I would like to make potholders for Christmas gifts. Is it okay to use regular fabric and batting or do I need some special heat resistant stuff?

You can use warm and natural all cotton batting, you can use layers of cotton fabric, :D or get the heat resistant stuff.

My mother made many pot holders in her lifetime. She never used anything special. She sometimes just used old towels for the batting as they are cushy and you can put an extra thickness if they seem a bit thin.

I am very shy about getting my hands burned and always pick up two potholders for each hand, especially when the casserole dishes are glass.

Thanks Ruth and Anne! I like the idea of using old towels in the middle. :D

Make them a bit oversized too. If you look at the old fashioned potholders it's like they scream out into tricking you that you're safe. I had some small ones that I eventually gave to my daughter for her play kitchen because of I was tired of some small part of me sticking out and getting burned.

Either insul-brite or warm and natural is what I use. And they are the only potholders I use. I threw all the store bought ones away because they either burned my hands or they got burnt.

I've never had a problem with the ones I made.

Sewnsewer, how many layers of insul brite and batting did you use for potholders?

I use 1 layer of insulbrite. I also make my potholders 8 or 10 inches. I hate those little ones they sell in the stores. They are finger burners. My DH has big hands so he really likes the 10 inch ones. You can use 2 layers of batting if you wish.
Connie

I'm too cheap for that - I used old wool sweaters and blankets. If they aren't already felted, toss them in the washing machine with a pair of jeans or something else that is "tough" (like an old tennis shoe) and wash/agitate them for a while. Then dry them in the dryer.

When I ran out of our family's old sweaters, I bought a couple at the thrift store for 50 cents. I also found an old wool blanket there for $2 - it had a hole in it but it was fine for my purposes. I made a LOT of potholder from that one blanket.

I think wool is a great insulator, and it's not as hard on your needles.

sewmuch, I just use 1 layer. I never burn my hand either and I put hot pots right off the burner on them too. Never burn anything.

I use leftover quilter's cotton.