Tutorial: How to Sew an Egg Warmer Basket

Around here lately it’s been all about the sewing. Karneval costumes! Shirts for my own and other children! Dresses for my girls!

Somehow in the background, the house stays (somewhat 🙈) organised, the kids get wherever they need to be (on time, no less!) and everyone is clean, fed and happy. What more could you ask for? Well, apart from a 2 week holiday in Tahiti perhaps…

Wait, what?!? Oh! A new sewing project, you say? Well, have I got something egg-citing for you 😉.

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Q: What happens when you make an egg laugh?

A: It cracks up!

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Easter is coming up and for some reason, this project always makes me think of Easter. Even though it’s really meant for chicken eggs, not the chocolate kind. Note: chocolate eggs also fit snugly into this sewing project 😉.

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Q: Why does the Easter bunny paint the eggs?

A: It’s too hard to wallpaper them!

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In this week’s post I am going to walk you through an egg-cellent, easy, quick sewing project: How to Sew an Egg Warmer Basket. Not only is it easy, it’s also fast. Perfect for when you really really want to sew something but know you haven’t got much time!

If the last 2 posts of me interviewing fellow bloggers about their early days of sewing (you can read them here and here ) haven’t stoked that creative fire in your belly, see whether this egg warmer tutorial gets you warmed up 😉.

Are you ready to discover how it’s done?

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

Why You Should Sew an Egg Warmer

They’re the perfect project for beginners. Of course, even more eggs-perienced sewers will enjoy sewing them.

They’re eggs-tremely (sorry, having a run on the egg jokes today!) simple to sew. 

You can use any colour cotton fabrics you like. Match your mood and existing home deco.

You don’t need large pieces of fabric, so you can use any leftover pieces you already have (those 3 popular words again, friends: reduce, reuse, recycle!).

They’re cute.

They’re useful in your home (keep those boiled brekky eggs nice and warm).

They make great gifts (once you sew one, I think you’ll sew several! 😉)

They’re also a nifty idea for holding Easter eggs.  (Don’t tell the kids!)

How to Sew an Egg Warmer Basket

These instructions will guide you through sewing an Egg Warmer Basket to hold 4 eggs. But what if you have more than 4 people regularly sitting down at your breakfast table? Do you need one that holds 5? Or even 6? Watch this space! I am working on freebie printable for those too! I’ll update this page as soon as they’re ready 😊.

What You’ll Need

Cotton fabric; you can choose whether you use 1 fabric or 2 different fabrics

Batting (aka Interfacing)

Thread: to match your fabric(s)

Sewing machine

Fabric scissors, tape measure, pins

Iron

Instructions

Step 1:

You’ll need 2 pieces of fabric, each cut to 28cm x 28cm square. No need to add seam allowance! A 1cm seam allowance is included. Choose whether you wish to use one fabric only for both the inside and outside of the egg warmer, or whether you want to use 2 different fabrics. (I’ve made mine with 2.)

Step 2:

Cut out the batting, also 28cm x 28cm square. I have only used 1 piece of batting in my egg warmer basket. (You may elect to use 2 layers, in which case you will need to cut out 2 28cm x 28cm squares.)

Step 2 (a): Optional!

If your batting is not the type to iron on, simple lay the batting on the wrong side of ONE of your fabric squares then skip straight to Step 3.

If you use a fusible batting layer (like I did), you can iron it onto the wrong side of ONE of your fabric squares. Fusible batting has a type of glue embedded in the surface of the batting which the heat from the iron causes to soften and “stick” to your fabric.

Step 3:

Place the 2 fabric squares- with the batting on the wrong side of one (or both, see Step 2) of the pieces-  right sides facing and pin together the 3 (or 4) layers around all 4 edges of the square.

Allow a gap (I left a gap of about 8cm) which will be used as the opening to turn the fabrics right side out in a couple of steps 😉.

Step 4:

Using a 1cm seam allowance, straight stitch around the edges of the pinned together squares, remembering to not sew that gap closed!

Step 5:

Being careful to not cut into the stitching, snip the 4 corners of the now sewn-together pieces. This will make for less bulk and neater corners in a moment 😉.

Step 6:

Using that opening (you remembered to not sew it closed, didn’t you?!?) turn your egg warmer basket right sides out.

After turning the egg warmer rights sides out chances are, the 4 “corners” of your warmer are rounded. Using that opening (again!) insert a tool inside the egg warmer to gently push the corners outwards. Don’t use anything sharp, such as scissors! Pencils, chopsticks and bamboo skewers work well 😉.

Step 7:

To smooth the fabrics again, iron the egg warmer. Ensure the raw edges of fabric at the opening are tucked inwards in preparation for sewing the gap closed.

Step 8:

Pin the opening shut.

Sewing close to the edge (approx. 5mm), stitch around all 4 edges of the egg warmer, including sewing the opening closed (you don’t need it anymore!).

Step 9:

Now you’ll need to find and mark the mid-point on each of the 4 sides of the egg warmer.

Fold the egg warmer in half longways (not diagnonally) and pin the two halves together at the marked mid-point.

Step 10:

At the mid-point, stitch the 2 halves together. Starting at the edge, stitch downwards 1-2cm so that the egg warmer is now folded in half and held together at the middle of the top edge.

Step 11:

Now you need to line up this row of stitching with the other 2 mid points you marked in Step 9. Hold the egg warmer open at the stitches, take one of the other midpoints and fold it inwards so that it rests against the side of the stitching you made in Step 10. Repeat with the other marked mid-point. All 4 mid-points from the 4 sides of the egg warmer should now meet in the middle.

As in Step 10, now stitch all 4 layers together, approximately 1-2cm downwards from the top edges.

Step 12:

Time to practice a little origami 😉. Pull the 4 corners of the egg warmer basket apart.

Using your fingers, inside the egg warmer push the outwards so that you have a roughly square shape as the base.

Step 13:

Turn each corner outwards, one by one. Your egg warmer will look like a beautiful, 4-petal exotic flower!

And Voila! You’re done! You’ve made your egg warmer. Bet you can’t stop at one!! (I know I didn’t 😉.)

I hope you have had fun sewing your egg warmer along with me here. Let me know how you went. I’d love to see photos of your projects! Share them below in the comments section!