Easy Folded Star Potholder Pattern and Tutorial

Create a stunning Folded Star Potholder that's both beautiful and functional! 

This modern folded star potholder design works perfectly as both a potholder and a hot pad.  Known by several names such as the Folded Star, Amish Star, and Somerset Star, this eye-catching block features a unique fabric origami appearance created through careful folding and layering of fabrics.

This free potholder pattern is great for using up fabrics in your fabric stash or making themed pot holders for special occasions such as housewarming, Christmas, or hostess gifts.  Spruce up your kitchen by creating some for yourself.

Our folded star pattern is made up of fabric rectangles that are folded into triangular shapes and arranged on a base fabric (foundation fabric); they are then sewn in place with a sewing machine. No Hand Sewing!  Despite its intricate appearance, it’s a simple technique that you can complete in a short amount of time.

So gather up your supplies and get started by watching our folded star potholder video tutorial or keep reading this post for a photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions.

INSTRUCTIONS for sewing the folded star potholder:

STEP 1: Prepare the foundation piece

Start by cutting a 9” square of Fabric A.  This will serve as the foundation piece for the placement of fabric triangles.

Now we need to create creases on the fabric.  First, fold the square into a triangle and press with an iron.  Fold again into a smaller triangle and press once more.

Unfold the fabric, then fold it in half, and fold it again in half forming quarters.  Press with an iron.

STEP 3: Prepare All the Star Points

To create the star point (triangle piece), take a 4 ½” x 3 ½” rectangle and fold it in half with wrong sides together so it measures 4 ½” x 1 ¾”.  Press this with an iron to hold the shape.

Next, fold the rectangle in half to find the center and finger-press to create a crease.

Then unfold it.  Next, fold one corner of the rectangle (the folded corner) to the creased center line. Repeat with the other corner to make a triangle shape.  Press this with an iron to hold the shape.  I use the steam setting on my iron. Repeat this process for all the rectangle pieces cut from Fabrics A, B and C.

Step 4: assemble Round 1

Begin assembling your star by taking the four solid triangles from Fabric A. For accurate placement, use the lines on the foundation piece as a guide, position the first triangle with the point at the center where all the lines meet.  Align the angled sides of the triangle with the diagonal foundation lines and ensure that the center of the triangle aligns with either the horizontal or vertical line.  Pin the triangle in place.

Repeat the process for the remaining three triangles, arranging them so they form a square with all the triangle points pointing towards the center.

After they are pinned in place, sew around the edge of the triangles to secure them in place.

For each round, stitching down the tips of all the points of the triangles is important.  At the sewing machine position the needle between the triangle center folds, sew a few stitches backward, then continue stitching forward and as you approach the tip STOP, sew backward again.

Note:  When stitching down the tips, you don’t have to stitch the entire length of the triangle; starting in the middle is perfectly fine.

Step 5: assemble Round 2

For this round take eight triangles made from Fabric B.  Begin by pinning the first four triangles to the foundation piece on top of Round 1 triangles.  Position these triangles ½” from the center folded points of the Fabric A triangles, aligning the center of each triangle with a horizontal or vertical guideline.

Once those are in place, pin the next four Fabric B triangles, overlapping the previously pinned triangles, and aligning them with the diagonal foundation guidelines ½” from the center folded points.

Stitch around the outer edges of this round to secure the triangle and tack down the points.

STEP 6: assemble Round 3

Using the eight triangles from Fabric C, pin each triangle to the foundation piece, overlapping those from Round 2. Again first positioning them with the horizontal and vertical lines; then the diagonal lines. The points of these triangles should be positioned ½” away from the points of the triangles in Round 2.  Stitch around the edges to secure the fabric and sew down the points as done previously.

STEP 7: assemble Round 4

In this step, you'll use the remaining eight triangles from Fabric B.  Attach these triangles following the same process as in Step 6, carefully layering and overlapping them to maintain the star design.When stitching around the perimeter of this round, use a scant 1/4" seam allowance.  A scant 1/4" seam allowance is slightly less than 1/4".  WHY?  You will be sewing on corner pieces and borders later and do not want these stitches to show.

