Basic Crochet Coffee Cozy Tutorial and Free Template

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An inexpensive ad-free version of this pattern is available as a PDF download in my shop.

Hi friends!

Here it is! The first real meat and bones post of my new blog! Yay!  Let’s get it started off right, shall we?  Freebies anyone??  YESSSSSS!

It’s fall, and that means that my hooks are constantly pulling up loops, and one of my best sellers is my basic coffee cup cozy.  They are so handy to have on the go when the coffee cup is too hot to hold but you need that hot beverage because it’s so stinking cold out.  What are you to do?  Accessorize, of course!  They make great gifts too, especially with a gift card tucked inside.  You can leave them plain, or decorate them with crochet applique or felties, etc. or even make them in multiple colors. The possibilities are endless!

I was sharing a sneak peak of my new fall cozies on my Instagram the other day and had someone ask about my pattern.  So I decided to turn it into a blog post and tutorial!

So lets get started, shall we?  This is a beginner-friendly pattern, so don’t be scared. It’s mostly just half double crochet, which just slides right off the hook in no time at all.  If you’re unfamiliar with the half double crochet, see this post in my Crochet 101 photo + video tutorial series. The most complicated part of it is the foundation half double crochet, but I have created a tutorial for you here, which includes a video tutorial.

Great! Now that you know how to do the foundation half double crochet, lets make your coffee cozy!

I’m using I Love This Cotton yarn from Hobby Lobby and a 5mm / H hook.  I use the Clover Amour ergonomic hooks, and let me tell you, once you use one, you won’t go back to regular Bates or Boyce.  You’ll also need a pair of scissors (these super sharp snips are my go-to, and I just love the dainty vintage feel), and a tapestry / yarn needle.  Clover makes this small needle case that comes with a few different sized darning needles, that way you’re not digging forever to find stray needles.  Get one here.

You can use any yarn you want, but you may need to make it bigger or smaller.  Just increase or decrease, respectively, the number of foundation half double crochets you start with.  Similarly, if you opt to use a different size hook, you may need to adjust your number of starting stitches.  I find it handy to have an empty to go cup handy to try on your cozy after joining that first round, just to get an idea.  If it seems to fit without stretching, you may consider decreasing a stitch, because the cozies will stretch.

Round 1: start with 28 foundation half double crochets.  Leave a long starting tail to sew the bottom together with later.  Next, slip stitch to the top of the first stitch to join and form a circle / round.  From here on, you will be working in the round. (Alternate: Ch-28, sl st to the first chain you made forming a large loop.  Make sure your chain is not twisted.  Next, ch-1, hdc into the same stitch, hdc in each stitch around.)  At the end of this round, you should have 28 stitches.

Round 2: chain-1 for height, does not count as a stitch.  Work two half double crochets into the first stitch from the previous round.

In each subsequent stitch, work a one half double crochet, continuing around to the end.  Slip stitch to the top of the first half double crochet of the round to join.

You’ll want to note that each even-numbered round starts with an increase, or in other words, two stitches in the same spot.  This will create a tapered effect. This only applies to even-numbered rows!

Round 3: chain-1 for height, does not count as a stitch.  Work a half double crochet into each stitch around.  Slip stitch to the top of the first half double crochet of the round to join.

You’ll continue alternating Rounds 2 and 3 two more times and finishing with another repeat of Round 2, for a total of 8 rounds.  Tie off.

Remember that long starting tail we had?  You should notice a small gap between the ends of your foundation half double crochet round.  Turn your cozy upside down so you can see the little ‘V’s on the bottom of your foundation round.  Use your hook or tapestry / yarn needle to pull the yarn under the ‘V’ of the last stitch of the foundation round, pulling from the outside of the cozy to the inside, then under the ‘V’ of the first stitch of the round from inside to outside, and back under the ‘V’ of the last stitch from outside to inside again.  You’re basically making a circle and cinching it shut.  Then weave in the tail and you’re done!

You can choose to decorate it with felties, or maybe whip up some crochet applique hearts or pumpkins or whatever you can dream up.  I usually just use fabric glue to adhere any adornment to the front of my cozies, making sure that the diagonal seam is squarely in the back.  But that’s it friends! Easy peasy!

Update: If you’re looking for felties or appliqué patterns, check these out!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Feltie
Spider Feltie
Crochet Pumpkin Applique
Crochet Heart Applique

Now for the other freebie! My blank cup cozy printable!

If you are making these for gifts or to sell, you may want an insert to slip inside the cozy so people know what they are, how they are used, etc.  I put my business contact information on mine as well.  I designed this template for myself a year or more ago when I started selling them.  I shared it with a Facebook crochet group I’m in back then as a blank template, and now, you can have it too! FREE!

Printable Blank Cup Cozy Template

So there you go folks, you are all ready to make, print, and sell / gift!  I hope you enjoyed this pattern and tutorial.  Be sure to tag me on social media using #labellevieforme any time you make something using one of my patterns or templates.  I can’t wait to see what you make!

Here’s what you need:

• Yarn (Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton in Tart Orange used here)
• Size H / 5mm crochet hook
• Scissors
• Tapestry / yarn needle

Stitches used:

• Foundation half double crochet (fhdc)
• Chain (ch)
• Half double crochet (hdc)
• Slip stitch (sl st)

Notes:

• This pattern is worked in the round using slip stitches to join the last stitch to the beginning stitch of the working round.
• The chain-1 at the beginning of each round does NOT count as a stitch.
• Foundation half double crochet is a method used to work the foundation chain stitches and your first row of half double crochet stitches at the same time.  It has more stretch than the traditional foundation chain method, which makes it easier to slide over your cups.  I also like it because it’s easier to make sure it isn’t twisted when it comes time to join into a round.
  • If you prefer not to use this method, an alternate will be provided in the pattern in ( ).
• This pattern is designed to have a slight taper effect to it, getting gradually larger toward the top.  Increases are worked in the first stitch of every even numbered round to achieve this look.
  • An increase is when two stitches are worked into the same place.

Video Pattern:

Update March 2023! I’ve added a video for this pattern to my YouTube Channel!

Written Pattern:

R1: Leaving a 5″ tail, 28 fhdc, sl st to join to the top of the first fhdc of the row to form a ring.  (Alternate: Ch-28, sl st to the first chain you made forming a large loop.  Make sure your chain is not twisted.  Next, ch-1, hdc into the same stitch, hdc in each stitch around.) (28 hdc)
R2: Ch-1, 2 hdc into first stitch, then 1 hdc in each of the remaining stitches around, sl st to the top of the first hdc of the round to join. (29 hdc)
R3: Ch-1, hdc into each stitch around, sl st to the top of the first hdc of the round to join. (29 hdc)
R4: Repeat R2: ch-1, 2 hdc into first stitch, hdc around, sl st to join. (30 hdc)
R5: Repeat R3: ch-1, hdc into each stitch around, sl st to join. (30 hdc)
R6: Repeat R2: ch-1, 2 hdc into first stitch, hdc around, sl st to join. (31 hdc)
R7: Repeat R3: ch-1, hdc into each stitch around, sl st to join. (31 hdc)
R8: Repeat R2: ch-1, 2 hdc into first stitch, hdc around, sl st to join. (32 hdc)

Tie off and weave in that tail, then, using the long tail you left at the beginning of your cozy, sew together the bottom gap between the first and last fhdc in Round 1.

You’re done! Congratulations!  Now go enjoy a nice hot bevy of your choice!

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