How to Make a Cotton Pottery Tray with Fabric Scraps and Rope (Beginner Tutorial)

September 1, 2025

Tutorials

How to Make a Cotton Pottery Tray with Fabric Scraps and Rope (Beginner Tutorial)

You’ve got the scraps, now let’s make the magic!

Hi friends! I’m Cindy Hilfiger—a lifelong quilter, occasional pattern writer, and longarm quilter for hire. When I’m not stitching away in my cozy barn loft, I’m wrapping fabric and rope into something I call Cotton Pottery—functional, fun, and a little addictive!

Today I’m sharing how to make a sweet little Cotton Pottery Tray. It’s simple, useful, and the perfect project for using up fabric selvages, scraps, or fat quarters.

Tools & Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need:

Fabric Options (cut into ½” wide strips)

Fat Quarters: 16–17 strips, each ½” x 21″
Yardage: 8–9 strips, each ½” x WOF
Scraps: a handful
Selvages: trim off fuzzy edges, then cut into ½” strips

Other Supplies

5 yards of 3/16″ cotton rope
Glue stick (Elmer’s is perfect)
Binding clip or clothespin
Sewing machine with zigzag stitch + open toe foot
Matching thread
Scissors, scrap paper, pins

Note: Fabric amounts vary depending on how tightly you wrap. Keep extra strips handy just in case!

Step 1: Wrap the Rope

Start with your first strip—add glue to the first 3″ on the wrong side.
Fold it over the rope, wrapping the tail around to cover the end. Clip in place if needed.
Keep wrapping! Glue the last 2″ of each strip before adding the next.
Continue until all 5 yards of rope are covered.

Finish by tapering the final end of the rope with fabric so it blends neatly.

Step 2: Make the Fiddlehead

Curl the rope into a tight, flat spiral (about 1–1 ½” wide).
Secure with clips or pins.
Sew a “W” shape across the spiral with a straight stitch to anchor it.

Step 3: Build the Base

Switch to zigzag stitch (width ~4.0, length ~2.0).
Continue coiling and stitching, joining the rope edges as you go.
Stop when the base is about 5″ wide.

Step 4: Add the Sides

Gently tilt the base upward to create an angled wall.
Keep stitching in this position until you reach the end of the rope.
Backstitch to secure.

TIP: When making Cotton Pottery, removing the head cap on the sewing machine isn’t required, but it can help create a deeper V-shape, like the one shown in this tutorial.

Step 5: Add a Button (Optional but Cute!)

Sew a button at the rope’s end for a polished finish.
Hide thread tails by weaving them back into the rope.

To finish off your thread:

Insert your needle at the point where the thread comes out after sewing on the button. Slide the needle under the fabric and into the rope, running it through the rope for a short distance. Pull the thread through and insert the needle back into the rope at the exit point of the thread. Repeat this process about four times, taking a small stitch between each pass to secure the thread firmly. On the final pass, pull snugly and trim the thread close to the surface. The tail will neatly vanish into the project; clean and tidy!

Your Tray is Ready!

Trim stray threads, and you’ve got yourself a darling Cotton Pottery Tray.

Use it for:

Sewing notions by your machine
Jewelry by the sink or bedside
Keys in the entryway
Hair ties or makeup in the bathroom
Paper clips and sticky notes on your desk
Sweet little handmade gifts filled with goodies

Thank you so much to Elizabeth for letting me share this project here. If you make a tray, I’d love to see! Tag me @longarm.quilter and use #cottonpotterytray so we can cheer each other on.

And if you’re ready for more, check out my Cotton Pottery Membership—a new project and skill each month to keep the creativity flowing.

Happy stitching,
~ Cindy Hilfiger

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