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Potholders are an awesome first project for those who are just learning to crochet. They are small, simple, and easy to make, and you can create a lot of them in just a couple of hours.
So, what are some of the best free crochet potholder patterns? You can make a simple square or have fun with flower patterns, fruit patterns, or even holiday themes with the 21 free patterns we have listed below!
If you want to be more creative with your crochet potholders, let’s check out some free yet unique crochet potholder patterns below.
1. Easy Double Thick Crochet Potholder
View Free Pattern From Sarah Maker
This simple, double-layered potholder is a great project for anyone who enjoys making minimalist patterns. This free pattern employs a combination of basic crochet stitches, so even if you’re a beginner, you can still finish the project in under an hour.
The design of this project is simple, but it looks quite sophisticated. The way it works is that you start with a simple chain, then work around it in continuous rounds. The fabric will start to fold inside itself, and you can crochet the edges together to seal the two layers together.
2. Light Heart Dishcloth
View Free Pattern From Naztazia
This simple heart is a cute first crochet project for those who are just learning to crochet, and you can even teach your child how to crochet using this pattern!
The shaping of this heart-shaped potholder is done by making double crochets, and with just a few rounds of double crochets, you can finish a useful and beautiful potholder for your kitchen.
3. Simple Granny Square Potholder
View Free Pattern From Knitpurlhook
Crocheting granny squares is the first thing that most crocheters learn when they first pick up the craft. You don’t need to know a lot of techniques to learn how to crochet a granny square, and each square takes under 10 minutes to finish.
That’s why this simple granny square potholder pattern is super easy for beginners. You only need to know the basic granny stripe stitch, which is three double crochets worked into the same space), and you should be able to finish this potholder in under an hour.
4. Fruity Trivets + Pot Holders
View Free Pattern From Purl Soho
These fruity potholders are really fun for the summertime. You can exercise your creativity with the yarn colors, and the result will be enough to wow any dinner guests.
If you’re intimidated by the pattern, you’ll be glad to know that these fruity potholders are cleverly constructed using single crochets in the round. The ‘seeds’ are added using a simple embroidery technique using a contrasting colored yarn. Super simple, yet fun!
5. Sunflower Potholder
View Free Pattern From The Lazy Hobbyhopper
This sunflower potholder not only looks beautiful, but it also has a cushy texture that would be perfect for a potholder.
The center of the crochet sunflower is made up of puff stitches worked in the round to create the texture, and the flower petals are made using double crochet stitches. Although the techniques are not difficult, the result looks quite unique and eye-catching.
6. Pineapple Crochet Hot Pad Pattern
View Free Pattern From Petals To Picots
This easy pattern for a pineapple-shaped potholder is a great way to add a touch of color and festivity to your home decor.
The body of the pineapple is made from double crochet cluster stitches. The cluster stitch design used in this pattern provides a thick and textured fabric that’s ideal for keeping your table from hot dishes. The leaves are worked using single crochets.
7. Crochet Little Gobbler Decorative Potholder
View Free Pattern From Pink Mambo
This is a beautiful decorative potholder that would make a great conversation piece on your holiday dinner table. You can choose yarn colors that are reminiscent of autumn, and all the details are shaped using double and single crochet, so it’s not difficult at all!
If you want, you can use embroidery to add the details for the gobbler’s face and feet. If you’re using this pot holder with hot pots, you should avoid using the googly eyes that the pattern suggests because the plastic can melt under high heat.
8. Crochet Hot Pad
View Free Pattern From Crochet’ n’ Create
This is another beginner-friendly potholder pattern that looks super sophisticated! The potholder is crocheted in the round, with one row of plain triple crochet and one row of cluster stitches alternating. You can also play around with the colors in each row to create an eye-catching spiral.
9. Crochet Cactus Potholders
The vibrant and fun colors of the cacti are featured in this project’s design, which makes it an ideal choice for your kitchen, especially for summer parties.
In addition to the fun shape and colors, this design also features super cushiony textures that can really protect your table from hot pots. The texture is created by working front post and back post double crochets, which raises the stitch and even mimics the interesting appearance of a cactus.
10. Crochet Granny Hexagon Potholder
View Free Pattern From Crochet For You
This pattern adds a fun twist to the traditional granny square. If you know how to make the basic granny square, this pattern uses the same stitches and techniques, but instead of four edges, you’ll be making six to create the hexagon shape!
Just like other types of granny squares, you can also alternate yarn colors in each row when following this pattern to add an interesting, personal touch to it!
11. Tutti Frutti Potholders
View Free Pattern From Tutsplus
These colorful and playful potholders are the perfect way to transform your summer parties. And they’re not complicated to make at all!
The round shapes are made from plain double crochets, and you can use different color yarns to transform them into slices of oranges, limes, or even kiwis. For an extra unique touch, you can use embroidery to add seeds and lines to the design.
12. Neverending Zinnia
View Free Pattern From Little Monkeys Crochet
This gorgeous crochet potholder resembles beautiful blooming flowers. It’s hard to believe that it’s just a potholder rather than an elegant decorative home decor piece.
The flower is worked in the round, and each petal is created using 2 double crochets and 2 chains – super simple! You can also customize this pattern and add more rounds to make the flower bigger and more sophisticated. The finished product will surely be a conversation piece!
13. Trivet In Bloom
View Free Pattern From Rows and Roses
This beautiful potholder pattern is quite eye-catching thanks to the 3D construction. There are so many details and dimensions that it can look a bit intimidating to make.
It’s actually much simpler than it looks! The two layers are worked separately, with the backing being just plain double crochet, and the flower on top is worked in the round using various cluster and shell stitches. Then, the two layers are crocheted together to create an interesting design.
