Paper and cardboard wraps certainly do their job; they keep your hand protected from the very hot or very cold contents of the cup. But… are they cute and clever? Are they a green alternative? We think not! Make your own Cup Cozies, using our free patterns and easy instructions. We offer three unique wrap options: snaps, lace-up eyelets, and elastic; and each pattern is sized and shaped for its signature closure. 

These Cozies are perfect for scraps, or make a bunch from one fabric as a unique gift idea or as matching drink cup wraps for your next party. Staying on the party theme, it would also be fun to make a different wrap for each guest as a way to keep track of whose cup is whose.

We used three different quilting cotton prints for our exterior panels with the same solid quilting cotton for all the lining panels. You could go with a slightly heavier weight fabric, but we recommend sticking with the regular weight cotton. There are two layers of fusible fleece in between the fabric, so if you go too much thicker, you may begin to have trouble inserting the small snaps and eyelets. 

A free pattern download is offered below sized for a standard paper coffee cup (we used Starbucks® paper wraps as our guide). The lace-up and elastic options are both a bit adjustable, but the snap wrap is not. Although many paper cups are standard, you may want to pin together the snap cozy overlap and test it on your exact cup to be 100% sure. 

If your cup is substantially larger or smaller, you could certainly reduce or enlarge the pattern to fit. We suggest re-drawing, keeping the reduction or enlargement proportionate all the way around, rather than trying to do it by percentage on a copy machine. 

After printing, you’ll notice the pattern for each version is slightly different to insure its closure aligns correctly. Make sure you keep track of which option you want to make to guarantee you have the correct pattern piece. 

Need a fast and easy gift idea? Pick up a gift card for your favorite local coffee shop and ask for an empty cup with a lid. Slip the cozy on the outside, drop the gift card on the inside, pop a bow on the top, and bestow the package on your caffeine addicted loved one. 

If you choose to make some Cozies, we’d love to see a picture of your best-dressed cups! Share a shot on social media so we can all be inspired. We are sew4home on Facebook and Pinterest; and sew4home_diy on Instagram. 

That’s a wrap!

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing Machine and standard presser foot
• Quarter Inch Seam foot; optional but helpful since all seaming is ¼”

Fabric and Other Supplies

NOTE: This is a great project for scraps. To give yourself enough “wiggle room” to easily cut, plan on at least a 12” wide x 5” high piece for the front and the same for the back. If you wish to buy in bulk, you could cut all three patterns from one ¼ yard cut. Of course, if you have a very precise fussy cut, you will need a larger piece from which to work. The best way to judge is to print out the patterns and test them on your fabric(s) of choice. 

• Scrap or ¼ yard of 44”+ wide quilting weight cotton for the exterior; we used a print
• Scrap or ¼ yard of 44”+ wide quilting weight cotton for the lining; we used a solid
  NOTE: You could certainly use the same fabric for both sides. 
• Scrap or ¼ yard of 45”+ wide fusible fleece; we used Pellon Thermolam
• TWO small snaps for Cozy A; we used Dritz 12mm Mini Anorak Snaps in Brass
• SIX mini eyelets and apx. 18” of lightweight cording, shoelace or similar for Cozy B; we used Dritz ¼” Two-Part Eyelets in Nickel and a thin polyester cording
  NOTE: We do suggest these slightly heavier eyelets in order to more easily go through the two layers of fusible fleece.
• 3” of apx. ⅜” wide elastic for Cozy C; we used black no-roll elastic
• All-purpose thread to match fabric
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Iron and ironing board
• Straight pins
• Hand sewing needle
• Seam sealant; optional – we used Fray Check 

Getting Started and Pattern Download

1. Download and print the THREE Coffee Cup Sleeve Patterns, which have been bundled into ONE PDF to make the download easier.
   IMPORTANT: The pattern download consists of THREE 8½” x 11″ sheets. You must print the PDF file at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page. There is a guide rule on each of the sheets to confirm your printout it to scale. Print horizontally (landscape). 
2. Cut out all the patterns along the solid line.
   NOTE: You will cut the main fabric using the solid line and the fusible fleece using the dotted seam allowance line. You can cut the fabric first using the full pattern, then trim the pattern to cut the fleece. Or, if you want to keep your patterns intact, print TWO of each page, cutting one along the solid line and one along the dotted line. 

