Making Easy Potholders Out of Recycled Fabrics

Gather the following materials to construct your own eco-friendly potholders at home: old t-shirt, cotton filling, scissors, fabric glue and an embroidery needle with embroidery thread. Liquid Nails is a fantastic brand of fabric glue that creates a tight bond that wont wear away. Fabric adhesive like this eliminates the need for a needle and thread when it comes to creating small items like potholders.

Cut two squares from the old t-shirt that measure 8-by-8-inches each. Use a t-shirt that is 100% cotton, denim or canvas. Do not use poly or silk blend fabrics because they can melt and ignite when used as potholders.

Lay one of the squares out in front of you with the print or bold side of it facing upward. Squeeze a thin line of fabric glue along three sides of the fabric square. Place the second square of t-shirt fabric over the first with the print side facing downward. Press the edges together firmly and let the structure dry for 20 minutes. This assures that the bond will remain tight.

Turn the resulting pouch right-side-out. This exposes the printed sides of the t-shirt fabric while it hides the seam created by the glued edges. Stuff the inside of the pouch with a handful of cotton filling. Stuff it evenly into the pouch by pressing your fingers into the corners at the bottom of it, while spreading out the rest of the cotton filling. When you are done the resulting pad should be about 1/2-inch thick.

Adhere the opened edge of the potholder with a line of fabric glue. Press the edges together and let it dry for another 20 minutes. This leaves one frayed edge on the potholder.

Thread the embroidery needle with approximately 36 inches of embroidery thread in your choice of color. Use the needle to create a tight stitched border around all edges of the potholder. This is a completely optional step that adds to the appearance of the homemade potholder.

Conclusion
Making your own potholders from recycled clothing not only gives you materials for crafts, but it also helps you do your part for saving the planet. Eco-fashion and related crafts eliminate the need for new textiles which are sometimes obtained unethically.