How to Make Pan Protectors
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Stacking pans saves space, but it can lead to scratches and chips on the inside of your pans. This is especially true when it comes to stacking enameled cast iron pans. When you stack several together, the rough, unfinished cast iron bottom of one pan rests directly on the enameled inside of the next pan. Not good.
Protect your investment by making a set of pan protectors. This is a quick and easy project. In fact, it doesn’t require anything fancier than a pair of scissors.
How to Make Pan Protectors
What You’ll Need:
Felt (stiffened felt works best)
Scissors
Tape
A marker
What You Do:
Print out a copy of the pan protector pattern. Be sure your printer is set to print full page. If it’s set to “fit page” the pattern won’t print the right size.
Assemble the pattern, by cutting off any white edges outside the print area. Then, line up the four pieces, and tape them together.
Measure the diameter of the pan you’re making a protector for by placing a ruler across the top of the pan. Then, cut along the corresponding line on the pattern. If you’re making pan protectors for multiple pans, start with the biggest one. This will allow you to continue cutting down the same pattern, so you won’t have to print multiple copies.
When you’re done cutting, you should have a circle.
Cut out the six marked wedges to complete your pattern.
Then, lay your pattern on top of a piece of felt, and trace around it with a marker.
Cut along your markings to cut out your first pan protector.
Then, place it in the pan you made it for, to test the fit. Since some pans have taller sides than others, we added extra length to the arms of the protector. If they’re sticking up over the edge of your pan, just trim them even with the top.
And that’s all there is to it. Repeat the process, until you have a pan protector for each of your pans.
Want to make someone a set of pan protectors, but not sure what size their pans are? Just make several of the 12″ protectors. They can easily be trimmed to fit any size pan.
Buy Pan Protectors
If you like the idea, but you don’t want to make them yourself, you can also order pan protectors on Amazon.
More Kitchen DIY Projects
Just found the Pan Protector template, Awesome job!
The borber markings make perfect registration ponts to connect the 4 pages. We have been using flat padded shelfliner for years-it pad but looks awful. This will clean it up nicely. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you found the template useful 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this template! I’ve used several materials over the years – packing wrap, shelf liner, foam, etc. But, felt seems to hold up the best. Except that I didn’t have a really good pattern. Yours is the best I’ve found and I really appreciate that you made it available. Thank you again!
You’re welcome. Glad you found it helpful.
Thank you Erin, the pattern is coming in handy for the Caravans pots and pans and bowls etc!