The crochet Magic Square Potholder is an easy hot pad that you’ll love to crochet! Moreover, this free potholder pattern uses basic crochet stitches and creates a double-thick potholder thanks to its “magic” construction!
Sometimes, this kind of hot pad is also called diagonal potholder or origami potholder because the magic construction is all about the way you fold it.
Diagonal Potholders
Whether you call it a magic square, a diagonally crocheted potholder, or an origami hot pad, the idea behind its construction is simple and brilliant at the same time!
The first step is to make a simple foundation chain and crochet all around it. Then, you keep crocheting in the round to form a sort of bag or pocket, which you can fold on its own to form a square.
Because of the it’s constructed, the magic square potholder is double-thick and it’s really a great ally in the kitchen when it comes to handle hot pots and pans!
One of the best things about this potholder pattern is that once you understand its basic construction, you can make it in any size and using any yarn thickness (more about adapting the size of the potholder HERE).
Can you already make the basic magic square potholder and want to make it more interesting?!
Try the magic square That ’70s Potholder pattern HERE!
Find more potholders to crochet here…
Add this pattern to your Ravelry queue HERE and favorite it (– thank you!). Or save it for later by pinning it to your best crochet board on Pinterest using this pin.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links on my blog, I might earn a commission. This will not have any effect on the price you pay. For more info, please, see my Privacy Policy.
Printable PDF Pattern
Get a copy of the ad-free, printable pattern of the Magic Square Potholder on Ravelry HERE, LoveCrafts HERE, or Etsy HERE.
MATERIALS
- 5.0-mm (H/8 USA, 6 UK) Crochet Hook
- Aran (4, Medium) Cotton Yarn
- Tapestry Needle
YARN & YARDAGE
I used 1 skein of Drops Loves You 8/8 (93 yds, 85 m per 50 g).
Best Yarn for Crochet Potholders
In general, it is always best to crochet potholders, hot pads, and trivets using cotton yarn, which doesn’t melt in contact with hot stuff.
For my potholder, I used Drops Loves You 8/8, but there are plenty of comparable yarns on the market. Here are a few examples:
- Paintbox Yarns Cotton Aran
- Rico Creative Cotton Aran
- Lion Brand Pima Cotton
- Rico Essentials Organic Cotton Aran
ABBREVIATIONS (US TERMS)
- BLO – Back Loop Only
- Ch – Chain
- RS – Right Side
- Sc – Single Crochet
- Sl St – Slip Stitch
- St – Stitch
SPECIAL STITCHes
Back Loop Only (BLO)
Learn how to crochet in the BLO HERE.
SIZE
7” (18 cm)
GAUGE
18 BLO sc for 15 rows in 4” (10 cm)
For the magic square potholder, it is not crucial to meet the exact gauge.
Crochet a Potholder in any size
You can crochet the magic square hot pad using any yarn with the appropriate hook following one simple rule.
Your initial chain is going to be the diagonal of your potholder.
So, since it is a square, you can easily calculate the final size of your potholder based on the length of your initial chain, or just refer to the measurements in the image below.
PATTERN NOTES
- If the pattern says “BLO sc 2”, you must make 1 sc in the BLO of the next 2 sts.
- […] – Crochet the instructions within brackets all in the same indicated st.
Double-Thick Magic Square Potholder – Free Crochet Pattern
Work in the round in a continuous spiral. Do NOT join rounds with a sl st.
Ch 45.
Round 1. [Sc 2] in the second ch from your hook (photos 1-2).
Working in the back bumps of the next chains, sc 42.
In the last ch, [sc 3] (indicated by pink arrows in photo 3).
Start working on the other side of the initial ch crocheting in both top loops of the chains (indicated by the black arrows in photo 3).
Sc 43 working the last sc in the same ch as initial 2 sts (photo 4). (90 sts, photo 5)
Round 2. BLO sc around. (90 sts)
Rounds 3-19. Repeat round 2 until your project’s height is half its width.
For example, my work was 10″ (25.4 cm) wide and I got it 5″ (12.7 cm) tall in 19 rounds.
Fold your Potholder
Hold your work up with one hand at the start of round 1 and the other hand at the end of round 1.
Slide your hands up to the last round and push the sides toward the center (photo 6: halfway through the project; photo 7: what your work should look like when all 19 rounds are complete).
The important thing is that the folded sides of the potholder touch in the middle!
Depending on your tension, you might need to crochet an additional round or frog (undo) one if the sides overlap.
BLO sc a few more sts until you reach the next corner (photo 8).
Hanging Loop. Ch 10, BLO sc in next st (photo 9).
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. Your tail should be approximately twice the diagonal of your potholder.
Seaming
Match the stitches on the two sides of the potholder and seam them together using the long yarn tail. For seaming, use the mattress stitch, the whip stitch, or your favorite sewing method.
Weave in all your ends.
YOUR CROCHET Magic Square Potholder IS READY!
I hope you enjoyed this free crochet pattern and I’d love to see your magic pot holders! Please, share a pic of your work on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #raffamusadesigns!
Find more crochet potholder patterns here…
