While I’m not a particularly heavy coffee drinker I’ve been known to enjoy my soy mint mocha from time to time. If I buy coffee once a week I’m using 52 of these little guys. Buy coffee every workday and it skyrockets up to 260. Ouch.

Reduce, reuse, recycle …and show some personality to boot. I made this cozy campfire coffee insulator out of some felt and old fabric scraps.

Supplies:

• Cardboard coffee insulator to use as a pattern
• Bit of khaki fabric
• Bit of red fabric
• Red, yellow, orange and brown felt
• Thick, crisp ‘hat brim’ interfacing (1/8th inch or so thick)
• Therm O Web HeatnBond iron-on vinyl (optional)
• Red thread
• Red double fold bias tape
• Orange embroidery floss

Using your cardboard coffee insulator as a pattern cut out the khaki fabric, red fabric, interfacing, and vinyl. If you choose to use vinyl you will avoid some potential coffee stains; following the package directions iron the vinyl onto the khaki fabric. Lickity split.

Your interfacing should be about 1/8th thick; it’s almost like flexible fabric cardboard. Get the good stuff so that you can be sure it’s insulating. Sandwich the interfacing between the khaki fabric on top and red fabric on the bottom. Sew binding tape *onto the top only* for now.

Cut out three flames in different sizes plus two logs. Using three strands of embroidery thread handsew the largest flame onto the khaki fabric through the interfacing but not the red layer. This will make sure your stitches don’t show on the finished wrap. Repeat for all three layers of flames and the logs. I made my flames stick above the top; I think it’s cuter and more fun that way.

Sew bias tape on the bottom through the khaki, interfacing and red layers like you did the top. See now how your flame stitches are hidden? Sew bias tape on the sides, folding down a bit extra on both tops and bottoms. Now shape it into a wrap and sew back and forth for security across the top and bottom.

Voila! Campfire cozy coffee!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use free pattern and how t0 step-by-step tutorial for your own personal use. Contact me  for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment if you use this project and let me know how it works for you. And you can post your photos to our “I made it!” flickr photo group. Craft and pass it on!

Comments (6)  | Permalink  | By Kathy on 11/25/2007