Candle Cosy Tutorial

Do your candles get cold? What kind of ridiculous question is that, you may be wondering. But perhaps your candle needs a cosy, if not to keep it warm then to dress it up.

I got the idea for candle cosies last Christmas. I was shopping one day and saw some of these made out of felt - they were selling for $8.99. Ha! I wasn't paying for one when I knew I could make it myself!

Would you like to learn how to make one of these cosies? It's a quick and easy project - and it is lots of fun. Keep reading.


Materials:
Jar Candle (I bought mine at Michael's - on sale this week!)
fabric for background - approximately 7" x 14"
fabric for binding - 2 strips of 2" x 14" and 2 strips of 2" x 4"
strip of batting - approximately 3.5" x 14"
scraps for embellishment
thread to match fabric and embellishments
2 small buttons

Step 1:
Measure the circumference of your jar candle - this one was 12.75".

Step 2:

Measure the height of your jar candle - that's 3.5" for this candle.

Step 3:

Cut fabric strips for background. I cut 2 pieces the circumference + 1.5" x the height - 0.25". I figured out this formula through the trial and error method and it seems to work.
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Step 4:
Cut your batting the same size.
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Step 5:
Now you will decorate one of your fabric strips. I used a Christmas tree design (inspired by Linda Lum DeBono) but you can do whatever suits your fancy.
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Step 6:
Before you sew, sandwich the three layers together like a quilt and pin/baste. I just used straight pins since this is a tiny project, but you can use spray baste or safety pins.
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Step 7:
Applique and quilt as desired. Here I stitched around the edge of the tree then used free-motion quilting to stitch a design on the tree. I also used a meandering stitch on the white background.
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Step 8:

Now for the binding. Fold your 2" strips in half and press. You are going to sew these on just like a quilt binding, using a scant 1/4" seam allowance. Trim off any extra.
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Step 9:

Then fold to the back, press, pin, and hand-stitch down.
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See, isn't it cute? Just like a mini quilt! I almost want to stop and just hang it on the wall like this. But I won't...
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Step 10:
For closures, I made two buttonholes. I had the candle 'try on' its new clothes to see where to place the buttons. Then I sewed the buttons to the other end of the cosy.
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And you're done! Have your candle model its new cosy...
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Check the back to make sure it fits well.
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Here's another idea.

I wish I could remember where I got this idea. I remember that I emailed the person who posted the instructions and showed her what I did with the 'scribble stitch'. I checked through my emails but I can't find it. So... if it's you, please let me know!

And if you're not into applique, you can use a really pretty piece of fabric and fancy thread. I didn't even put binding on this one.

On the right is a patchwork version of the candle cosy made to match a table quilt. I embellished it with a snowman button - another idea!

I hope this all makes sense. If you have questions, let me know and I'll do my best to help.

If you make one of these cosies, I'd love to see it!

☺