I have always loved tea cozies. There's just something so homey and cute about them, an attraction I can't quite describe. Now that I am venturing into the world of sewing I'm sure I'll be able to whip one up fairly quickly, but in previous no-sew years I contemplated crocheting a tea cozy, hand stitching one, or even knitting one!
I never got around to any of these options, and now that I've thought of this oh-so simple-way to make a really cute tea cozy, well I'm glad I didn't invest hours making one any other way. Colder weather has arrived, and a nice pot of tea sure sounds wonderful! And may I suggest adding some whole cloves to your pot of tea? The results are wonderfully fragrant and delicious!
You'll Need:
- fleece in two colors (or if you are a purest or a minimalist, so fleece in one neutral color could be lovely too!)
- pins, paper, a thin marker
- good scissors
How To:
- Lay teapot on side on top of a piece of paper, and roughly trace the outline of the teapot onto the paper.
- Refine this shape and enlarge by about two inches on all sides. Note: While some tea cozies cover the entire pot, including the handle, I decided to leave a few portions of the pot on the outside of the cozy such that it wouldn't have to be removed in order to pour the tea. You can certainly choose to make a large half-circle shape that will cover the entire pot. Or go with this design, and make an additional piece to enclose the spout, which would be removed to pour the tea.
- Cut out paper pattern, lay on fleece, and cut two identical pieces, one from each color
- Using your pen mark draw a line around the edge of the shape about 1inch (2.5cm) from the edge, this is your guide for length of fringe.
- Pin two pieces together, and cut fringe 1/3" wide (1cm) around entire teapot. Note: If you choose to make one like the one I've made, do not cut fringe on the portion under the handle.
- Place two piece together and start tying matching pieces of fringe. If desired cut of fringe where cozy meets spout and top to make holes for them.
- If you'd like to make colored panels at the bottom for ad additional decorative touch, cut rectangles of fleece the same width as the cozy you've already assembled, and attach that rectangle using the method described above. (Of course one could also do this first, as opposed to last.)
- My cozy gaped a bit on the portion under the handle, so I added two ties (tied to some of the fringe) to close this section with a cute bow, which will be untied to remove the cozy.
- Wouldn't this make a great gift together with a new or vintage teapot and a nice selection of teas?
- Enjoy and don't forget to make one for yourself and for any little children you know who happen to have tea party sets!
