Microwave Bowl Holders
 

I am trying to decide if it's cost effective to add some microwave bowl holders to my craft show inventory. I know that cotton batting without scrim is pricey. I have never seen these bowls for sale in my area, so I was wondering what the 'going rate' is for them. If you have sold these bowls, or seen them for sale at a craft show, could you please tell me what kind of price they are going for? Thanks so much.

I made 20 of these in production line fashion a few years ago out of scraps. I sold them for $5 each, don't know if that was too low but they all sold in about an hour.

Cari

Thank you Cari, I'm sure they did! That's a very reasonable (low) price.

I heard a few years ago that these things can catch on fire. Is that because people didn't use the 100% cotton?

a friend of mine makes many many of these. she pays for the 100% cotton batting. another friend had purchased one and it did burn anyway. the user just has to use caution with not leaving it in the micro too long. I think my friend sells them for $11-$12

Recently I saw them selling for $5 at a small town quilt show. That seems more than reasonable. I intend to make some but will only use Wrap-N-Zap 100% natural cotton batting. ;-) http://www.pellonprojects.com/products/wrap-n-zap/

Thanks for the tip. I never knew such a thing existed. I am thinking about trying to make a couple of these myself

Everything needs to be cotton, including thread. I probably wouldn't use metallic fabric either. I also think there was some confusion with Warm & Natural. The batt is 100% cotton, but many people don't know that it contains a scrim, which is polyester. The other thing is you should only be warming food in the bowl for a minute or two.

I saw them at a craft consignment place in Ohio last week. One person was selling them for $7.99----another place was $8.99.

I made and sold quite a few last year for $10 each, using Wrap n Zap. It can be expensive but if you watch for sales you can get a deal. I just bought a bolt of Wrap n Zap from Walmart online, 22 x 10 yards for $7.50 including tax. Had it shipped to local store so no shipping cost. That's enough to make 31-32 bowls

regarding catching fire -- we sell microwave potato bags 100% cotton -- with the instructions not to use them ore than 8 minutes, and then they must be cooled to room temp before using again. Longer use could cause problems as noted!

I have found that the bowls seem to flatten out so I just make them flat an wide like a placemat (but not as large) and use them out of the microwave after food has been zapped...my family tends to put their dinner plates in the microwave to reheat the food so this works perfectly for them to sit and watch TV with the plate on their lap..which is unfortunately what most of us do...lol..but I also think it is not a money maker since you can barely recover the cost of your materials and that would give zero money for labor...I think coasters would be better...easy to make/fast and can use scraps...(especially batting scraps which most of us have a lot of)

Last Christmas at one of the fairs, someone was selling hers for $3-$4 each. My friend bought one & loved it. However, I have no idea what was inside it & wondered about that. My friend loved it so much, she asked me to make her a bigger one. I did, but I used the Warm Tater batting & cotton fabric/cotton thread, & just gave it to her.

I was gifted one last year & love mine. I don't know what's in that one, either, although I did ask the giver & did not receive a reply. I use it every morning in the microwave for 3-1/2 minutes & have never had a problem.

I made a sew of microwave bowl holders after Christmas just for fun. I also made a pattern for myself suitable to use to hold a large plate. I had not heard of them catching on fire before I read it on this site. Used the batting sold for these items. (Saw the batting at a good price at Walmart the other day.) However, I don't think if you are warming something up for a minute of so there would be a problem. But just in case I now warm up the food and pull the item onto the holder. Works for me. Love using them. Great for that bowl of oatmeal in the morning or leftovers at noon.

Use 100% cotton thread also!! (poly wrapped cotton thread is often the fire issue)

I used to sell my hand painted items at craft shows years ago. One year, I had a lady and her daughter next to my area selling heating (corn) bags. A variety of team related fabrics. She sold them cheap, like $2.50 or so, maybe even $5 don't really remember. Her selling area was really bare, just a plain table with all these bags sitting on top. It was probably when the corn heating bags were just getting popular, because she sold out in minutes, had to go home and make more and came back to sell even more.

