This charming Potholder with Cherries Pattern blends practical functionality with delightful decorative touches. Its unique combination of Ecru and Red crochet thread creates a classic aesthetic, while the added felt cherries, leaves, and stems lend a playful, vintage charm. The foundation chain and rounds build a sturdy base, with single and double crochet stitches shaping the body to the perfect size for everyday kitchen use or as a decorative accent.
The contrasting red edging enhances the design, framing the central panel beautifully. The instructions for cutting and arranging felt cherries and leaves make it easy to add a touch of whimsy. The careful detailing of the assembly process, including the use of padding and lining, ensures that this potholder is not just visually appealing but also practical and heat-resistant.
The inclusion of a bone ring adds functionality, allowing for easy hanging, while blocking ensures a neat and professional finish. Whether used in the kitchen or displayed as part of a collection, this potholder captures the essence of vintage-inspired crochet work with modern usability.
About the Images
To help bring this design to life, we’ve included an AI-generated image of the finished pattern alongside the original vintage illustration. The original image highlights the charm and craftsmanship of the vintage design, while the AI rendering provides a detailed and colorized view of how the completed sweater will look. This combination ensures you have both a historical reference and a modern interpretation to guide you in your crafting journey.
This pattern is transformed, adapted, and expanded from a public domain design originally published in Potholders by The Spool Cotton Company Book No. 222 (1945). While the original design is in the public domain, the rewritten instructions and supplementary content on this site are © Tiffany Bliss Mullins, 2025. All rights reserved. Have questions about this pattern, public domain, or copyright? Visit the FAQ page for answers and resources.
Potholder with Cherries Pattern
Materials:
- Size 10 crochet thread: 1 ball each of Ecru and Red (the pattern originally used J. & P. Coats or Clark’s O.N.T. Pearl Cotton, Size 5).
- Optional substitution: If you prefer not to use double strands of size #10 thread, you can substitute with lightweight #1 yarn. Be sure to check your gauge and adjust the hook size as needed.
- Steel Crochet Hook No. 7.
- A bone ring.
- Scraps of red and green felt for cherries, leaves, and stems.
Instructions:
Potholder Body
- Foundation Chain: With Ecru, chain 20 (approximately 2½ inches).
- Round 1: Work 2 single crochet (sc) in the 2nd chain from the hook, sc in each chain across, 3 sc in the last chain. Working along the opposite side of the foundation chain, sc in each chain across, ending with 1 sc in the same stitch as the first 2 sc. Slip stitch (sl st) to the first sc. (Work in continuous rounds hereafter, picking up only the back loop of each stitch.)
- Round 2: Chain (ch) 3 (counts as first double crochet [dc]), dc in the same stitch as sl st, 2 dc in each of the next 3 sc (4 dc increased), dc in each sc to within 1 sc of the 3-sc group at the other end, 2 dc in each of the next 6 sc (6 more dc increased), dc in each stitch around, ending with 2 dc in each of the last 2 sc (12 dc increased in total). Sl st in the top of the starting chain.
- Round 3: Sc in each stitch around, increasing 3 sc evenly at each curved end. Join with sl st.
- Round 4: Ch 3, dc in each stitch around, increasing 6 dc evenly at each curved end. Join with sl st.
- Repeat Rounds 3 and 4 alternately until the piece measures 5 x 6¾ inches, ending with a single crochet row. Join and fasten off.
Edging
- Attach Red and work one row of dc and one row of sc around, increasing at the curved ends as before to keep the work flat. Fasten off.
Decoration
- Cherries and Leaves:
- Cut 4 cherries from the red felt and leaves and stems from the green felt.
- Arrange and sew the cherries, leaves, and stems onto the potholder.
Assembly
- Padding: Cut flannel or cotton batting slightly smaller and lining material slightly larger than the crocheted piece. Place the batting between the crocheted piece and the lining. Turn under the edges of the lining and sew it neatly to the crocheted piece using over-and-over stitches.
- Bone Ring: Sew the bone ring securely to one corner for hanging.
Finishing:
- Block the potholder to ensure a flat, polished look.
- Enjoy your decorative and functional potholder!
