Wouldn’t it be nice to have a lid for every single mixing bowl or serving bowl in your kitchen? This simple step-by-step sewing tutorial will help you create DIY Reusable Bowl Covers. After you make these you won’t have to try multiple bowls that have lids to find something that works. You also can get rid of that drawer full of lids that you aren’t even sure you have the containers for anymore. These bowl covers take up much less space and can be used on multiple sizes of bowls. Simply make a few of these DIY Reusable Bowl Covers and you will always have a lid handy!
Supplies for DIY Reusable Bowl Covers
- Fabric – 1/2 yard makes approximately 3 bowl covers
- Cotton for top
- Laminated (food-safe) cotton for the bottom
- Thread
- Scissors
- Sewing Pins or clips
- Marking utensil (pen, pencil, laundry marker)
- Bowl(s) that you want to make covers for.
- 1/4″ white elastic
- Bias tape (extra wide double fold) – the color of your choice
- Small safety pin
- Iron/Ironing board
- Sewing machine
For your materials to make the DIY Reusable fabric bowl covers make sure to double-check to make sure that the laminated cotton that you are using is food-safe. Also, verify your Bias tape type as it needs to be extra wide and double-fold, otherwise, you will be running back to the store in the middle of your bowl cover sewing project.
DIY Reusable Bowl Covers
First, you will want to wash, dry and press the cotton top fabric, this will make sure the DIY reusable bowl covers end result has fewer flaws or issues. You won’t need to wash the laminated cotton prior to sewing as it will not shrink like the cotton fabric.
Next, place the bowl face down on the wrong side of the laminated cotton fabric and trace around the bowl lightly with a pencil or other marking tool. Then remove the bowl.
After that, using a hem gauge, measure and mark several small dashes 1.25″ away from the line you drew all the way around the circle.
At this point, you will have a complete circle drawn on your fabric with a dashed circled 1.25″ around the first circle.
Now, connect your small dashes to form a solid line. This will create another circle around the original bowl circle.
Cut this larger circle out for your DIY reusable bowl covers project.
At this point, if you are making more than one fabric bowl cover of the same size, simply trace around the circle you just cut out again on the laminated fabric. This will avoid having to measure and mark the small markings over again.
Lay your laminated cotton circle on top of the wrong side of your chosen cotton top fabric. Trace around the circle.
Cut out the second circle.
Next, reposition your circles so that the “wrong” sides are together. This will make the right sides facing out to the top and bottom.
Now, take a look at your Bias tape. Double-check that it is extra wide and double-fold. If you have the wrong kind you can pause here and go get the right extra-wide, double-fold bias tape.
You’ll notice on the bias tape there is one fold that is narrower than the other. The narrower fold will be on the top of the fabric (the top cotton print – NOT the laminated cotton). Unfold this narrower side of the bias tape to reveal the raw edge. With the “right” side of the bias tape facing down, line the raw edge of the bias tape up just past the edge of your cut circles of fabric.
Curving the bias tape as you go, place a clip every inch or so all the way around the circle.
When you get to the end, overlap the edges of just a bit (about a half-inch or so). You’ll want to fold the bottom layer of bias tape on itself, then overlap the top layer.
This will make a nice finished edge to the bias tape when you’re finished. Trim off any excess. I chose to use clips instead of pins so I would not make holes in my laminated cotton.
You’ll see an unfolded crease in the bias tape – this will serve as your guide for stitching. Stitch along the crease in the bias tape, about 1/4″ in from the edge with your sewing machine around the whole circle, removing clips as you go.
The picture above shows what your DIY reusable bowl covers project should look like after you’ve finished sewing the bias tape.
Fold the bias tape down on the backside of the fabric circles.
Tuck in the raw edges of the fabric and bias tape.
Finger press the edges to ensure the fabric is sandwiched inside the bias tape – DON’T iron so you don’t melt your laminate fabric.
Now you will re-clip the edges to hold the bias tape “sandwich” flat.
Now, topstitch bias tape around the circle VERY close to the edge of where the fabric meets the bias tape.
Leave 1.5″ opening – I chose to clip with a different clip so I knew where my opening would start to signify when to stop stitching the reusable fabric bowl covers.
Next, flip your bowl upside down. Lay elastic around the bowl edge (the top of the bowl), then subtract about 4-5 inches and cut for a larger bowl cover. For a smaller reusable bowl cover, you won’t want to remove as much.
Insert a small safety pin into one end of the elastic.
Through the 1.5″ opening you made, insert the safety pin end of the elastic into the bias tape casing.
Now, gently feed the elastic into the casing until you reach the other end of the circle at the opening.
Elastic ends should meet at the opening of the bias tape.
