I got this idea from my Mom — when she brings a hot dish to a potluck, she usually wraps it in old towels so it stays warm in transit. So I decided to refashion a felted wool sweater into a kind of padded envelope to carry potluck dishes in. The food will stay warm, and when you get there, you’ll have a built-in trivet to set it on!

Materials

• Your favorite potluck dish (I’m using a 9×13 pan)
• Cutting board that fits the potluck dish
• One large wool sweater, felted in a washing machine see note below
• One additional felted wool sweater or blanket for lining
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine and thread
• Tape-style Velcro, 10"
• Additional felt, buttons, etc. for embellishments (optional)
• Hand-sewing needle and embroidery floss (optional)

Note: Different kinds of wool sweaters will behave differently during the felting process. Some will shrink a great deal. Others, hardly at all. I recommend starting with a large-size sweater, so you’ll have as much felt to work with as possible. For this project, I’m also using a wool-blend blanket from my local thrift store, which I felted in the washing machine. If you don’t have a blanket, you can felt a second sweater.

In addition, I’ve specified a cutting board for this project that will act as a sturdy base for your cozy. (Don’t worry, you’ll be able to slide it right out of the cozy when you’re not using it.) If you don’t have a cutting board in your kitchen that fits, you can also buy rigid plastic sheeting at a home improvement store and have it cut to size. Or check your local dollar store for inexpensive cutting boards.