Making Casserole Dish Carriers From Kitchen Towels

Transport your potluck casserole dish in a carrier sewn from kitchen towels.

Preparing for a potluck dinner involves not only deciding what recipe you are going to share, but also figuring out how you will transport the dish while keeping it safe and warm. Making casserole dish carriers from kitchen towels will provide the help you need. By using two kitchen towels you can sew a simple bag to carry a 2-quart casserole dish to a potluck dinner. These carriers are so handy to use, you will want to make extras as gifts for family and friends.

Things You'll Need

• 2 coordinating kitchen towels
• Saucer
• Pencil
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Hand-sewing needle and thread
• Seam ripper
• 1 1/3 yards of 1/4-inch diameter cord
• Safety pin

Instructions

1. Fold one kitchen towel in half with the short ends together. The short ends are the top of the casserole carrier and the folded end is the bottom. Lay a saucer inside one bottom corner. Trace the curve inside the corner angle to create a curve to the bottom corner. Repeat on the other bottom corner. Pin the sides and traced curves of the folded kitchen towel. This is the outer bag of the casserole carrier. Repeat with the other kitchen towel for the lining of the carrier.

2. Sew the kitchen towels along the pinned edges just inside the hemmed edge of the kitchen towels and on the traced curve lines. Leave a 3-inch opening in the center on one side edge of the lining kitchen towel. Trim the excess fabric 1/2 inch outside the seam line of the curves.

3. Turn the outer bag right side out. Place the right-side-out outer bag inside the wrong-side-out lining bag. Match up the top open edges and pin. Sew around the pinned edge just inside the hemmed edge of the kitchen towels. Turn the casserole dish carrier right side out through the opening in the side edge of the lining bag. Hand-stitch the opening closed.

4. Top-stitch around the top of the carrier bag one inch from the edge. Measure down 1 1/2 inches and top-stitch around the bag again to create a casing between the two stitched lines. Using a seam ripper, open the seams at the side edges of the outer casserole bag, between the casing lines.

5. Cut two 24-inch lengths of 1/4-inch diameter cord. Attach a safety pin to one end of one cord. Lay your carrier in front of you. Insert the safety pin in the right side opening of the casing and thread the cord all the way around the carrier and back out the same opening. Remove the safety pin and tie the cord ends in an overhand knot. Repeat with the remaining cord, inserting in the left side opening of the casing. This creates a drawstring and handle. By pulling the knotted cords on each side, you will draw the carrier closed.

Tips & Warnings

• This casserole dish carrier works best with round covered casserole dishes, but square casserole dishes can also be used.