With one row of sewing and a button, you can make a pot holder with hanging kitchen towel. This is one of those sewing projects that is so easy and obvious, but you will use it every day.
Hang the pot holder kitchen towel on the handle of your oven so you always have a place to dry your hands. The button makes it less likely for other folks (kids and husbands?) to move the pot holder kitchen towel, but it is easy enough to remove when you need to use the pot holder.
All the supplies to make this pot holder hanging kitchen towel are available at the dollar store or your favorite big box retailer making it budget friendly. I can make two for less than $5. Add a set of cooking utensils to make a thoughtful gift too. They are perfect for house-warming, wedding, and moving out/college gifts.
If you know the recipient’s colors in their kitchen, it is easy to find towels and pot holders to match. I have given several sets away over the years, and they are always well-received. Let’s get started on the pot holder kitchen towel!
Pot Holder with Hanging Kitchen Towel Supplies:
- Kitchen Hand Towel
- Rectangle Pot Holder
- Large Button
- Needle and Thread
A sewing machine makes this project even faster, but it is optional.
Pot Holder with Hanging Kitchen Towel
First, fold the towel in thirds lengthwise so that it is roughly the same width as the pot holder. You can measure if you’d like, but I just eyeball it. We’re going for quick and easy on this pot holder kitchen towel project!
Next fold the towel and the pot holder in half to form a crease down the centers. This gives you a dissapearing line for you to sew along without having to use any washable pencil or marker.
Place the pot holder on top of the folded towel with right sides together, and line up the seams. Use a couple of clips or pins to hold it in place.
Sew along the crease. This can be done by machine or by hand. I had to put the feed dogs down on my machine to get the layers of towel and pot holder under my needle. Then I put the feed dogs back up to sew. Be sure to backstitch at both ends to secure, because if you don’t backstitch the pot holder and kitchen towel will possibly come apart over time.
You’re almost done! I told you this pot holder kitchen towel project was quick and easy.
Flip the top half of the kitchen towel behind the pot holder and bottom half.
Now sew a button to the top center of the pot holder. Choose a button that fits through the loop of the pot holder easily while being large enough to hold it in place. For the button this is another opportunity to customize the project for your tastes. Choose a simple button or you can go for a bold look. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I had to run to the dollar store to purchase a sewing kit for this step. If I could do it with my sewing machine, I would! I am going to work on learning how to do that soon though.
That’s it! Your new pot holder hanging kitchen towel is machine washable too. I promise you will use them multiple times a day and want to make more. I would love to make a set with fun designs on them, campers or chickens perhaps. It would be fun to have different sets of the pot holder kitchen towels for the holidays too.
Hanging Kitchen Towel Easy Sewing Project
Make a kitchen towel that hangs on your oven door.
Materials
- Kitchen Hand Towel
- Rectangle Pot Holder
- Button
Tools
- Sewing Machine (optional)
- Needle
- Thread
Instructions
- Fold the towel in thirds lengthwise so that it is roughly the same width as the pot holder.
- Fold the towel and the pot holder in half to create a crease down the centers.
- Place the pot holder on top of the towel with right sides together, and line up the seams.
- Clip or pin in place.
- Sew along the seam with a sewing machine or by hand.
- Flip the top half of the towel behind the pot holder and bottom half.
- Sew a button in the top center of the pot holder.
Notes
- Supplies available at the dollar store
- Make sure your button fits through the loop of the potholder but is large enough to hold the towel in place
- Put the feed dogs down on your sewing machine to fit the towel under the needle. Then raise them before sewing.
- Add kitchen utensils for the perfect gift
You CAN sew the button on by machine, as long as your machine does a zig-zag and you can drop the feed dog. I’m sure you can find a YouTube video tutorial.
Hi Diane. My machine does not zig zag. I love the Juki but do miss that option. Perhaps I need a second machine 🙂
You can use your sewing machine to sew on buttons. Drop the feed dogs, adjust the stitch width (for zigzag stitch) to match the holes on your button, and set the stitch length to 0.
Hi Jan. My machine does not have a zigzag option, but I hope your comment is helpful to someone else. Sounds like I need a second machine too!
I had these for my son to take fishing, he constantly wiped his wet dirty hands on his jeans. He loved them a fast wash and ready for the next trip to the lake.
Cool idea, but I sure hope the plastic button doesn’t come into contact with anything hot when you use the hot pad.
Excellent point, Dianne. Have to be careful about that.
