Easy Double Thick Crochet Potholder – Free Pattern

These easy, double-thick crochet potholders are a quick and easy project you’ll love to crochet, over and over again. This free pattern uses a simple combination of basic crochet stitches, so it’s easy to learn and quick to make a crochet potholder.  And, since the potholders are made out of cotton yarn, they’re durable and machine washable.

Whether you want to give hot pads as gifts, sell them at craft fairs, or keep them all for yourself, you’ll love this crochet potholder pattern.  Keep reading to learn how to make them.

I love to design and crochet things that are as useful as they are beautiful.  And when I think about crocheting useful things for the kitchen, I always think about these easy, double-thick crochet potholders.

Diagonal Potholder Design

I learned this particular crochet pattern from my grandma, who makes them all the time.  But you may have seen similar crochet hot pad and trivet patterns called something like the “magic potholder” pattern or the “origami hot pad” pattern.

The design behind this pattern is a simple idea, but it’s actually pretty cool. The pattern starts with a simple starting chain.  Then, you’ll crochet around the chain in continuous rounds.  As you do that, the fabric will start to fold onto itself. 

(You might think you’ve messed up at this point – but keep going.)

Once the piece is large enough, you’ll be able to fold the sides together to create a square potholder with a double thickness of fabric. This double thickness of crochet is so important to protect your kitchen counter – and your hands – from the heat of hot pots.

If you’d like to learn how to make a beautiful crocheted potholder too, keep reading.

An Easy Pattern for Beginners

Here are a few reasons why I think this crochet potholder is such a great project, especially for the beginner crocheter:

• This free pattern uses a simple combination of basic crochet stitches, so it’s perfect for beginners.  The pattern is easy to learn and quick to memorize, so it’s perfect for crocheting while you watch TV.
• It works up super quickly with just one ball of cotton yarn. Once you get the hang of the pattern, these potholders will be flying off your hook in an hour or less.
• Plus, these crochet potholders make great gifts. You can make them in different colors to match any kitchen decor.

If you’re new to crochet, check out my guide on crocheting for beginners, with lots of free stitch tutorials and other information.

How to Crochet a Potholder

This pattern will teach you how to crochet a square potholer that folds in on itself to create a double thickness of fabric.  It starts with chain stitch, continues with rounds of single crochet, and finishes with a simple mattress or whip stitch.

1. First, you’ll crochet a starting chain stitch. Crochet single crochet down one side of the chain and up the other side. 
2. Then, crochet around and around in rounds in single crochet. I like to work the single crochet in the back loop to create a nice textureYou’ll see the sides start to grow, then flip over, and form a diagonal potholder. 
3. Then, all you have to do is seam it together to create a double-thick flat potholder.  

Crochet Potholder Supplies

Here are the materials and tools that you’ll need to make this project.

• Cotton Yarn. Choose a durable cotton yarn that won’t melt under the heat of a hot dish. I’ll give you my recommendations for the best cotton yarn in the next section.
• Size H hook (5 mm). I find that a size H hook gives me the right gauge to get a flexible hot pad that’s still dense enough to protect my hands from the heat. A smaller hook (G) will give you a denser fabric and will take more yarn. A larger hook, (I) will give you a more open fabric and will take less yarn. 
• A yarn needle.  You’ll need a blunt-tipped yarn needle, sometimes called a tapestry needle, to sew up the seam and weave in the ends
• Optional: Insultaing fabric. You can insert a square of heat-resistant Insul-Bright fabric into the hot pad before you sew up the seam. This isn’t strictly necessary, but can be a nice addition.

Best Cotton Yarn for Potholders

The best type of yarn to use for hot pads and potholders is cotton yarn. Why? Cotton yarn can handle the heat of a hot pan, but acrylic yarn can melt or burn.

Plus, cotton yarn is absorbent, durable, and reusable. It’s easy to wash and dry, too – just throw it in the laundry with the rest of your kitchen towels.

For this pattern, I used Lily Sugar‘n Cream yarn. It’s a Category 4, worsted weight yarn made from 100% cotton. It comes in a ton of colors, including stripes and ombre colorways.  That said, you can use any other worsted-weight cotton yarn for this project. Some of my favorite kitchen cotton yarns include:

• WeCrochet Dishie. This yarn has a tighter twist than other cotton yarns, so it splits less. It’s very durable and machine washable, too.
• Lion Brand 24/7 Mercerized Cotton Yarn. This yarn is made from 100% mercerized cotton yarn, which means it’s strong and and a little shinier than other cotton yarns.