Remember, the pattern pieces are curved. In order for them to match up front to back, cut the exterior piece with the pattern facing right side up and the lining with the pattern facing wrong side up. Alternatively, you could layer both of the your fabric scraps wrong sides together (so you can still fussy cut from the right side) and cut through both layers at one time with the pattern facing right side up. In either instance, your curves will then align when the two pieces are placed right sides together. This is only an issue if you are working with a print that has a definite right side and wrong side for the lining. If you use a solid (as we did) that traditionally is the same on both sides, you can cut with the pattern facing right side up for both. 

1. Using the pattern, and aligning your grain line, fussy cut ONE piece from the exterior fabric.
   
2. Using the pattern, and aligning your grain line, fussy cut ONE piece from the exterior fabric.
   
3. With the pattern trimmed along the stitching line, cut TWO from the fusible fleece.
   NOTE: Don’t forget that your fusible fleece has a right side and wrong side as well. Cut similarly to above so you end up with pieces that will fuse to both your exterior and lining.
   
4. For each cozy, you should have one front panel, one lining panel, and two fleece panels.
   
5. For Cozy C, from the elastic, cut TWO 1¼” lengths.
   

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

1. Center a piece of fusible fleece on the wrong side of the exterior and the lining. There should be ¼” of fabric showing beyond the fleece on all sides. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse in place.
   
2. For Cozy C, transfer the left side elastic markings onto the exterior panel.
   
3. Pin the two lengths of elastic in place at the marks on the right side of the exterior panel. We simply pinned the elastic in place; you could also hand or machine baste it in place for extra security.
   
4. For each cozy, place the exterior panel and the lining panel right sides together. All edges should be flush. 
5. Pin together all around, leaving an opening at the CENTER of one end. You will stitch around both corners at the open end in order to insure all four corners have a nice sharp pivot.
   
6. Using a ¼” seam allowance (we used our Janome Quarter Inch Seam foot), stitch around the entire perimeter.
   
7. Remember to pivot at each corner and to lock your seam at either side of the opening along the one end.
   
8. Clip the corners and press open the seam allowance, including along the opening.
   
9. Turn right side through the opening in the one end.
   
10. Using a long, blunt tool, such as a chopstick, knitting needle or point turner, gently push out each corner so it is nice and sharp, and smooth out the gentle curves. Then, press flat, pressing in the raw edges at the opening so they are flush with the sewn seam.
    
11. On all styles, pin the opening closed. 
12. On Cozy C, make sure the elastic strips are pulled straight out into position.
    
13. Make sure your machine is threaded with thread to best match the exterior in the top and to best match the lining in the bobbin. Slightly lengthen the stitch.
14. For Cozy A and Cozy B, edgestitch around the entire perimeter. This flattens the edge, keeps the layers from shifting, and closes the opening used for turning.
    
15. For Cozy C, edgestitch just as you did for A and B, but…
    
16. … at the end with the opening, start and stop the perimeter edgestitch just past each corner.
    
17. Remove the sewn panel from the machine and insert the free ends of the elastic into the opening. There should be an approximate ¾” elastic reveal between the two ends. Pin the elastic in place, forming a loop.
    
18. Flatten the cozy under the presser foot and stitch the final short seam to complete the perimeter edgestitching and secure the elastic.
    
    NOTE: The edgestitching should be secure across the opening, but you can add an additional line of hand stitching along the opening. This applies to any of the three cozies.
    
19. For Cozy B, use the pattern to mark the position for three eyelets along each end. Cut the holes and insert the eyelets. If you are new to working with grommets and eyelets, we have a full tutorial you can review prior to starting the project.
    
20. Find your thin cording, shoelace or similar and lace it through the eyelets just as you’d lace up a pair of shoes. We knotted each end and applied a dab of seam sealant.
    
21. Slip the cozy on the cup to determine the tightness of the lacing, then tie the tails into a little bow.
22. For Cozy A, use the pattern to mark the position for the two snaps along each end.
    
23. The post halves of the snaps should be post up on the right side along the smaller notched end.
    
24. The cap halves of the snaps should be cap up on the right side along the taller angled end.
    
25. If you are new to working with metal snaps, we have a tutorial for this technique as well that you can review before beginning the project. 

Project Concept: Alicia Thommas
Sample Creation: Debbie Guild