tutorial with great photos and instructions for you to follow. The finished size of these potholders is 7 ½” square.


2. Orchard Hot Pads

Orchard Hot Pads

Aren’t these fruit-shaped potholders adorable? This pattern is a downloadable PDF that is 11 pages in total. The designer does a great job of giving instructions and fabric requirements for each fruit. The final sizes for each potholder are as follows: The Apple- 9 ¾”x8” and The Pear- 11”x 7 ¾”. 


3. Folded Star Potholder

Folded Star Potholder

Wow! This tutorial is exceptionally well-written and has great detailed photos, but it’s also free. Eliane over at Patchwork and Poodles has done a great job taking a somewhat intimidating project by breaking it down into easy-to-follow steps. These potholders would make heirloom-worthy gifts for your loved ones and can be made in just a few hours. 


4. Wholecloth Potholders

Wholecloth Potholders

This simple yet cute potholder project would make a fantastic beginner project. The designer picked some fun fabric that she simply quilted by following the lines of the waves of the fabric design. She then shows you how to bind the potholder and add a loop using the extra binding. You could use this simple tutorial to make any size hot pad. 


5. Patchwork Quilted Potholders

 Patchwork Quilted Potholders

I love the shape of these potholders. Instead of creating a square or rectangle, the designer used an oval shape that looks so adorable mixed with the traditional patchwork quilting. This free pattern comes with printables that you can use for the pockets of the potholder.


6. Leaf Potholders

 Leaf Potholders

These sweet, scrappy leaf potholders are a fun twist on a regular kitchen accessory. The leaf design is accentuated here by the designer’s choice to use a leaf vein quilting pattern. This pattern comes in three different sizes you can choose from. The sizes are Small- 5 ½”x 7”, Medium- 7 ½”x 9”, and Large- 9”x 12”.


7. Coffee Cup Potholder

Coffee Cup Potholder

If your goal is to make the cutest potholders imaginable, then this is the pattern for you. My fellow coffee addicts will love this 3D potholder pattern. As you can see in the image above, you could also use these potholders to hold different utensils and tools. How cute! The finished hot pad is 5 ½”x 8”.


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8. Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

This charming little house potholder would make the perfect housewarming gift. The pattern includes instructions on how to make the potholder and how to create the applique pieces. The designer of the example piece also used some cute little buttons for embellishment. The finished potholder will measure 8”x 8”.


9. Happy Camper

Happy Camper

The same designer from #8 designed this pattern, and, as you can see, it is a home on wheels! This quaint camper pattern is trendy and timeless all in one. Another pattern that features button embellishments and applique pieces, this one is a fun weekend project for anyone. The finished size will measure 9 ¼”x 7 ¼”.


10. Log Cabin Hexi Potholders

Log Cabin Hexi Potholders

If you have ever wanted to attempt a hexagon log cabin but have been too intimidated to tackle an entire quilt top, this is your chance. This well-written free tutorial will show you step by step how to make some of these whimsical potholders for yourself and your loved ones. This is a great choice if you have a lot of scraps that you don’t know what to do with.


11. Fruit Slices

 Fruit Slices

These fruit-themed potholders just scream summer, don’t you think? The pattern will include all templates you will need to make the following fruit options: lemon, lime, grapefruit, watermelon, apple, and orange. The pattern is precut friendly, and imagine making scrappy versions of these fruit slices.


12. Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side Up

First of all, I can’t get over how cute this hexagon fabric is for the chicken's body. It looks just like chicken wire…genius! This delightful little chicken would make the perfect addition to any kitchen. Think about having your favorite dish sitting on the chicken body with the little feet sticking out like the wicked witch of the West. Cute and funny!


13. Two Toooo Cute Gnomes

 Two Toooo Cute Gnomes

Gnomes are “cool” right now, but let’s be honest, these gnome potholders would be cool any time. This pattern offers two different style beards to choose from for your gnomes. You could make a different gnome for every occasion. The finished size for both styles is around 11”x 6 ½”.


14. Heart-Shaped Potholder

Heart-Shaped Potholder

This darling, heart-shaped potholder would make a lovely gift for someone you love. This is a simple free tutorial and will make a great beginner project for anyone wanting to try out sewing. This potholder is unique because it has pockets that you can use for handles while grabbing things out of the oven.


15. Quilted Pocket Potholders

Quilted Pocket Potholders

Measuring approximately 7”x 10”, this free tutorial for these vintage-inspired potholders is a great choice if you have several large dishes. These potholders have such a large pocket you can use them as an oven mitt. This tutorial also has well-made illustrations, which will be helpful for those who like to learn from photos over reading instructions. 

I had so much fun curating this bundle of potholder patterns for you. I hope they have inspired you and made you want to make some potholders soon. I know I’m ready to go through some of my scraps and make something!

Have fun and happy sewing!

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