How to Sew a Microwave Potato Bag

By
Debbie Colgrove
Debbie Colgrove
Debbie Colgrove is an award-winning seamstress and tailor who shares her knowledge with beginner sewers on how to work with patterns and fabrics. She has over 40 years experience and has been writing and authoring books for two decades.
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Updated on 06/30/20
finished potato bag

The Spruce / Debbie Colgrove

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $10

Do you love the taste of oven-baked potatoes but not the amount of time they take to cook? A microwave potato bag can cook your potato quickly in the microwave while making it taste oven-baked. The potato skin comes out nearly as crispy as the oven makes it. Sewing one of these bags is easy for beginners, as you'll only need to sew straight lines, and it should take you about an hour or less. Plus, you can personalize the microwave potato bag in your favorite colors or prints. The bag can even make a great gift, especially with some other kitchen items for a housewarming.

Warning

It's important to use only 100% cotton materials for this project. Other materials, such as metallic thread, can catch fire or melt in the microwave.

How to Make a Stamp From a Potato

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Rotary cutting tools and ruler
  • Sewing machine
  • Scissors
  • Iron and ironing board
  • Fabric marker (vanishing pen works well)

Materials

  • 1/4 yard 45-inch wide cotton fabric (preshrink)
  • 1/4 yard 45-inch wide unbleached cotton muslin (preshrink)
  • 100% cotton batting
  • 100% cotton thread

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Fabric

    Trim the selvages off of the fabric and muslin.

    Cut the fabric, muslin, and batting into rectangles that are around 10 inches by 20 inches. This size should fit around four potatoes. You can slightly adjust the size larger or smaller, as long as the bag will still be able to rotate in the microwave.

    Stack the cut pieces with the batting on the bottom, muslin in the middle, and fabric on top. The right sides of the fabric should be together. Then, round off the corners on one end of the stacked rectangle. Leave the opposite end with squared corners.

    Pin all of the layers together with the edges aligned. On one long side edge, leave an opening toward the middle that's a few inches wide (to be able to turn the fabric right side out). Put two straight pins at each end of this spot as a reminder to leave it open when you sew the edges.

    Sew the edges using a 1/4- to 1/2-inch seam allowance.

    Then, turn just the fabric right side out, so the batting is sandwiched between the fabric and the muslin. Press the seam and the area you left open, so it's even with the rest of the seam. Pin the open area to hold it in place. You will close this later when you sew around the edges again.

    Pinning the layers of the microwave potato bag
    The Spruce / Debbie Colgrove

  2. Quilt the Fabric

    Next, it's time to quilt the fabric. Stitch down the center of the length of the fabric. Then, use a rotary ruler to divide each side of that center line into equal rectangles, and stitch to form those rectangles.

    When you quilt the fabric, remember all batting has stitching requirements, so it will hold up to laundering. That generally means the quilting stitches can't be farther than 4 inches apart. Always check the instructions for the specific batting you are using to make sure it will be sewn properly for laundering.

    Quilting for the potato bag
    The Spruce / Debbie Colgrove

  3. Finish the Microwave Potato Bag

    With the fabric side facing down, measure 5 inches down from the short side with the curved edges. Bring the squared end up to this 5-inch mark, folding the fabric to create the bag. Align the edges, and pin the sides in place.

    Starting at the folded edge, stitch as close to the edge as possible, but make sure you are sewing through all of the layers. Using a guide on your sewing machine will help to assure that your stitching is straight.

    Continue sewing around the edge, backstitching at the top of the pouch. Sew around the flap, backstitching again when you reach the other edge of the pouch, and then stitch to the folded edge.

    Press the flap closed.

    Quilted and finished potato bag
    The Spruce / Debbie Colgrove