When I first started sewing, I was so intrigued with Kam Snaps – they looked so enticing, with their rainbows of colours. Most of the people I saw using them were making diapers though, so I wanted to find a use that would suit me. I came up with this insulated cup cozy.  I had seen cup cozies before, but they were usually closed with buttons or hooks, or made out of something else entirely. My design allows the cozy, or sleeve, to be completely reversible, so you get 2 for 1!

A friend introduced me to the reusable Starbucks cups a few years back, and I use mine daily. I designed my pattern to fit these cups; if you are wanting to fit different cups, you may need to adjust the pattern. I get a lot of requests for my pattern, so I finally got around to making it in a shareable version for everyone.  I’m offering it here on my site to you for free!

It’s a perfect project for beginners and experienced makers alike. It’s a fun, quick project and makes a great little gift.

To make the cup cozy, you’ll need less than a fat quarter of 2 prints each. I like to use quilting cotton, but a linen blend could work too. You’ll also need some insulated batting; I use Insult-Bright, available at Funky Monkey Fabrics, and Connecting Threads. You also need 2 complete sets of Kam-snaps and the pliers or press, and awl to install them (4 caps, 2 studs and 2 sockets). You can find Kam-snaps at Stay-Home Fabrics. You might find a point turner helpful too.

Start by downloading and printing the pattern. Make sure to print at 100%. You can check the test square to see if it measures 1″ square to make sure the pattern printed at the right size. Cut out the pattern and tape together at the dotted lines to get the full piece.

​Cut out a mirror image set of your exterior fabrics. You can do this by either placing fabrics right side together and cutting out the pattern piece once, or just cut out one fabric from the pattern piece, then flip over to cut the mirror image. Then cut one Insult-Bright piece.

Place fabrics right sides together and the Insult-Bright wrong side against one of the fabrics, matching the shape of the pattern, then pin or clip around the edges. Starting at the bottom of the cozy (where indicated on pattern piece with turning gap) sew around the perimeter, leaving a small turning hole, with a 3/8″ seam allowance, making sure to backstitch at start and stop. Trim corners and seam allowance, except leave seam allowance intact over turning gap. Trim away Insult-Bright over turning gap. 

Turn right side out, making corners nice and sharp. Tuck in seam allowance and press all over. Topstitch around cozy 1/8″ away from edges, closing up turning gap. 

To add the snaps, you can use the pattern placements (4 circles on the pattern piece) as a guide, but I suggest trying it out on the cup you’re going to be using it with before piercing holes with your awl. I do this by wrapping the cozy around the cup, nice and snug. One end should overlap the other, it doesn’t matter which one since the cozy is reversible. Once I have a placement I’m happy with, I hold the cozy where the ends overlap and quickly slip the cup out. If you aren’t confident with doing this, you can pin or clip the cozy in place before you remove the cup; a bobby pin or paper clip would work well here too. Now while still holding the overlapped ends, I take my awl and pierce the top and bottom, through both ends of the cozy. Note: For this step, you need to make sure the hole you’re piercing is well within topstitching on both layers, otherwise your snap may miss a layer.

Once your holes are pierced, you can let go of the overlapped ends and install the snaps. You’ll want one set of caps showing on the left end of the cozy and one set of sockets on the right end for side A, and when you flip the cozy over to side B, it should have caps (the other side of the sockets from side A) on the left and studs on the right (the other side of the caps from side A).

You’re done! Rinse and repeat for all those teacher/neighbour/coworker gifts. It’s great for scrap busting too! I would really love to see your cup cozies! Please tag me @reecemontgomery and use #HappyOkapiCupCozy on Instagram, or share on my Facebook wall. 

If you aren’t a coffee drinker, they double as power cuffs!

Want to make a cozy, but don’t have snaps? My friend Rachelle used Velcro on hers; check out the changes she made for it.