Hello, sewing friends! Have you ever stood in your kitchen, wrestling with a roll of plastic wrap? It sticks to itself, it never tears right, and you use it once before throwing it away. Or maybe you’ve taken a dish to a potluck, only to lose the foil cover on the way home. It’s a common problem, but I have a wonderful, fun, and beautiful solution.
Today, I’m going to show you how to make cloth bowl covers. This is one of my favorite easy sewing projects for gifts and for my own home. They are washable, reusable, and so much prettier than plastic.
Forget fussy patterns and difficult steps. This simple sewing tutorial will show you how to create a perfect fabric bowl cover that’s great for covering your mixer bowl, bringing food to a party, or just storing leftovers in the fridge. Let’s get started!
Why You’ll Love Making Your Own Fabric Bowl Covers
Before we start sewing, let’s talk about why these little covers are so great. Once you make one, you’ll want to make a dozen!
First, they are amazing for the planet. Think about how much plastic wrap and aluminum foil you use in a year. These washable bowl covers can be used over and over again. You’ll save money and reduce waste, which is a big win for everyone.
They are also incredibly useful in the kitchen. Do you have a stand mixer? I always found that crumbs and dust would get inside the bowl between uses. Now, I keep a cute cloth cover on it, and it’s always clean and ready to go.
And if you ever take food to gatherings, you need these in your life. No more flimsy plastic wrap! A sturdy, snug-fitting cloth cover keeps your food safe during travel. Plus, you won’t have to worry about bringing a disposable cover back home. It’s a simple solution that makes life easier.
Gathering Your Supplies: What You’ll Need
This is a fantastic kitchen sewing project because it doesn’t require many supplies. It’s also a great way to use up smaller pieces of fabric you have in your stash. Most sizes are “Fat Quarter friendly,” which means you can use those pre-cut fabric bundles.
Here’s a simple table of what you’ll need to gather before you begin.
| Item | Why You Need It |
|---|---|
| Two Pieces of Fabric | One for the outside, one for the lining. Cotton works great! |
| Thin Elastic (1/8 inch) | This skinny elastic is stretchy and easy to work with. |
| Matching Thread | Choose a color that looks good with your outer fabric. |
| Safety Pin | This is the magic tool for threading your elastic. |
| Sewing Machine | A basic straight stitch is all you need for this project. |
| Iron & Ironing Board | Pressing your seams makes everything look neat and professional. |
| Fabric Scissors | A sharp pair of scissors ensures clean, easy cuts. |
How to Make Cloth Bowl Covers: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
Ready to sew? We’re going to break this down into a few simple steps. I promise, this sewing bowl covers tutorial is so fast and satisfying, you’ll be finished in no time.
Step 1: Cut Your Fabric Circles
First, we need to cut our fabric. You will need two circles of the same size: one from your main fabric and one from your lining fabric.
A great trick is to fold your fabric in half, and then in half again. This creates a square with two folded edges. Place a large dinner plate or the lid of a pot on the corner with the folds. Trace around the curved edge with fabric chalk, then cut it out. When you unfold the fabric, you’ll have a perfect circle!
Do this for both your main fabric and your lining so you have two identical circles.
Step 2: Sew the Main Seam
Now, place your two fabric circles on top of each other with the “right sides” (the pretty, printed sides) facing each other. Line up the edges and pin them together.
You need to leave a small opening to turn the cover right side out later. An opening of about 3 to 4 inches is perfect. I like to place two pins together right where I need to stop sewing. This reminds me to leave that gap open.
Take your pinned circles to your sewing machine. Using a 1/4-inch seam allowance, sew all the way around the circle, but remember to stop and start at your double pins, leaving that opening.
Step 3: Turn and Press for a Clean Edge
This is where the magic starts to happen! Reach into the opening you left and carefully turn the entire project right side out. The pretty sides of your fabric should now be on the outside.
Use a chopstick or a turning tool to gently push out the seam so you have a nice, round edge.
Next, take it to your ironing board. Press the whole circle flat. When you get to the opening, carefully fold the raw edges inward by 1/4 inch, so they line up with the rest of the seam. Press this folded part flat. This will make it much easier to sew closed later.
Step 4: Create the Elastic Casing
Now we need to create a little tunnel, or “casing,” for our elastic to go through. This is done with two simple lines of stitching.
First, you are going to sew very close to the edge, about 1/8 of an inch in. This is called a topstitch. This stitch will close up that big opening you used for turning. However, you need to leave a new, tiny opening—about 1 inch wide—for the elastic. I like to leave this small opening inside the area where the bigger hole used to be.
For the second line of stitching, you will sew another circle about 3/8 of an inch inside the first one (or 1/2 inch from the fabric edge). This time, sew all the way around with no opening. This second line creates the casing. You should now have a channel running around the edge of your cover.
Step 5: Thread and Secure the Elastic
It’s time to add the elastic that will make your cover hug the bowl. For a large bowl cover, you’ll need about 22 inches of 1/8-inch elastic.
Attach a safety pin to one end of your elastic. This will act as a guide. Insert the safety pin into the small 1-inch opening you left and begin pushing it through the casing. You will need to scrunch the fabric up and pull it over the safety pin as you go.
Once the safety pin comes out the other side, remove it. Hold both ends of the elastic and pull them to make sure the fabric gathers up. The best part about using thin elastic is that you don’t have to fuss with sewing the ends together. Just tie them in a tight, secure knot!
Step 6: The Finishing Touches
After you tie the knot, trim the extra elastic ends. Gently pull on the fabric to tuck the knot inside the casing, where it will be hidden from view.
Adjust the gathers around the circle so they are spread out evenly. The last step is to take your cover back to the sewing machine and stitch that final 1-inch opening closed. Just a quick topstitch right along the edge is all it needs.
And that’s it! You now have a beautiful, functional, and DIY reusable bowl cover.
A Great Idea for Handmade Gifts
These fabric bowl covers make the absolute best gifts. Because they are so quick to make, you can sew a whole batch in one afternoon.
Try picking out three or four coordinating fabrics. You can make a matching set of small, medium, and large covers. Since they are reversible, the recipient gets even more variety! Package them up with a nice ribbon, and you have a thoughtful, handmade gift that anyone would love to receive for a birthday, a housewarming, or the holidays.
FAQs
What to use cloth bowl covers for?
You can use cloth bowl covers for many things. They cover food in the refrigerator. They are perfect for taking a dish to a party. You can also use one to cover your stand mixer bowl. This keeps dust out.
What are plastic covers used for?
Plastic covers are also used to protect food. People use them to keep leftovers fresh. Most plastic covers are used once and then thrown away. Cloth covers are a great replacement for them.
What are plastic bowls used for?
Plastic bowls are very common in the kitchen. They are good for mixing ingredients. You can also serve salads or snacks in them. They are light and do not break easily like glass.
How to cover a bowl without plastic wrap?
A handmade cloth bowl cover is the best way. It is reusable and fits well. You can also put a small plate on top of the bowl. Some people use reusable silicone lids, too.
What is the use of a toilet bowl cover?
A toilet bowl cover is very different. It is a paper liner for a toilet seat. People use them in public restrooms. They create a clean layer to sit on.
Conclusion: Your New Favorite Kitchen Helper
You’ve just learned how to make cloth bowl covers from start to finish. It’s a simple and rewarding project that adds a touch of handmade charm to any kitchen. By taking a few minutes to sew these covers, you are creating something that is not only useful and pretty but also good for the environment.
So go look through your fabric stash, pick out some fun prints, and get sewing! You’ll be so proud of what you made.
What fun fabric will you use for your first bowl cover? Let me know in the comments below!