Reversible Casserole Hot Pads using Villa Rosa Snack Mat Patterns

This sewing tutorial teaches how to sew reversible casserole-sized hot pads! 

I'm sharing a new casserole hot pad idea and step-by-step instructions to make these reversible hot pads using Villa Rosa Snack Mat Patterns.  This tutorial explains how to take two pieced Villa Rosa Snack Mats and make them into a reversible casserole hot pad.

This tutorial requires a purchase of the Villa Rosa Snack Mat Patterns, available at your local quilt shop or through the link in the "What You Need" section below.  Villa Rosa has several snack mat patterns, including: Bee, Leaf, Mushroom, Bunny, Watermelon, Cat, Patriotic, and others. 

This casserole hot pad is a practical solution for protecting tables and counters from the heat of hot dishes. I like to keep one on my table as decoration, and it's ready when I have a hot dish to put on the table.

Our large hot pad sewing pattern is easy to make and serves as a perfect alternative to using multiple potholders.  You'll want to make more than one for yourself!

Perfect for gift giving, almost everyone can use one of these!

This casserole hot pad measures approximately 10 ½” x 14 1/2” and will fit any standard 9" x 13" casserole dish.

About Our Reversible Casserole Hot Pad

We will use two Villa Rosa Snack Mat Patterns (purchased separately) to create the reversible front and back of the hot pad. 

The two sides are quilted separately with two batting layers and one Insul-bright or Pellon Insul-Fleece layer in the center. The Insul-Bright helps reflect the heat away from your table or countertop. 

To make it reversible, the binding is sewn on and then hand-stitched on the opposite side so the hot pad looks the same from both sides.

We provide a detailed step-by-step photo tutorial for making this casserole dish hot pad from the pieced snack mat tops.  A free accompanying YouTube video is also available for visual learners. Click the link below!

It's the Perfect Gift!

These hot pads make perfect gifts for birthdays, wedding showers, Christmas, housewarmings, Mother’s Day, hostesses, neighbors, co-workers, teachers, and thank-you gifts.

I combined different holidays on each side of the casserole hot pad. For example, I made one with the Bunny and the Watermelon.  This allows the hot pad to be used at different times of the year.

Don't forget to include a care gift tag with your purchase!

Free Printable Casserole Dish Hot Pad Tags

If you are gifting, roll the hot pad up, tie it with a ribbon, and include one of our free printable casserole hot pad tags.

To get the free printable gift tags for the casserole hot pad, scroll to the end of this tutorial and past my signature to find the link to download the printable PDF.

The tags come on a printable page with 9 tags. Cut them out quickly and easily with a paper cutter and punch a hole to attach a ribbon.

Let's get started making these casserole hot pads. Click the link below to watch a video tutorial on YouTube. If you'd prefer a printable PDF of this tutorial, visit our Etsy shop.

OTHER Casserole Dish Hot Pad Pattern

We have two other casserole hot pad patterns, the Large Casserole Dish Hot Pad and the Reversible Casserole Dish Hot Pad made from jelly roll strips.  These two other casserole hot pad patterns do not require a separate pattern purchase, so head over to those tutorials if you prefer these instead.

Why use Villa Rosa Patterns?

During our shop-hopping trip this summer, we visited a store, Material Things in Virginia, that featured a variety of small kits.  I purchased two kits for Villa Rosa Snack Mats with a Bee and Cat theme.

Once I had these at home, I realized the size is very close to the casserole hot pads, and they would make a nice decoration for my table. 

So, I purchased more of the Villa Rosa Snack Mat Patterns and then created this tutorial to make them into reversible hot pads.  

These patterns are available at a low cost, typically ranging from $2 to $5 each.  If you purchase them in-store, they are small cards.  On Etsy, some sellers offer PDF versions of the cards that can be printed on a single sheet of paper.The cutting instructions for each Villa Rosa pattern make TWO snack mats. So, plan to make several of these casserole hot pads!

WHAT YOU NEED to sew the casserole hot pad

• Two Villa Rosa Snack Mat Patterns
• 100% Cotton Fabrics - As specified in the Villa Rosa patterns.  Have extra fabric for the two additional 1 1/2" x 15" borders.
• 100% Cotton Batting – like Pellon Wrap ‘n Zap- Two pieces of batting cut at 14 1/2” x 10 ½”
• Insul-bright or Pellon 975 Insul-Fleece – One piece 14 1/2” x 10 ½”
• Cotton Thread
• Cutting Mat (Purchase from Amazon or Michaels)
• Quilter's Ruler (Amazon or Michaels)
• Rotary Cutter (Amazon or Michaels)
• Sewing Machine with ¼” foot

Finished Size approximately: 10 1/2" x 14 1/2"
Care Instructions:  Wash in cold water and tumble dry on a low setting.

