DIY Free Potholder Hanging Kitchen Towel Tutorial

HOW TO MAKE HANGING DISH TOWEL WITH POTHOLDER

Every kitchen needs a hanging kitchen towel. A hanging towel in the kitchen means a towel is always handy when you need one. In my kitchen, I always wash something, so the hanging potholder dish towel is near the sink, and I use it numerous times a day to dry my hands.  

Learn how easy it is to make a hanging dish towel with a potholder by watching our video tutorial first and following the photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions below. This free pattern is a simple project requiring basic sewing skills, so even a beginner sewist can make one.

Best of all, this project is budget-friendly. All the supplies needed can be purchased at the dollar store or a local big box store. I have a Dollar Tree near me, and I bought the dish towel for $1.25. Potholders were sold 2 for $1.25. My button box had the button, so one potholder dish towel only cost me $1.88.

How to sew potholder towel

HANGING TOWEL INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1: GATHERING THE TOWEL

The width of the towel needs to be gathered so it is the same as the potholder. Fold the towel in half lengthwise and press with a hot iron along the fold. This crease will be the gathering line.

Or, lay the towel out flat with the wrong side facing up on a table and use a ruler to find the center of the towel.  Then, draw a straight line with a marking pencil to mark the centerline.

Sewing Machine Gathering Method

If you use a sewing machine, set it to a basting stitch. A basting stitch is a straight stitch set at the longest possible length. Pull the top and bobbin threads behind the presser foot so you have a long tail, about 5 to 6 inches. Then, stitch across the towel using the crease or drawn line as a guide.

Gather the towel until it is the same size as the potholder.  To gather, hold the top thread with one hand and pull the fabric away from the thread. Do this on both sides.  When you get close to the desired length, on one side, pull the bobbin thread up from the bottom and tie a knot with the bobbin and top thread. 

Continue gathering until the towel fabric reaches the desired width.  Again, pull the bobbin thread up from the bottom and tie it to the top thread.  Adjust the gathers so they are spaced evenly across the whole towel.

Another method to gather the towel is to use the zig-zag gather method.

Hand Gathering Method

Double thread a needle.  What is a double-threaded needle?  It is when the thread is put through the eye of the needle, the thread is folded in half, and the ends are held together and tied in a knot. There are two strands of thread on the needle.

The double thread should be longer than the gathering width. You can estimate the length you need by making the double thread longer than the potholder, but remember to allow extra thread to make a knot.

To hand gather, you will be stitching a basting stitch or gathering stitch, which is just a running stitch with the stitches about 1/4" to 1/2" away from each other.  As you stitch, pull the thread to gather the towel until it is the width of the potholder.  Knot the end.

STEP 2: Find the center of the Potholder

The potholder loop will determine how the towel will be attached to the potholder. Make sure the loop is at the top. You can make a loop with scrap fabric or ribbon if there is no loop.

Now, it is time to find the center of the potholder.  On the wrong side of the potholder, use a ruler to find the center and mark a line along the center using a marking pencil or your favorite marking tool.  

Note: Some potholders have no right or wrong side.  Decide which side you will want to show when the towel is hanging.  Mark a line on the other side of the potholder.  If the potholder has a wrong side, mark it on that side.

In the example potholder above, I decided to use the solid side, which will show when the towel is finished. So, I marked it on the printed side. 

STEP 3: SEWING POTHOLDER TO TOWEL

Place the towel on a flat surface with the right side facing up. Place the center-marked line of the potholder over the towel gathers. Pin the potholder and towel together with right sides together.

Set the sewing machine to a standard stitch length and sew along the line marked on the potholder, backstitching at the beginning and end.

If you don't have a sewing machine, you can hand-sew the two pieces together using a hand-sewing stitch - either the running stitch or the backstitch.

The potholder is now attached to the top of the towel.  Fold the potholder up and the towel downwards.  The project is almost finished!

STEP 4: mark and sew BUTTON

A button at the center top of the potholder is needed to attach the potholder towel to a rod or handle. Choose a button that will fit through the potholder loop but is large enough to hold it in place and will not come undone.  

Begin by folding the potholder in half with the loop at the top, as shown below.  The placement of the button will depend on the length of the loop.  Fold the loop down to see where to place the button. Mark this spot with a pin or marking pencil.

Hand sew the button to the front of the potholder at the marked location. The button could also be sewn on with a sewing machine.  We have video tutorials on two methods to sew on a button with a sewing machine - the zig-zag method and the button stitch method. 

That's it!  Your new hanging kitchen dish towel is complete. Just button it up over the handle of the oven, near the sink, or in any other convenient location. 

Don't forget the powder room.  This towel method can be used in the powder room to keep towels from slipping off the towel rod.

Need a quick and easy gift? Sew these DIY kitchen towels and add a set of utensils for the perfect hostess, teacher, housewarming, or Christmas gift.

Below is another towel potholder. The towel and potholder set were purchased from the dollar store!

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you want a more fun DIY kitchen decor check out our Free Sewing Crafts for the Kitchen. Happy Sewing!

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