DIY How to Make Reversible Mug and Bowl Covers - Sew Fabric Dish Covers - Bravo Dada! Sewing Tutorial

Hi everyone!

In this sewing tutorial I’m going to show you how to sew reusable and reversible elastic mug and bowl covers. You can also make covers for glasses or any other dish. These fabric covers are eco-friendly, zero waste, and washable. They fit over a variety of dish sizes and are great to keep bugs, insects and dust away from your beverages, water or food. They're very useful when you're soaking foods in water too. The best part is that you can reduce the amount of cling film / food plastic wrap you use in your kitchen.

Important note: I use the metric system and make the exact conversion from cm to inches in the hope of helping. Please adapt these measurements to your ruler.

Hope you enjoy this tutorial. 🥰🪡

NOTE: Dimensions in inches are approximated.

The materials and techniques I used are the ones I thought were the best for me as a self-taught creative seamstress. It doesn’t mean they are the best for you, so feel free to use your creativity and make it your own!

You can adjust the measurements as you like and also add other features.

The steps to sew the mug cover and the bowl cover are very similar, the main difference is the measurements.

The following measurements are for reference only as your mug and/or bowl may have different dimensions than ours:

MUG COVER

Fabric measurements:

- 2 fabric circles with a diameter of 11cm | 4.3"

Elastic measurements:

- 1 piece if elastic: ≈25cm | 9.8" x 0.5cm | 0.2"

BOWL COVER

Fabric measurements:

- 2 fabric circles with a diameter of 30.5cm | 12"

Elastic measurements:

- 1 piece of elastic: ≈50cm | 19.7" x 0.5cm | 0.2"

Seam Allowance:

- 1cm | 0.4"

Needle size:

- 90/14

You will also need:

- Scissors

- Pinking shears (zigzag scissors)

- Wonder clips

- Sewing pins

- Quilting ruler

- Rotary cutter

- Cutting mat

- Wood stick

- Sewing thread

- Seam ripper

- Heat erasable pen

- Measuring tape

- Iron

- Ironing board

- Sewing machine

- Sewing machine needles

- Hand sewing needles

- Fabrics

- Elastic

- Seam roll & press

- Bodkin needles

- Parchment paper

- Place the mug rim on top of the wrong side of the fabric and, with a heat erasable pen, trace all the way around.

- Using a measuring tape, add 2cm | 0.8" all the way around towards the outside of the line you just traced (use this line as a reference).

- If you want your cover to drape more over the mug, draw a larger circle.

- Mark the stitching line in the middle of these two lines, 1cm | 0.4" away from each line.

- Place the other piece of fabric under the one you just traced.

- Pin both fabrics together.

- Cut the fabrics with pinking shears and using the outer line as a reference, as shown in the images.

- Leave an opening of 2.5cm | 1" so you can turn the mug cover right side out. Mark the opening on one of the fabric pieces using a measuring tape and a heat erasable pen, as shown in the images.

- Place the right sides of the two fabric pieces facing each other and clip them together, as shown in the images.

- Adjust the stitch length according to your preferences.

- Use a 90/14 size needle.

- Sew both fabrics together, following the stitching line.

- Using pinking shears, trim away the excess fabric and thread.

- Press the mug cover to remove the heat erasable pen lines and to shape the opening.

- Turn the mug cover right side out, as shown in the images, and press it.

- Then adjust the stitch length on your sewing machine, according to your preferences.

- Use a 90/14 size needle.

- Sew all the way around with a seam allowance of 0.7cm | 0.3".

- Measure the elastic around the rim of the mug, then mark your preferred length. I will use a ≈25cm | 9.8" x 0.5cm | 0.2" piece of elastic.

- Using a bodkin needle, thread the piece of elastic through the opening on the channel and all the way around until you reach the opening again, as shown in the images. Make sure to firmly secure the elastic end during this process so it won't slip inside of the channel. Use a second bodkin needle to easily remove the other one from the inside of the channel.

- Place 2cm | 0.8" of both ends of the elastic on top of each other.

- Set your sewing machine for zigzag stich, then adjust the width and length to a smaller setting.

- Place the ends of the elastic on top of a small piece of parchment paper. This way you will avoid the elastic from being "eaten" by your sewing machine. Then stitch over several times to reinforce the seam. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and the end of the seam.

- Using a hand sewing needle and thread, close up the opening of the mug cover with an invisible hand stitching.

The steps to sew the mug cover and the bowl cover are very similar, the main difference is the measurements.

- Place the bowl rim on top of the wrong side of the fabric and, with a heat erasable pen, trace all the way around.

- Using a measuring tape, add 3cm | 1.2" all the way around towards the outside of the line you just traced (use this line as a reference).

- If you want your cover to drape more over the bowl, draw a larger circle.

- Mark the stitching line in the middle of these two lines, 1cm | 0.4" away from each line.

- Place the other piece of fabric under the one you just traced.

- Pin both fabrics together.

- Cut the fabrics with pinking shears and using the outer line as a reference, as shown in the images.

- Leave an opening of 4cm | 1.6" so you can turn the bowl cover right side out. Mark the opening on one of the fabric pieces using a measuring tape and a heat erasable pen, as shown in the images.

- Place the right sides of the two fabric pieces facing each other and clip them together, as shown in the images.

- Adjust the stitch length according to your preferences.

- Use a 90/14 size needle.

- Sew both fabrics together, following the stitching line.

- Using pinking shears, trim away the excess fabric and thread.

- Press the bowl cover to remove the heat erasable pen lines and to shape the opening.

- Turn the bowl cover right side out, as shown in the images, and press it.

- Then adjust the stitch length on your sewing machine, according to your preferences.

- Use a 90/14 size needle.

- Sew all the way around with a seam allowance of 0.7cm | 0.3".

- Measure the elastic around the rim of the bowl, then mark your preferred length. I will use a ≈50cm | 19.7" x 0.5cm | 0.2" piece of elastic.

- Using a bodkin needle, thread the piece of elastic through the opening on the channel and all the way around until you reach the opening again, as shown in the images. Make sure to firmly secure the elastic end during this process so it won't slip inside of the channel. Use a second bodkin needle to easily remove the other one from the inside of the channel.

- Place 2cm | 0.8" of both ends of the elastic on top of each other.

- Set your sewing machine for zigzag stich, then adjust the width and length to a smaller setting.

- Place the ends of the elastic on top of a small piece of parchment paper. This way you will avoid the elastic from being "eaten" by your sewing machine. Then stitch over several times to reinforce the seam. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and the end of the seam.

- Using a hand sewing needle and thread, close up the opening of the bowl cover with an invisible hand stitching.

Happy sewing! 🥰🪡