The added layer also makes this potholder extra reliable since it adds another layer of cushion to protect your tabletop.
14. Wavy Pad With Wiggle Crochet
View Free Pattern From Naztazia®
The versatile and fun design of this Crochet Wavy potholder is made using the wiggly crochet technique. The waves create a ruffle effect over the base, which makes it really fun to look at but also a great base to hold hot pots.
Making this potholder is definitely not as complicated as it looks! You start with a mesh square base and use multiple double crochet stitches over each mesh space to create the ruffle effects.
With this pattern, you can really show your personality and play around with colors to really make the piece your own.
15. Thermal Stitch Potholder
View Free Pattern From MyCrochetSpace
This is a simple yet functional potholder pattern that uses the thermal stitch. This stitch is designed to bulk up the crochet fabric, which adds functionality to the potholder and allows it to handle very high heat.
The thermal stitch is super useful for making potholders, but it can be a bit hard. If you’re looking to learn new crochet stitches, this is a great project to practice making the thermal stitch!
16. Herringbone Potholder
View Free Pattern From Day’s Crochet and Knit
This herringbone potholder looks super sophisticated – it’s something you might see in Scandinavian home decor magazines. This is a classic look that can blend into any kitchen style, and it can also be highly functional in your kitchen.
The herringbone stitch is worked using slanted half double crochets across the row, and this stitch also adds some weight to the crochet fabric so that it can handle very high heat as well.
For this pattern to stand out, we recommend using cotton T-shirt yarn so that the stitches will look bigger and bolder.
17. Happy Cooking Potholder
View Free Pattern From Virklust
This beautiful potholder is quite beginner-friendly, and you’ll get to practice making double crochet stitches in the round as well as learn some textured stitches like the popcorn stitch. This pattern is super customizable, and you can use colors that spark joy in your kitchen!
The potholder has two layers, with a plain backing layer to add an extra layer of protection and allow it to handle hot pots.
18. Crochet Pig Potholder
View Free Pattern From Crochet For You
This is a really fun pattern to make and, even more, fun to look at! If you love a quirky, playful touch in your kitchen, this is definitely the potholder to crochet.
The potholder and the snout are worked in the round using double crochets, and the ears are also simple double crochet stitches shaped to be triangles. Then, all the pieces are sewn together, and you can even add details like eyes and nostrils!
19. Snow Flowers
View Free Pattern From MyBlueAngels
This snow flower potholder is a unique, sophisticated pattern that doesn’t take a lot of skill to make at all!
There are two layers to add structure and bulk to the potholder and make it more reliable. The stitches are basic double crochet and shell stitches that are worked in the round, so you should be able to follow the pattern quite easily.
Then, the layers are connected together using crochet stitches, and you can use different colors for each row (and each layer) to make the potholder look more sophisticated than it actually is!
20. Squared Waffle Pattern
View Free Pattern From Buttonnose Crochet
The waffle stitch is a fun textured stitch that’s quite fun to learn. The waffle stitch creates a thick texture that also helps the potholder with handling hot pots. The texture is created using front post double crochets.
With this design, you can use a plain, neutral color to make a potholder that suits Scandinavian home decor or use a different color in each row to add an interesting touch to the design.
The waffle stitch is also super useful to know if you want to make scarves, afghans, or even throw blankets. You can use the same pattern and continue working in the round to make much larger pieces if you want!
21. Winter Opulence Round Crochet Hotpad Trivet
View Free Pattern From Kirsten Holloway Designs
This beautiful potholder pattern is made up of several different textured and shell stitches that are worked in the round to create the look of depth and dimensions.
Although the potholder looks complicated to make, if you investigate the pattern closely, you’ll see that each row is a different stitch, and following the pattern closely will help you create all the satisfying details and textures in the pattern.
This pattern requires intermediate crochet skills, but it’s definitely quite rewarding once you have finished it. This is the perfect addition to your home, especially during colder seasons when you want to gather around a hot pot!
Related Questions
Can You Make Potholders Bigger Than The Pattern Indicates?
Most potholder patterns are worked in the round, so you can crochet more rounds if you want to make bigger potholders. Make sure to increase the number of stitches as you add more rounds (spread evenly across the row) so that the potholder will lay flat instead of curving upwards.
Another way to make a bigger potholder than the pattern indicates is to use a thicker yarn and a bigger crochet hook. The number of stitches and rows will be the same as the pattern indicates, but since the stitches are bigger, the final result will be bigger as well.
Do You Have To Use A Specific Type Of Yarn To Make Potholders?
While crochet potholders can be fun to make, whether they’re functional also depend on the type of yarn that you use.
If you’re looking to make potholders, you’ll need to choose your yarn carefully. Most crochet patterns call for cotton yarn because it can handle high heat, is easy to wash, and is super durable.
Cotton yarn comes in a wide range of weights, but for potholders, you’ll want to use a medium or worsted weight (medium weight) that will stand up to hot pans and pots.
If you use a thicker yarn, the potholder will be thicker, which makes it more useful. Thicker yarn also means you can use a bigger crochet hook and finish a project in a shorter time.
Can I Use Acrylic Yarn To Make Potholders?
Yarns made from synthetic fibers, such as acrylic yarn, can be very strong and long-lasting, but they aren’t suitable for use in potholders or anything that needs to be exposed to high heat.
The reason is that synthetic yarns are essentially plastic, which melts at a much lower temperature than cotton or other natural fibers.
In fact, most synthetic yarns will begin to melt around 200 degrees Fahrenheit (95°C). This means that acrylic yarn won’t be able to stand up to the heat of a hot pot that’s just come off the stove or out of the oven.
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