STEP 8: Attaching Corner pieces

Now it's time to add the corner pieces.  Cut four 3 1/2" squares from Fabric A (or you could use Fabric C).  Fold each square into a triangle with the wrong side together and press with an iron.

To position these triangles correctly, measure ¼” from the edge of the corner folded triangle using a ruler.  Then butt the triangle against the ruler.  Unfold the triangle, pin it in this position and sew along the crease line.  Fold the triangle outward to cover the corner and press. Repeat this process with the other three corners.

STEP 9:  Adding Border

Before adding the borders, make sure you have stitched down the tips of the star points to keep everything secure.

Square up the star block with a ruler and rotary cutter by lining the ruler with the side and top of the star piece and cutting these two sides.

Then rotate the piece and cut the other two sides.  Your star block is square.

Next, cut an 11” square of batting and an 11” square of Insul-Bright. Place the Insul-Bright with the shiny side down on a flat surface and lay the batting directly on top.  Center the folded star block on these layers.

To add the borders, measure one side of the star block and cut two pieces of Fabric A , each 1 ½” wide by the length of that measurement. Sew these strips to each side of the star block with a 1/4" seam, fold outward and press with an iron.

Repeat this process for the top and bottom. Measure the top of the block, and cut two pieces of Fabric A 1 ½” by the length of that measurement.  Attach these strips, one to the top and one to the bottom of the block.  Fold outward and press.

Finally, zigzag around the edges of the star block to hold the three layers  – the top, the batting and the Insul-Bright - securely together.

STEP 10: Trim Potholder

It is time to trim away any excess batting and Insul-Bright.  Use your rotary cutter and ruler and trim the potholder.  Take care not to cut into the zigzag stitches while doing this, as you want to maintain the integrity of the stitches.

STEP 11: Attach Hanging loop (Optional)

Attaching a hanging loop is optional.  If you want one, this is the time to add it by cutting a piece of fabric 3 1/2" x 1 1/2".

Take the rectangle to the ironing board, fold it in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together, and press it flat. Unfold it and fold both outside raw edges so they meet at the middle crease and press it again.

Then fold it lengthwise again along the middle crease to press it closed with the lengthwise raw edges inside the hanging loop.

Finally, edgestitch along the folded edge to close up the opening.

Choose a corner for the hanging loop.  Fold the finished fabric in half and lay it on the corner of the potholder with the raw edges facing the corner and the loop facing toward the center.  Stitch to hold it in place.

STEP 12: Attaching backing

Cut an 11“ square of Fabric A for the backing.  Place the backing and potholder front with the right sides together. 

Sew around the potholder piece perimeter with a ¼” seam allowance, leaving a 5” opening on one side for turning.  Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of the opening to secure it; this will ensure that the stitches do not pull out during turning.

Trim the excess backing fabric even with the potholder.

For this potholder, there is no need to trim the corners as you do with most potholder projects.  The corners will be slightly rounded giving it a farmhouse look.

After stitching, turn the potholder right side out through the opening.  Use your fingers or a tool to gently poke out and round the corners. 

Iron the potholder, folding the raw edges of the opening inward by ¼” to line them up with the seam allowance and pin the opening shut.

 STEP 13: Finishing the potholder

You are almost finished.  To complete the project, you could machine stitch the opening closed; however, I prefer to hand-sew the opening closed with a needle and thread giving it a professional appearance.  I like to use the ladder stitch but you can use another invisible stitch of your choice.

Give the potholder a final press to make certain everything lies flat and neat.  It’s finished. 

This pattern is ideal for using up fabric in your scrap stash or for creating themed potholders as thoughtful gifts for friends and family.  It would look fabulous in holiday colors.

Here is another example of a folded star potholder I made with a different color combination.

Not only does this potholder add a touch of charm to any kitchen, but it also provides excellent protection for your hands, countertops and dining surfaces.

Enjoy your new handmade addition to the kitchen.  Feel free to experiment with different colors and patterns to create unique potholders for any occasion.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make a folded star potholder and decide to attack your fabric stash and make some for yourself.  

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Happy Sewing Day!

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• How to Machine Bind a Potholder
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