Origami Star Trivet
Discover a new, fun way to create texture in your sewing adventure. This beautiful trivet project will incorporate some origami-like fabric manipulation techniques that are super easy--yet create a stunning finished effect.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to find and use the downloadable PDF pattern.
Video Tutorial
Written Directions
NOTE: Included fabrics and thread are 100% cotton to withstand high heat. The included Insul-Bright batting is a heat barrier, but NOT microwave safe.
- Fold one piece A in half and press to crease. Open and fold in half the opposite way, press to crease. You should end up with two crease lines that divide the circle into quarters.
- Lay creased circle on Insul-Bright with wrong side of fabric piece facing Insul-Bright and centered. Treat as one piece.
- Fold one piece B in half, wrong sides of fabric facing, and place the center of the folded edge on the center point of the circle. Stitch across folded piece B, following circle crease line; reverse stitch at end of stitch line near the folded edge.
- Fold the two folded corners down to the start of the stitch line to create a triangle shape. Pin these corners in place.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 along each of the three remaining circle creases, putting each new folded B piece up against the point(s) of the previous B piece(s) so that the fold of the new piece B is as close as it can get to the points.
- Sew around the raw edges to hold in place. Remove pins.
- Pick which color of the pieces C you would like to be the middle star and set the other color aside for now.
- Fold one piece C in half, wrong sides of fabric facing, and place along one of the circle's crease lines with the center of the folded edge 0.75" away from the center point of the circle. Stitch across folded piece C, following circle crease line; reverse stitch at the end of the stitch line near folded edge.
- Fold corners down to stitch line, making a triangle shape. Pin.
- Repeat steps 8 and 9 on all three remaining circle creases.
- Fold another piece C in half, wrong sides of fabric facing, and place along one diagonal line on the folded pieces B with the center of folded edge 0.75" away from center point of circle. Stitch across folded piece C, straight out to edge of circle; reverse stitch at end of the stitch line near the folded edge.
- Fold corners down to stitch line, making a triangle shape. Pin.
- Repeat steps 11 and 12 on all three remaining diagonal lines.
- Sew around raw edges to hold in place. Remove pins.
- Start working with the pieces C that were set aside in step 7.
- Fold one piece C in half, wrong sides of fabric facing, and place along one of the circle's crease lines with the center of the folded edge 1.5" away from the center point of the circle. Stitch across folded piece C, following circle crease line; reverse stitch at end of the stitch line near the folded edge.
- Fold corners down to stitch line, making a triangle shape. Pin.
- Repeat steps 16 and 17 along all remaining circle creases.
- Fold another piece C in half, wrong sides of fabric facing, and place along one diagonal line on the folded pieces B with the center of folded edge 1.5" away from center point of circle. Stitch across folded piece C, straight out toward edge of circle; reverse stitch at end of stitch line near the folded edge.
- Fold corners down to stitch line, making a triangle shape. Pin.
- Repeat steps 19 and 20 along all remaining diagonal lines.
- Trim corners and excess fabric from edges to match the circle shape of the underlying piece A. Leave pins in place to hold folds. Then, place on last remaining circle piece A with wrong sides facing; pin together in the center and treat as one piece.
- Cut one short end of piece D at a 45-degree angle, then fold both long edges of piece D 0.5" toward its center, with the wrong sides of the fabric facing. Press to hold folds.
- Fold piece D in half with wrong sides of fabric facing so that the longest folded edge ends up about 0.25" wider than the other folded edge. Press to crease and hold fold closed.
- Open the folds on the diagonal end of piece D and fold 0.5" of the short diagonal edge toward the inside, refolding along folds from step 23 & 24. Press to hold everything folded.
- Open folds from steps 23 and 24, leaving fold from step 25 folded. Place shortest long edge of piece D on outside edge of piece A, right sides facing, starting at diagonal short end.
- Begin sewing piece D to piece A, starting at the diagonally-folded end, and following the crease on piece D that is closest to the outside (shortest) long edge. Slowly stitch around the circle, careful NOT to stretch piece D. If you start to notice any wrinkles toward the inside edge of piece D as you are sewing, stop stitching with the needle down through the fabric, pick up the presser foot, carefully smooth out the wrinkle, place presser foot back down, and continue sewing.
- When back around to the start of piece D, continue sewing 1" past the start of piece D. Cut any excess length from piece D.
- Fold all the folds back into piece D. This should make it fold over and around the raw edge of the trivet and to the back side. Tuck the cut end inside the diagonal end to refold and hide all raw edges. The folded edge on the back of the project should extend a bit past the stitchline made when sewing to the front of the fabric. Stretch and pin in place so that the fabric lies smooth and flat along the back.
- OPTIONAL: To create a hanging loop from the Sew What Box "handmade" label ribbon, cut a length of ribbin that starts and ends about 0.25" on either side of a pair of labels. Fold in half, then stick the raw edges under the back of the piece D binding; pin in place. (Handmade label ribbon is available at www.sewwhatbox.com/project-shop. Alternatively, you may use a length of regular ribbon that is about 5" long.)
- Sew around trivet edge, with front of trivet facing up, through all layers of fabric to attach back edge of binding (piece D) to the back side of the trivet. You can either use a straight stitch in the "ditch" between the front main part of the trivet and the front binding (where the binding attaches), or you can use a decorative stitch around the inside edge of the binding.
Project PDF Pattern
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