Overlap the two ends of the elastic by about 1″.
Next, stitch the ends together with a zig-zag stitch. Work the elastic all the way into the casing.
Finally, topstitch the opening of the casing shut to finish your DIY reusable bowl cover.
The finished fabric bowl cover should look like the picture above. With the cotton fabric on the outside and the laminated cotton on the inside of the cover. Repeat the process for the desired number of bowl covers. You can use these reusable bowl covers for a variety of things and they will work on multiple size bowls, not just one.
You can use these for covering yummy foods at a picnic, in the fridge, or at gatherings in your kitchen! The uses for these covers are infinite! How are you going to use the ones you make? Leave a comment below!
To store the covers place them inside of each other. This way they will store flat and not take up much space in your cabinet or drawer as those plastic lids do.
This DIY Reusable Bowl Cover project will make your life so much easier by providing an easy to clean lid for any bowl in your kitchen! Do you need to pre-chop some veggies so they are ready when you get home? Do you need to take something to a potluck at the neighbor’s house? The fact that they are easy to make and customizable makes these a must DIY project for every kitchen! These also make great gifts for a friend or family member.
If you liked our DIY reusable bowl cover tutorial make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board or share it with friends on social media. If you decide to make some take a picture afterward and tag us on social media as we love seeing the fabrics and color choices others make.
DIY Reusable Bowl Cover
In this tutorial, you will learn how to make these hand DIY Reusable Bowl Covers. These are amazing for all the bowls in your kitchen that don't come with lids! Quickly learn how to make a lid for any bowl you use.
Materials
- Fabric - Cotton for top and laminated cotton for bottom*
- Thread
- Marking Utensil (pen, pencil, laundry marker)
- Bowl(s)
- 1/4" white elastic
- Bias tape (extra wide double fold)
- Pins or Clips
- Small safety pin
Tools
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Iron/Ironing board
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and press the cotton top fabric. You won’t need to wash the laminated cotton prior to sewing.
- Place bowl face down on the wrong side of the laminated cotton fabric and trace around the bowl lightly with a pencil or other marking tool. Remove bowl.
- Using a hem gauge, measure and mark several small dashes 1.25” away from the line you drew all the way around the circle.
- Connect your small dashes to form a solid line. This will create another circle around the original bowl circle.
- Cut this larger circle out.
- At this point, if you are making more than one bowl cover of the same size, simply trace around the circle you just cut out again on the laminated fabric. This will avoid having to measure and mark the small markings over again.
- Lay your laminated cotton circle on top of the wrong side of your chosen cotton top fabric. Trace around the circle.
- Cut out the second circle.
- Reposition your circles so that the “wrong” sides are together. This will make the right sides facing out to the top and bottom.
- Take a look at your bias tape. You’ll notice there is one fold that is narrower than the other. The narrower fold will be on the top of the fabric (the top cotton print – NOT the laminated cotton). Unfold this narrower side of the bias tape to reveal the raw edge. With the “right” side of the bias tape facing down, line the raw edge of the bias tape up just past the edge of your cut circles of fabric. Curving the bias tape as you go, clip every inch or so all the way around the circle.
- When you get to the end, overlap the edges just a bit (about a half-inch or so). You’ll want to fold the bottom layer of bias tape on itself, then overlap the top layer. Trim off any excess. **I chose to clip instead of pin so as not to make holes in my laminated cotton**
- You’ll see an unfolded crease in the bias tape – this will serve as your guide for stitching. Stitch along the crease in the bias tape (about ¼” in from the edge) with your sewing machine around the whole circle, removing clips as you go.
- Tuck in the raw edges of fabric and bias tape and fold the bias tape down on the backside of the fabric circles. Finger press the edges to ensure fabric is sandwiched inside the bias tape – DON’T iron so you don’t melt your laminate fabric. Re-clip the edges to hold the bias tape “sandwich” flat.
- Now, top stitch bias tape around the circle VERY close to the edge of where the fabric meets the bias tape. Leave 1 ½” opening – I chose to clip with a different clip so I knew where my opening would start to signify when to stop stitching.
- Flip your bowl upside down. Lay elastic around the bowl edge (the top of the bowl), then subtract about 4-5 inches and cut.
- Insert a small safety pin into one end of the elastic.
- Through the 1.5” opening you made, insert the safety pin end of elastic into the bias tape casing. Gently feed the elastic into the casing until you reach the other end of the circle at the opening.
- Overlap the two ends of elastic about 1” and stitch them together with a zig zag stitch. Work the elastic all the way into the casing.
- Lastly, top stitch the opening of the casing shut to finish your cover.
- Repeat the process for the desired number of bowl covers.
Notes
These store very easily inside of one another.
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