Reusable food covers
Food covers for bowls are a must have in any kitchen as they are both easy and quick to use.
This is a great beginner project for using up leftover scraps of materials from other projects, or those fat quarters you just had to buy! You can even upcycle these from garments or fabrics that can’t be recycled or given to charity.
This tutorial makes one cover for a standard sized bowl. You can make this to suit any bowl in your kitchen, you’ll just need different lengths of elastic.
Materials:
- Fabric – use cotton or other materials that can be washed. Don’t use any fabric with a pile, as it’ll be hard to wash any food spillages out.
- 0.5 cm elastic
- Safety pin
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Sewing thread
- Bowl (or bowls) to use as template
- Iron
- Tailor’s chalk or water-soluble pen
How to:
Step 1
Start by making sure all your fabric has been washed prior to use. Both to make sure it’s clean, and to stop these warping after you wash them. Dry and iron.
Step 2
Place two pieces of fabric on top of each other (or fold a larger piece). Place your bowl face down on the fabric and draw round with tailor’s chalk or water-soluble pen. Draw a second circle 5cm wider (all the way round) than the first one.
Step 3
Cut out the two round pieces of fabric.
Step 4
Place the two pieces of fabric right side to right side. Sew 1cm from the edge all around. Leave a 5 cm opening.
Tip: remember to backstitch a couple of stitches at the beginning and end of your stitching to secure in place.
Step 5
Turn inside out. Iron.
Step 6
Sew 1cm from the edge to form a channel for the elastic. Continue to leave the 5cm gap open, as this is where you’ll thread the elastic through.Step 7
Use a safety pin to carry the elastic all the way around inside the fabric.Step 8
Sew the two ends of the elastic together. You want to stretch your elastic slightly, so that when it’s finished the cover is smaller than the bowl. You’ll need to stretch the elastic cover to fit over the bowl (like a shower cap). This will ensure the cover doesn’t simply fall off!Tip: use the safety pin to secure the two ends of the elastic together first and try the fit with your bowl. You can make it tighter or looser as needed. Then sew together.
Step 9
Once you’ve sewn the elastic, fold the edges of the opening over. You can use an iron or your fingers to press into place. Sew the opening together being careful not to sew over the elastic.
Now your covers are done. Will you make a matching set for the whole kitchen?
We can’t wait to see what you make! Remember to tag in Brother on Instagram and Facebook so we can share your makes and inspire others.
