Make an easy cast iron skillet handle mitt, great beginner project and the perfect gift for any cast iron lover.
Jump to InstructionsWhat is a cast iron skillet handle mitt
If you use cast iron your well acquainted with hot handles fresh from the oven. This little useful thing helps mitigate some of the accidental burns that come along with the joy of cast iron. They are made from the same materials you would use to make a pair of pot holders or oven mitts. However they are made to simply slide over the hot handle of a cast iron skillet. It might seem a little superfluous but they really do make a difference. Since they just stay on the handle while it is out of the oven it eliminates the chances of anyone accidently grabbing a hot handle. Plus they are cute.
Just don’t forget to take it off when its going back in the oven. The first time I made these I forgot it twice. The first time it lived through it but the second time it light on fire as you might expect an oven mitt to do if you tossed it in the oven. oops.
How to make an insulated cast iron skillet handle mitt
Choosing the fabric
A couple things to note before you get into making your own. There are two materials you need for this project. A outside fabric and an insulating layer.
For the outside fabric it must be a woven natural fibre fabric. I have used both a basic quilting cotton and a 100% linen and both worked beautifully. You will need two pieces one for the inside and one for the outside, you can use the same fabric or choose two different ones. For the ones in the pictures I used Spoonflowers Cotton poplin in my own Bramble Bunny design you can find HERE. The hang tag should be made from the same cotton fabric or something similar, you can also use a piece of double fold cotton bias tape if you have it on hand.
For the insulating material there are a few options. You can use simple cotton batting, or one designed for insulating like Insul-brite which is a polyester batting with a layer of foil in side. You could also use a double layer of cotton terry cloth to potentially make it with things you have on hand. For mine I used Insul-brite since I had it left over from another project and it really does work. ( Just keep it out of the microwave)
Cast Iron Skillet Handle Mitt
Equipment
- Pair of scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
Materials
- 2 piece 8"x7" Woven material either cotton or linen
- 1 piece 3"x1" matching material for hand tag
- 2 piece 8"x7" insulating batting
Instructions
- Cut out all your piece to match, 2 cotton pieces and 2 batting pieces
- Cut your fabric for your hang tag and fold over longways and press
- Fold each edge in towards the center fold like a double fold bias tape and press
- sew the open edge together with a top stitch
- Place your two pieces of cotton fabric with right sides together, the piece on the top will be your lining
- Fold your sewn hang tag in half and sandwich it in between the two cotton layers, place on the inside with the edges lined up with the top edge of the 7" side and pin in place about an inch in from one side
- Place your cotton stack on top of the two layers of insulating batting and pin everything together
- Sew along the top edge sewing together all 4 layers including the ends of the hang tab
- Open up the cotton layer so the right sides of both sides of the fabric are facing up and press lightly
- Fold the entire in half lengthwise making a long tube
- Sew along both ends, you can sew it straight or round the corners a bit
- Sew down the long edge leaving a 2 inch gap in the lining layer for turning the whole thing right side out. Trim the corners slightly.
- Using the gap you left open turn the whole thing inside out, this will take some work since one end has many layers.
- Once right side out use a topstitch or stitch by hand to close up the gap
- Push the lining layer inside the rest of the tube.
- Optional* use a top stitch to stitch along the upper edge for a neat finish.
This project could be considered a fat-quarter project or a scrap busting project. I have only ever used fabrics I had on hand to make them whether it was cotton or linen.
Kids garden apron from a fat quarter.
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