Making a pot cover for your Instant Pot is a great way to keep it clean! It’s also a really simple DIY project.
An Instant Pot is perfect for making all kinds of meats, beans, stews, and soups. However, there’s one problem: The steam from your food will leak from around the lid. This is because standard lids aren’t designed for pressure cooking. An easy way to remedy this issue is by making your own pot cover for Instant Pot. Here’s how…
Gather Your Instant Pot Cover Making Supplies
Making a cover for your instant pot is not a very difficult process and can be a fun craft project to do when you have some time. There are certain tools and materials you will need:
- Cardboard: You’ll need a rectangular piece of heavy cardboard that’s about 10″ x 16″.
- Fabric: Choose a fabric that can withstand high temperatures, like 100% cotton or linen.
- Scissors: You’ll need these to cut the fabric and cardboard.
- Sewing supplies: You’ll need a sewing machine and needle, thread, and scissors to sew your pot cover.
- Marker: You’ll need this to draw out your circle.
- Iron: You’ll need iron to press the fabric when you’re sewing it.
- Velcro: This is optional, but including some velcro in your cover can help you secure the pot cover if you feel it need to be more secure.
- Pattern: It might be easier to follow a pattern for your cutting process!
Cut a Round Piece of Cardboard
Start by cutting your cardboard into a round shape that’s about 8.5″ in diameter. This will be the bottom of your pot cover. If you’re using a cardboard box from your grocery store, you can cut the cardboard using a utility knife. When you’re cutting cardboard, it’s important to use a ruler.
Otherwise, you might end up with an uneven circle. Cutting cardboard can be messy, so use a cutting mat and some cardboard to protect your table. If you’re more comfortable with a more precise cutting option, you can use a paper circle template.
Measure and Cut Your Fabric
Next, cut your fabric to the size of your cardboard circle. Note that you’ll have to add an extra 2″ to the height, width, and length of your cardboard circle to make room for your fabric to be sewn onto the cardboard. Your fabric should be about 10″ x 10″.
The fabric should be thicker than a thin t-shirt, but it shouldn’t be too thick. When deciding on a fabric, you should take into consideration the fact that your pot cover will be in direct contact with high temperatures. Most fabrics, like cotton, can withstand these temperatures.
Sew the Fabric to the Cardboard
Next, use a sewing needle and thread to sew the fabric to the cardboard. Start with the height of the fabric, and then sew the width, and lastly, the length. Start by sewing the fabric on the top of the cardboard. Sew the underside of the fabric, and then move up to the next row.
Continue until you’ve sewn the fabric all the way around the cardboard. You can use a sewing machine, or you can hand sew the fabric to the cardboard. Hand sewing is a great way to learn how to sew. When you’re sewing the fabric to the cardboard, make sure to leave about an inch from the edge of the cardboard. You’ll use this excess fabric to fold over and create a seal for your pot cover.
Make Stitches for Grip
Next, you’ll want to make stitches for the grip on the top of your pot cover. We recommend five stitches. For these stitches, you can use the same thread you used to sew the fabric to the cardboard. You can sew them vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. These stitches will help you to easily lift your pot cover off the top of your Instant Pot.
Cut Out a Circle in the Fabric
Next, you need to cut out a circle in the center of your fabric. The diameter of the circle should be about 2″ smaller than the diameter of your Instant Pot. The easiest way to measure your pot is to put it on top of your fabric. Then, cut out a circle inside the rim of your pot.
This will allow you to put your pot cover on top of your pot and still have room for your food. It’s important to cut out this circle in the center of your fabric because you’ll be using this to cover your Instant Pot.
Mark Where Your Buttons Are
Finally, you’ll want to mark where your buttons are on the top of your pot cover. You can use a fabric marker or a fabric pencil to write down where each button is. When you’re marking where your buttons are on your pot cover, use this guide:
- The Sauté button is in the top right corner.
- The Low button is in the bottom right corner.
- The High button is in the top left corner.
- The Keep Warm button is in the bottom left corner.
Final Words
The Instant Pot is a great appliance, but you have to be careful with it. The steam from your food can cause water to leak from around the lid and onto your countertop. A simple way to combat this issue is by making a pot cover for your Instant Pot. You can easily make yourself a pot cover using a piece of cardboard and some fabric.