Use a wooden button.
Of course! You’re a smart cookie, Betty T.
Hi Happiestcamper2 , these are great. We have made cuptowels that hang on stove handle w/ crocheted tops and a half pot holder w/ half towel but these are the best. And not cutting makes less sewing and 2 uses. Thanks.
No cutting is the best part! Thanks for stopping by!
Absolutely love this idea.
Thank you, Donna!
I’ve made a few of these and the hardest part was finding buttons in the right color for my project and that would fit through the loop.
I consider myself an seamstress, so I used a seam ripperto “adjust” the. loop and madyit work.
These are do handy and inexpensive to make.
I found sets of 3 towels, 2: rectangle pot holders with matching oven mitt, at Walmart for about$5.
My goal is to try to embroidery kitchen designs on some for cute gifts.
Adjusting the loop is a great tip! I would love to see how your embroidery turns out. They really are handy!
Since you fold it in half anyway, I think a round potholder would also work (and you would get a curved top). I have some cute novelty buttons that would be great for this.
A round potholder would be super cute!
Just found brand new dish towels and matching pot holders at our local Good Will, $1.49 for 2 brand new dish towels and $1.49 for 2 pot holders!
Thank you so much for this tutorial.
I hand sew mostly. Going to make 2 hanging towels for one gift at a family wedding in April 2019.
Can hardly wait!!
Awesome find, Pat!
Do you find you needles break readily? Do you use a particular needle?
I did not have any trouble with needles breaking. You may need to adjust the tension on your machine. My needles are by Organ Needles Co, but I didn’t buy them for any particular reason. A pack of 500 came with my machine.
This are glorious, I just love them ! Dollar General or Dollar Tree has multiple style , colors and themed sets of matching pot holder and towels …..this is definitely a win win idea . Thank you very much for shareing !!! Have made three already , there are many people that save buttons . Older buttons have metal backs a bit tricky to sew on but worth the effort hand sewn????also if you have any thread on wooden spools they work perfect . Saw off top and you can use rest of spool for crafts . Or maybe to hang your hoops for needle point ? Thanks again ????????
I’m so glad you like them! I’ve been meaning to make some hanging kitchen towels in pretty colors for Sprig. I bet the dollar stores have some good ones.
Such a simple , but great idea. Reminds me of how I added more storage to my travel trailer. Target had these wonderful wooden box with a drawer. Screwed them to the bottom of my hanging cabinets and now have 3 more drawers in my kitchen for less than $20 bucks. Love simple solutions to problems. I’m going to have to go work on my sewing now. Good tip!!!
I have made a lot of these but I open the towel and put 1 inch folds across the towels (lengthwise) pin them in place, then place the hot pad across , sew it on. It gives the towel a little different look especially if there is a picture on the towel.
Those are great, Diane! The best part of sewing is making things exactly to your liking.
This was such a wonderful quick project. I used it as my little granddaughters introduction to sewing on my machine. The end results were beautiful. Thank you ❤️????????
How wonderful that you are teaching your granddaughter to sew. Your comment made my day!
How do you use the tea towel to dry your dishes, when you have sewn it across the middle while its folded? Sorry for the question but don’t see how it works in the same way that it is designed for.
I don’t use it to dry dishes. It’s more for drying my hands after washing them.
I have made these but I do not fold the towel in half. I like it to hang a little longer so I have about 2/3 on the front and only 1/3 on the back. More room for wiping hands.
That’s a nice tip!
Happy camper! Truly this simple project makes me a happy camper.
Thanks
hi as a beginner being the first interested in learning the sewing machine i love everything that ive seen u made was it hard at first sorry im just trying to teach my self do u have any suggestion wats easy to start with?
it doesn’t get much easier than this hanging kitchen towel sewing project as it is only a few straight lines you have to sew.
Much easier than the ones I sewed from a template using fabric for the top. We absolutely NEED these as our labradoodle dog steals tea towels and then rips them up or eats them! He has stopped trying to even take them now that we’ve had the buttoned on hanger over the stove handle.
I made a set with Christmas theme. I want to give as presents. My daughter wasn’t exactly thrilled, she wants to know if you use the pot holder to get things out the oven or is this just decorative part of towel set. I think it is a great idea. Going to make more no matter what she says, but get this, she does want me to make some for her. I told her to buy the items and I would do it. Looking forward to future projects for gifts.
I think you can use the potholders or just look at it as a simpler way to make a hanging towel. I use my towel and potholder.