How To Digitize & Embroider An Easy & Practical Tortilla Warmer

Everyone’s favorite day of the week? Taco Tuesday, of course! So why not combine our two favorite things? Tacos and embroidery!

Let’s make a quick and easy tortilla warmer for tortillas that’ll help warm up and keep them fresh and tasty for your favorite taco dinner.

We are all looking for quick and easy projects for gifts, hostess surprises, and just good, fun, and functional items for the home. Also, who doesn’t like tacos?

This tutorial will show you how to make this easy-to-create and assemble warmers with just two embroidered quilted circles sewn together! They are great for using scraps of fabric, small batting, and old jean material. The hardest part is choosing the embroidery font or design you’ll be embellishing it with. Ready? Let’s get started. 

Please note: this project is not meant to be put in the microwave but simply to keep your tortillas warm after they’re microwaved. Putting certain threads in the microwave can cause them to melt or catch fire when heated.

• Heavy material such as canvas or denim; you’ll need two 9-inch circles  
• Lightweight cotton material such as old sheeting or lightweight cotton: two 9-inch circles
• Lightweight cotton or bamboo batting light: two 9-inch circles
• Wash away stabilizer medium weight to fit a 10×10 hoop
• Embroidery machine
• Embroidery Scissors 
• Embroidery thread   
• The embroidery design or font of your choice. In this tutorial, we use:
  • Gecko with cactus 
  • Southwestern Flower  

Want to check out embroidery designs for this project? Access almost 30,000 high-quality embroidery designs to embellish your pin cushion perfectly!

When creating tortilla warmers, you can embellish them without or without text. The process of putting this project together will use the same steps.  

Throughout this project tutorial, we will give step-by-step directions from Hatch Embroidery Software.

Want to try a free 30-day trial of Hatch Embroidery Software, where you use it like you own it?

Before we start, if you’re new to digitizing, don’t forget to check out our article on what is embroidery digitizing?

Digitize your tortilla warmer front (with lettering)

1. Using your embroidery digitizing software, create a circle in running stitch which is at least 7 inches in diameter (most corn tortillas are 5-6 inches)
2. Copy the circle (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) in place
3. Change the second circle to a satin border 6 mm wide (.23 inches)
4. Select your satin border
5. In your “Create Layouts” tab, select create outline (to create inside bean stitch)
6. On your “create Outline” tab, select “outline and offset .”We are going to create an offset triple stitch to lay inside our satin stitch.
7. Select triple run (bean stitch)
8. Select offset of 3 mm (.12 in) (we use 3mm because it is halfway from center to edge)

9. Insert lettering or designs of your choice

10. Save your design!

Digitize your tortilla warmer back with a circle layout

1. Digitize a circle in running stitch which is at least 7 inches in diameter (most corn tortillas are 5-6 inches)
2. Copy the circle (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) in place
3. Change the second circle to a satin border 6 mm wide (.23 inches)
4. Select your satin border
5. In your “Create Layouts” tab, select create outline (to create inside bean stitch)
6. On your “create Outline” tab, select “outline and offset .”We will create an offset triple stitch to lay inside our satin stitch.
7. Select triple run (bean stitch)
8. Select offset of 3 mm (.12 in) (we use 3mm because it is halfway from center to edge)

Create the Circle Layout

1. Select a Design of your choice
2. Insert into your workspace
3. Select the design
4. While selected, click the “Create Layouts” tool.
5. Select Circle layout
6. On the top toolbar, select the number of repeats you want
7. You can arrange your layout by dragging the highlighted object. Have fun with this and play around with different layouts

If you want to learn more about the circle layout tool, join our Hatch Facts Facebook group and become a part of this interactive learning community. Be sure to check out Linda Rayburn’s circle layout tutorial.

Now we’re ready for the fun part, stitching your tortilla warmers! You will create two circles; you can use different designs if you like.

1. Using your embroidery hooping skills, hoop a piece of water-soluble stabilizer in a 10×10 hoop

2. Create a “sandwich” of:

a) One 9-inch circle of lightweight cotton on the bottom.

b) One 9-inch circle of lightweight batting in the middle.

c) One 9-inch circle of heavyweight denim or canvas on the top.

3. Lay the “sandwich” on the hooped water soluble stabilizer.

4. Stitch the first running “tack down” stitch.

5. Stop the machine.

6. Trim excess as closely as possible to the stitching line.

7. Return the hoop to the machine and complete stitching.

Assemble your tortilla warmers!

1. Thoroughly wash your circles
2. Press flat (if they went through the dry cycle)
3. Pin together and sew around half of the circle “sandwich,” creating what looks like a “pita pocket.”

4. Use and enjoy!!!

This project is a quick, easy, and personalized gift for the hostess with the mostest! You can make them larger for potato pockets (microwave for 10 min) or bun warmers (only 15 seconds to warm). Our goal is always to create things to delight you and ones which can easily use our soft and supple embroidery designs.

The most complicated part of this project is figuring out which one of our over 30,000 embroidery designs you want to use! This can be converted into a potato pocket, bun warmer, or more! Your imagination only limits you!

Want to learn more about Hatch embroidery software? With our easy download, you can try before you buy with a 30-day trial of this user-friendly digitizing software.

P.S. Want to try something to get the doodles in your head onto your shirt, bag, or tortilla warmer? Try a free Design Doodler demo that allows you to go from doodle or sketch to stitched embroidery in just minutes.