More Kitchen Crochet Patterns

If you like making useful crochet projects for the kitchen and bath, you may be interested in some of these other patterns. 

• Reusable Cotton Crochet Face Scrubbies
• Easy Crochet Can Cozy

Double Thick Potholder Pattern

Skill Level: Easy

Materials

• 1 – 2 oz. ball of Lily Sugar‘n Cream, or 100 yards worsted weight (category 4) cotton yarn.
• Size H (5 mm) crochet hook
• Yarn Needle
• Scissors
• Measuring Tape
• Optional: Insulated Lining Fabric

Size

7 in. by 7 in. square potholder. You can make a larger or smaller potholder by making a longer or shorter starting chain. 

Gauge

15 sts and 10 rows = 4 in. 

Meeting gauge is not critical, unless you want to make a specific size potholder. 

I will say though, that you want to crochet a tight enough gauge to get thick, dense fabric. I find that a size H hook gives me the right gauge to get a flexible hot pad that’s still dense enough to protect my hands from the heat. A smaller hook (G) will give you a denser fabric and will take more yarn. A larger hook, (I) will give you a more open fabric, and will take less yarn.

Stitch Abbreviations

Here are the stitch abbreviations you’ll see in the pattern. Note: Pattern is written in US terms.

• CH: chain
• SC: single crochet
• SC BLO: single crochet back loop only.  Insert hook into back loop of the stitch, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through last two loops on hook.
• SL ST: slip stitch

Instructions

Chain 40. (For a 7 in. square, start with a chain that measures 10 in. long.)

Round 1: SC in the second ch from the hook. (Work into the top loop only, not the back bump.) SC in each ch to the end of the starting chain. Make 1 extra SC in the last ch.  

Continue around, making one sc in each ch on the other side of the starting chain. Make one extra sc in the last ch.  (80 sts)

Round 2: SC BLO in the top of the first stitch, and each stitch around. (80)

Round 3-17: SC BLO in each stitch around, working in continuous rounds (aka spiral rounds). Continue stitching until the work measures half as tall as it is wide.

For example, if your starting chain of 40 ch sts measured 10 in., work until the piece measures 5 in. tall. For me, that was a total of 17 rounds.

Fold the potholder. Fold the top edges in toward the center to create a diagonal seam. Check to see that the edges will meet when folded. You will probably need to make a few more stitches so that your last stitch ends up in a corner.

Make a Hanging Loop. 

You can also make a loop if you would like to hang the potholder on a hook. To do so, chain 12 ch sts. Then, sl st to the start of the chain. 

Seam the potholder.

Cut yarn, leaving a 24 in. yarn tail, and pull through.

Match the stitches at the seam. Use a mattress stitch or a whip stitch to sew up the diagonal seam. In the image above, I worked a mattress stitch under one loop on each edge.

Weave in the ends using a yarn needle. Block if desired.

Pattern Variations

Here are a few ways that you can customize this pattern to make it your own.

• Add additional insulation.  If you want to make this potholder even more heat resistent, you can add a square of Insul-Bright in between the layers before you sew the seam.
• Instead of use one strand of yarn, try using two strands of cotton yarn held double. If you try this, you’ll need to use a larger hook size. And you might want to start with a shorter foundation chain. Remember, to get a 7 in finished square potholder, you’ll need to start with a 10 in long starting chain.
• Instead of SC, use HDC. In this pattern above, I used SCBLO for all rounds – which I think gives the potholder a great texture with minimal diagonal lines. But, you could easily swap out the single crochet stitches for another stitch, like half double crochet or another simple textured stitch. Keep in mind you may need few rounds of crochet if you use a taller stitch, like half double crochet.
• Make a larger or smaller size. To vary the size of the potholder, simply make a longer or shorter starting chain. For a 6 in. square potholder, start with an 8.5 in starting chain. For an 8 in square potholder, start with an 11.5 in starting chain.
• Make a pillow cover. You could even super-size this pattern to turn it into a pillow cover. For an 18 in. pillow, you’d need to start with a 25 in. long starting chain. Then, insert the pillow form before you sew up the seam.

Looking for More Crochet Projects?

Check out these other free tutorials:

• How to Crochet a Scarf for Beginners – Free Pattern
• Easy Crochet Hat Pattern – Chunky Ribbed Beanie
• Classic Crochet Baby Booties with Folded Cuff – Free Pattern
• How to Crochet a Blanket + Free Pattern
• How to Crochet a Mushroom + Free Pattern
• How to Crochet a Bandana + Free Easy Pattern

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