The next year, she could hardly even sell one.

Go figure. It's just the timing, and you never know. Kind of like those beta bowls (fish in a very small space, not my cup of tea.). They would sell fast, and then not at all.

I make sm, med, and lg ones. I sell them for $6, $7 and $8 each. I only use 100% fabric and thread and the Wrap N Zap batting. I also stress to people to only use them for a couple minutes and to stay by their microwaves when using them.

Quiltaddict-You stated you just purchased a bolt of wrap N zap from WalMart, for $7.50 incl. tax, when I went to their site I found the bolt priced for $41. Did you buy an entire bolt or what to get that much for $7.50? I bought the only size bag they had in the store a few weeks ago at Walmart for $4.98 and it was a small bag with a yard or so of wrap n zap.

I had the same question as Gerbie.....

I use my bowl holders in the microwave all the time but I am sure they are all cotton. I am planning to put some in a gift shop. I thought I would charge $8 but I will have to time myself first. I have made several but used for gifts. The gift shop will charge another 30% so we will see how that goes.

$5-6 is a good price. I try to use small pieces of my stash. Can be different fabrics on each side.

Use mine all the time but with reasonable caution. I use them to heat things up, 1-3 minutes, not for cooking, 15 minutes.

I just purchased Wrap-N-Zap from Walmart online. Very good price. ( I actually got it free since I used my "Savings Catcher" reward dollars!). I have made a few, but only for myself and gifts. But if I would sell them, I wouldn't charge less than $10.

you need to figure out how many you can make out of 1 yard of batting and material then add some time for your labor.

I was skeptical about this too. Just don't think you are going to find 10 yards of Wrap and Zap batting for $7.50.... I bought one yard in the package and it was $5 or so.

I really appreciate all the info you ladies are providing. These bowls aren't big in our area yet, so I am thinking I may do well selling a few. Going to have to go through my thread stash and find some that is 100% cotton, so I don't set somebody's house on fire!

I have made & sold close to 100 of these. I charge $8.00 each or two for $15.00. I started out just making them for family gifting & when their friends saw them, they ended up ordering from me. Have never had a complaint from anyone.

I don't think you would make much by selling them for $5. However, I'm not sure how much one would pay for them.....I suppose it depends on the size? I might pay $9.99 for a larger one that I could use for a larger bowl. No way could I afford $30 for six individual bowls.....and besides, you wouldn't make much either.......LOL!

Bought some for gifts and they started our daughter's microwave on fire. Not sure I would ever buy them again unless I said don't use them in the microwave just use as a cute hot bowl holder.:o

They make a real cute hot-bowl-holder. We use them for hot soup and for cold ice cream.

I wouldn't bother to sell them for less than $10.

you also need to use the stuff that you use insulbrite, it can withstand the heat.

Insulbrite? I use that for pot holders but I don't think I would put it in the microwave. It contains metal and can spark.

I started sewing the bowls tonight... they are SO SO cute! I think I can sell them for $8, rather than $10. And my selvedge potholders will go for $6. I'm trying to mass produce... cut out about 30 bowls.

That had me laughing sewbizgirl. :D

I make tons of microwave bowl holders to sell at our local farmer's market. I use W & N batting & have never had a problem or complaint about them catching on fire. I do use only cotton fabric & thread. Mine sell for $8.00 and I can't make enough of them.

Yes, or cotton thread or cotton batting. Also, one person in my sewing group had this problem even using all cotton and found she had to pre-wash fabric.

Do not use insulbrite.

I pre-wash the fabric, but should I wash the completed bowl holder before using?

I've made a lot of these but was wondering how yours turn out after they are washed. Mine sort of collapse after I washed them. I used a layer of batting on each side & thought they would stand up to washing. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with it after it is washed...just not as "pretty" as before...just sort of flat. They are still very, very usable & I don't think I go a single day without using mine.