How to Sew a Mug Rug

Learn how to sew a mug rug with scraps of fabric. Use a free sewing pattern and a beautiful print for a unique handmade gift.

Who else loves a warm drink in a mug during the cold winter months? One of my favorite treats is hot chocolate and a cheese sandwich. I have some Canadian ancestors, and the Canadian coffee and toast snack was passed down and morphed into hot chocolate and a cheese sandwich.

It’s fun to think about eating this snack as a child as I sit down and share the same snack with my kids. One thing about hot chocolat is that it can get pretty messy. I needed something my kids could rest their mugs on that would catch crumbs and drips. I made some mug rugs for my whole family that is easy to sew and easy to wash!

Don’t miss the free mug rug sewing pattern at the end of the post!

What fabric should I use to make a mug rug?

The best fabric to use to make a mug rug is quilting cotton or cotton canvas. Quilting cotton is easier to find, but it would need to be interfaced to get it extra durability. Cotton canvas is just as easy to sew, and it doesn’t need to be interfaced.

Should I prewash the fabric?

The mug rug will be washed over and over and over again so the fabric definitely needs to be washed before you use it.

What is a PDF sewing pattern?

A PDF pattern is a sewing pattern designed on the computer and organized so that it can be printed on several letter or A4 size pieces of paper.

I love using PDF sewing patterns because if the pattern gets ruined or if my children or I changed sizes, I can always print it again. It’ll never be destroyed since I have a digital version!

How do you use a PDF sewing pattern?

Open the PDF on a computer and click print. When printing make sure that the scaling is set to 100% or no scaling so that the pattern prints at the correct size.

Once the pattern is printed it can be taped together to get the full size. Then the pattern can be cut for each pattern piece size or individual sizes can be traced so that the pattern can be used again and again. Learn how to use PDF sewing patterns.

Do you love to sew? Try one of these sewing projects:

Supplies

Small piece of quilting cotton fabric or cotton canvas fabric
Lightweight interfacing for canvas or medium weight interfacing for quilting cotton
Small piece of fusible fleece
Sewing tools
Sewing machine
Optional: free mug rug sewing pattern – get it at the end of the post!

Do you just want the pattern and tutorial as a PDF? Get the pattern and tutorial for just $5. You won’t need to access the internet every time you want to make it. Or get the Pattern Bundle with ALL the PDF tutorials!

You can choose to have the same fabric for the top and the bottom, or you can choose one fabric for the top and a different fabric for the bottom.

Cut two rectangles of fabric that measure 11 inches wide and 7 inches tall. Cut one rectangle of fusible fleece the same size.

Fuse the fusible fleece to the back of the bottom fabric rectangle with an iron.

Pin the fabric rectangles right sides together matching up all the corners.

Sew around the edges and leave a 2 inch hole for turning. Backstitch when you start and when you stop and pivot at the corners.

Trim the corners to reduce the bulk.

Turn the mug rugs right side out. Use a point turner to poke out the corners. Press the mug rug flat with the seam allowance of the hole tucked inside.