How to Make Your Old and Ugly Potholders Nice and New Again

Once upon a time, my potholders were nice and new and durable. Fast forward many years and they are no longer new. In fact, they are nowhere near nice (to be honest, they are quite gross looking). But, they are still very durable! What is a frugal and practical woman to do? She can not discard something with a good shelf life and yet the feminine side does like to see pretty! This is where our "born again" potholders come in. A renewal is a good thing, isn't it?

This would also make a nice project if you simply want to change the color scheme of your kitchen (goodbye blue and white friend from 15 years ago) or if someone accidentally bleaches your "prized possession" potholders which were of such good quality (sigh).

What you will need are your existing potholders (I told you they were disheartening), some fabric scraps and the ability to sew a straight line. That is all! If you can sew a square sachet, you can do this project! In essence, you are simply fashioning little slipcovers for your old and pathetic looking ones. 

I used scraps of the thicker home decor fabrics that my mother-in-law gave me for our potholders. You can even consider refurbishing them with cast off linens like random napkins, tea towels, etc.

To refresh your supply:

1. Measure your old potholders and create a pattern. When making the pattern, give yourself an extra inch around to allow for a seam allowance. If your potholder has a different shape, trace it on paper and add the extra inch around when preparing the pattern.

2. Cut out your pattern. I did four pieces at once for a set of potholders to make it easier and quicker.

3. Sew your two pieces of fabric together around the whole perimeter but leave one half of one side open (this is where you will insert the old potholder inside). Make sure the right sides are facing each other, using an approx. 1/4" seam allowance when you sew.

4. Turn the potholder cover inside out and you will be left with a nice pocket to insert your old potholder.

5. Sew new matching tabs onto the corner of your old potholder (make sure to clip off the old tabs so they don't interfere). Ribbon can be used to make it easy or you can create a strip with the fabric of your choice.

6. Insert your old potholder into the slipcover (making sure that the new tab is now peaking out) and carefully pin close the remaining seam.

7. Hand sew the final seam closed. I am sure there are tricks to make the seam look invisible but I am a basic seamstress (if you can even call me that!) so I just placed a few even stitches in there to finish off the potholder.

8. To keep the original potholder in place inside the slipcover, I stitched an "x" in the middle (through all the layers). You may even want to do all four corners with an "x" to keep it in place during your routine washing.

9. You are finished! Now you have some nice and new potholders for pennies!

Why bother?

The average price for a new set of potholders is $14 and these are for a very basic looking, no-frills model. That is $7 per item plus tax! We have refurbished six so far which means a savings of at least $42 plus we have an attractive set to make homemaking more enjoyable! We intend on redoing four others which will give us a grand total of approx. $70 worth of savings. And this only took up one hour in an afternoon.

Also, I have found that to buy a potholder inexpensively at a dollar store (for example) can sometimes be quite dangerous! A friend of mine burnt her hand using a brand new one because the padding was sorely lacking. Frugality mustn't be compared to "cheap". There is a difference, especially when choosing important and functional kitchen tools. This is a thrifty project but by no means a compromising one!

"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."

~ Thomas Moore

The beautiful thing about a homemaker is her constant creativity. One who realizes that her calling is important attempts to flourish in all departments. She sees a need and not only desires to fill it, but to bring beauty to her home at the same time. Pretty and practical, she makes a difference to the family budget with her resourcefulness and creates a cozy environment with her homemaking prowess. And to the striving Proverbs 31 woman, it is a very satisfying place to be!

"Before" and Happily Ever "After"...

You may also be interested in our other very easy sewing projects; Make Your Own Handkerchiefs, Make a Clothespin Apron, Make Your Own Oilcloth Coasters, Make Your Own Baby Burp Cloths and/or Embellishing Toddler T-Shirts.

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