INSTRUCTIONS to make a casserole trivet

Step 1: Make two Villa Rosa snack mats

Assemble the Villa Rosa Snack Mats according to the instructions on each design card.  The cutting instructions on the design cards will provide you with the pieces to create two identical snack mat tops.

To make this casserole hot pad, piece together two different snack mat tops.  Do not continue to the quilting or binding.

Mix and match the snack mats to create your reversible casserole hot pads. In the photo below, I've pieced the bee and watermelon designs.

Tips for piecing with the Villa Rosa Snack Mat Patterns:

• The cutting instructions make TWO tops.  So, plan to make two casserole hot pads.
• You will need additional background or accent fabric for the additional borders, so purchase a little extra.
• When cutting the pieces, always cut the largest pieces from the fabric first! Then work your way to cutting the smallest.  
• You can use the same fabric for the background and accent on some snack mats.  See the photo of the bee above.
• If there are letters on the pattern, label your fabrics with letter pins or AlphaClippies to keep track of them.

Step 2: Add Additional Border

The snack mat tops are a little smaller than the size needed for a casserole hot pad, so add two border strips of fabric.  

Cut two strips of fabric 1 1/2" x 15" from the background or accent fabric.

Sew the strips of fabric to the top and bottom of the snack mat, making it approximately 10 1/2" x 14 1/2".Sew borders onto both snack mats.

Step 3: Cut the Batting and Insulation layers

Two layers of batting and one layer of insulation are used inside the hot pad to protect the table or countertop.

Cut two 100% cotton batting pieces at 10 ½” x 14 ½”.

Cut one piece of Insul-bright or Insul-fleece the same size.

Step 4: Layer and pin the fabrics

To make the hot pad reversible, layer and quilt the front side and the back side separately.  

Make two sets of layers before quilting the fabrics in the following order.

First Set: Lay the batting and one snack mat top together, with the snack mat facing up.

Second Set: Lay the insulation layer and batting on top of one another.  Then, place the second snack mat on top of the batting with the right side facing up (insulation, batting, then snack mat).

Pin each set of layers together to hold them in place for quilting. You will have two separate sets of layers to quilt.

Step 5: Quilt the layers

Quilt the layers with cotton thread.  The layers can be quilted in any way you desire.  

I used my embroidery machine to quilt different fill patterns on the snack mats.  A simple quilting method is to use straight lines, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally across the snack mat.

Quilt both sets of layers separately. The layers will be put together before binding.

Step 6: trim around

Trim any batting or insulation hanging past the edge of the two quilted snack mats.

Step 7: Prepare for Binding

Place the two quilted layers together, with the right sides facing out. Pin them in a few places to hold the layers together.

The top and back pieces are ready to be bound together with the binding along the outside edge.  If they are uneven along the edges, trim as needed.

Step 8: Bind the layers together

Two widths of fabric strips will be needed to bind the hot pad.  I like to use two identical strips, but you can also make a scrappy binding from pieces of strips.

Pick a binding fabric that will look nice on both sides of the hot pad.

Use traditional quilt binding for this project to make the hot pad reversible and look the same on both sides.

Personally, I dislike hand sewing and try to avoid it as much as possible. However, this project called for a binding that would appear the same from both the front and back.

If you don't have time to hand-sew the binding, you can use a Quick Quilt Binding or edgestitch the binding, as shown in the Large Casserole Hot Pad pattern. 

To prepare the binding, sew together two strips, with a 45-degree seam.

Iron the strips in half to finish preparing the binding.The two long strips will be more than enough to surround the hot pad.

Start stitching the binding near the middle of one of the short sides. Stitch with a 1/4" seam allowance and miter the corners. For more information, see the tutorial on sewing a traditional binding.

Miter the corners as you sew the binding.

The binding ends are sewn together and trimmed when you reach the beginning.  Pin the two ends together.

Then, sew them together at the pinned mark.

Trim the ends off and then finger-press the seam flat.

Finish sewing the binding.

One side of the binding is complete.

Flip the binding to the other side and press.

The corner is nicely mitered when flipped to the front.

Flip the binding around to the front and then hand-sew the binding to the hot pad.

Fold the fabric to create mitered corners on the front as well.

The casserole hot pad or trivet is now ready for use.

Below are photos of the finished hot pad from the video tutorial.

Front Side

Back Side

Gifting the Casserole Dish Hot Pad

These casserole dish hot pads make great gifts—roll them up, tie them with a ribbon, and pair them with smaller hot pads, such as our folded star potholder.

Remember to include the free casserole hot pad tag with your hot pad.  It tells the recipient what it is and how to care for it.

Below are a few more photos of the casserole trivets I've made.The Bee and Leaf make opposite sides of this hot pad.

This Halloween-themed orange cat hot pad is backed with a bee design made from different fabrics.

This patriotic design is on the front, and the back is the bunny ears pattern.

This mushroom design is featured on one side, and the Halloween cat pattern on the opposite side.

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• Free Hanging Kitchen Towel Pattern