No Sew Felted Mug Cozies
Here’s a quick and thrifty project perfect for those who do not sew nor have a sewing machine. This project is quick and the results are super cute. These felted mug cozies make awesome gifts for any warm beverage drinker in your life!
How to Felt Wool
Felted wool is a marvelous fabric. It insulates and does not fray or unravel when cut. However, if you were to purchase real wool felt (not the polyester stuff found in craft stores), you can expect to pay around $10-$20 a yard. Skip the fabric stores this round and head to your local thrift store. Look for mostly wool sweaters. It doesn’t have to be 100% wool, but it need to be majority wool or natural animal fiber. Look for fibers like angora, cashmere or merino. …show more content…
This is how I felt wool sweaters using my washing machine. Here’s the process:
Put the wool sweaters an old pillowcase and secure the opening with a rubber band. Trust me, y are going to want to put them in a pillowcase unless you enjoy picking sweater lint out of your washing machine. Make sure to keep dark colors separate from the light ones. Set the machine to Large Load, HOT, and High Agitation. Add 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap to the water, and then throw in the pillowcase with a few pairs of jeans. Turn the machine on and let it fill with water.
One the machine starts churning, start checking the progress every few minutes. Each sweater will felt at a different pace. Once the sweaters look soft and loose stitch definition, they are felted. Drain the water out of the machine (no need to rinse the sweaters). Remove the sweaters once they reach your desired level of felting and wring them out. You can lay the sweaters out to dry or throw them into the dryer (they will felt more in the dryer-I do …show more content…
If you felted the wool properly, it will not unravel when it’s cut. Although, I have had luck with sweaters that were heavier on the synthetics versus wool in their blends that did not unravel much. Each sweater is different, so you’ll have to experiment. Save the rest of the felted sweaters for other craft projects.
Measure the mug’s length and then measure the sleeve starting at the top of the ribbed cuff. Cut the appropriate length. If you have mugs without handles or want to use it for a mason jar cozy, they ta-da, you’re done. If not, let’s move to the next step.
Next, you’ll need to cut a slit for the mug’s hand to slip through. Measure about ½ inch down from the top of the cuff and start cutting until you reach about ½ from the bottom.
Slip the cozy onto the mug at this point. Make adjustments if needed. Flip the mug to the front and make sure it’s coverage it to your liking. At this point you are technically done, but it’s kinda boring. Let’s make it pretty.
What makes wool especially fun to work with is that you can use other pieces of wool as appliques and bind them by another felting process. To do this, you will need a felting mat and a felting needle
Here’s a quick and thrifty project perfect for those who do not sew nor have a sewing machine. This project is quick and the results are super cute. These felted mug cozies make awesome gifts for any warm beverage drinker in your life!
How to Felt Wool
Felted wool is a marvelous fabric. It insulates and does not fray or unravel when cut. However, if you were to purchase real wool felt (not the polyester stuff found in craft stores), you can expect to pay around $10-$20 a yard. Skip the fabric stores this round and head to your local thrift store. Look for mostly wool sweaters. It doesn’t have to be 100% wool, but it need to be majority wool or natural animal fiber. Look for fibers like angora, cashmere or merino. …show more content…
This is how I felt wool sweaters using my washing machine. Here’s the process:
Put the wool sweaters an old pillowcase and secure the opening with a rubber band. Trust me, y are going to want to put them in a pillowcase unless you enjoy picking sweater lint out of your washing machine. Make sure to keep dark colors separate from the light ones. Set the machine to Large Load, HOT, and High Agitation. Add 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap to the water, and then throw in the pillowcase with a few pairs of jeans. Turn the machine on and let it fill with water.
One the machine starts churning, start checking the progress every few minutes. Each sweater will felt at a different pace. Once the sweaters look soft and loose stitch definition, they are felted. Drain the water out of the machine (no need to rinse the sweaters). Remove the sweaters once they reach your desired level of felting and wring them out. You can lay the sweaters out to dry or throw them into the dryer (they will felt more in the dryer-I do …show more content…
If you felted the wool properly, it will not unravel when it’s cut. Although, I have had luck with sweaters that were heavier on the synthetics versus wool in their blends that did not unravel much. Each sweater is different, so you’ll have to experiment. Save the rest of the felted sweaters for other craft projects.
Measure the mug’s length and then measure the sleeve starting at the top of the ribbed cuff. Cut the appropriate length. If you have mugs without handles or want to use it for a mason jar cozy, they ta-da, you’re done. If not, let’s move to the next step.
Next, you’ll need to cut a slit for the mug’s hand to slip through. Measure about ½ inch down from the top of the cuff and start cutting until you reach about ½ from the bottom.
Slip the cozy onto the mug at this point. Make adjustments if needed. Flip the mug to the front and make sure it’s coverage it to your liking. At this point you are technically done, but it’s kinda boring. Let’s make it pretty.
What makes wool especially fun to work with is that you can use other pieces of wool as appliques and bind them by another felting process. To do this, you will need a felting mat and a felting needle