Keep your hot beverage warm longer with a simple to make mug cozy. A perfect sewing project for beginners — a quick and easy sewing project for a small gift.
Have fun using the special buttons that you bought one of – well, you know, because it was so pretty. Enjoy a pretty (and warm) beverage in your cup dressed with a mug cozy! These are sometimes called a mug hug.
No need to download a free pattern (or purchase one), with our simple directions, you can make your cozy pattern to fit YOUR mug. Then you’ll know your cozy fits!
This is a perfect project for sewists of all skill levels. A simple project to make your own cozy with our easy steps.
Below you will find directions for making a mug cozy for both a straight sided mug, as well as for a shaped mug. No matter the shape of your cup, you’ll be able to make a cozy that fits with this fun project!
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How to Make a Mug Cozy
Quick and easy sewing project for beginners.
Learn how to make a mug cozy with a few small pieces of fabric, batting, one button., and an elastic hairband.
No need to make a button hole! We'll use the adjustable elastic band to secure the cozy around your mug.
Materials
- NOTE: Measure your mug as detailed below.
- For a 10-inch circumference mug:
- Two (2) pieces of fabric cut 10-1/2 inches x 3-1/2 inches
- One (1) piece of batting cut 10-1/2 inches x 3-1/2 inches
- One hair elastic, or about 4-inches of elastic cording
- One button, I like to use a large button
- Thread
Tools
- Sewing machine
- Pressing surface
- Rotary cutter, mat and quilter's ruler OR scissors and measuring tape
- Corner turner, optional but recommended
- Hand sewing needle
Instructions
- Every mug seems to be a little different size, so I wanted to start with how to determine the right size for your mug.
These directions are for a straight sided mug. Below you'll see how to measure for a shaped mug. You need two measurements.
First measure around your mug. You can see that my mug is 10-inches in circumference.
- Next, measure from the top of your mug handle to the bottom of your mug handle. My mug handle measures 3-inches.
- To each of these measurement add 1/2-inch. So, we cut our two (2) pieces of fabric and the batting at 10-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches. Here are our supplies to make our mug cozy.
- First we will prepare the hair elastic to be the elastic loop for the button. Fold it in half to find the center. Go to the sewing machine and tack it down across the middle. Sew back and forth 5-6 times to secure it.
- Here is a close-up of the hairband sewn and ready for the button fastening.
- Next, layer the batting, one of the fabric rectangles face up, place the elastic with the sewn part close to the edge of the fabric, and then the final piece of fabric face down.
- Pin in a few places, but especially where the elastic is in the middle of one of the short sides. This will hold it in position while you sew. You can use quilter's clips, such as Wonder Clips.
- Go to your sewing machine. Starting on one of the long sides, start sewing all around the edge with right sides together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. We will leave an opening for turning the mug cozy right side out.
- Sew all around until you are about 2-inches from where you started sewing. Tie off your thread.
- Clip the excess elastic. It is easier to sew with the full amount of elastic. If you clip it first, it slips around more easily. Clip the excess fabric in the corners. to make them neater and less bulky.
- Begin turning the mug cozy right side out through the opening.
- Continue turning. Use a corner turner to gently poke out the corners. If you don't have a corner turner, use a knitting needle, crochet hook or pencil eraser. Be careful not to poke a hole through the corner. Be gentle!
- Here is the mug cozy all turned and corners gently pushed out.
- Press the mug cozy, turning in the seam allowance in the opening.
- Using your edge stitch foot, top stitch all around the mug cozy, closing the opening.
- Almost done! Grab your button, hand needle and thread. Knot your thread and sew from the right side down. This way the knot will be hidden behind your button. Bring your needle back up close to the knot.
- I like to take one stitch before adding the button.
- Lay your button on your mug cozy. Bring the needle up through one of the holes, and back down through the opposite hole. Do this at least four (4) times.
- My button has four holes, so now I need to do the same thing through the other set of holes.
- Take your thread to the backside of the mug cozy and tie off. You have finished your mug cozy!
- Here is our mug cozy keeping a cuppa warm!
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How to make a mug cozy for a mug with slanted sides
Making a mug cozy with an angled side is just as easy. Start by measuring top circumference above the handle of the mug.
Materials:
- Two (2) pieces of fabric for the cup cozy. One for the outside and one for the inside.
My mug measured 11-1/2 inches. Next measure just under the handle.
On my mug, this measured 9-1/2 inches. Next, measure the height of the handle. My mug measured 3-inches.
This gives us the measurements to make the mug sleeve for an angled mug. Add 1/2-inch to each of those measurements for seam allowance. For this mug, we’ll cut our fabric 12-inches across the top, 3-1/2 inches wide and 10-inches across the bottom. We’ll start by cutting a piece of fabric 12-inches by 3-1/2 inches.
Now we’ll angle the fabric so that is hugs the mug. The bottom of the mug is 2-inches smaller than the top of the mug. Divide that number in half and we’ll take 1-inch off of each end of the bottom of the mug sleeve, to make the fabric 10-inches at the bottom. Mark 1-inch in from both sides.
Next, cut a diagonal line from the top corner to this marked line.
Here are all of the materials needed to make the angled sleeve mug.
Follow the directions above to make the mug sleeve. Here is the finished button sleeve for an angled mug.
What do mug cozies do?
Mug cozies wrap your warm beverage in a small quilt, helping keep your beverage warm a little bit longer. For even better insulation, use an insulated batting inside the mug cozy.
Tips and ideas for mug cozies
- These are great for both hot drinks and cold drinks!
- Buy a mug, make a cozy and wrap it up as a gift with some hot cocoa mix!
- If you’d like, you can use fusible fleece instead of batting. Just fuse the fusible fleece to the wrong side of the lining fabric before sewing the layers together.
- Look for novelty fabric that resonates with the coffee lover in your life and make them their own coffee mug cozy!
Coffee to-go? Learn how to make a wool coffee sleeve to fit the take-out cups! The reusable coffee sleeve can be personalized by fabric choice or hand embroidery.
