How to Make an Embroidered Koozie

Updated on 05/19/20

Project Overview

Working Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr
Yield: 1 koozie

Skill Level: Beginner
Estimated Cost: $10

Who's ready for some summer fun? Whether you're at the beach, on a road trip, or just cooling off in your own backyard, your beverage of choice deserves to keep cool too! These DIY embroidered koozies are a super fun sewing project for all levels. (If you can sew in a straight line, you can make these!) The embroidery gives them an extra colorful punch, and you can even customize them. We think they'd be great bachelorette party gifts, birthday favors, or just something fun to make with friends.

Materials for making a DIY koozie — Lovely Indeed

As you're gathering your materials, consider the colors and shapes you'd like to have on your koozies. You can create an abstract pattern like the one shown here, you can embroider names, dates, patterns, and so much more! Be sure that you choose a fabric that will highlight and complement the embroidery.

Equipment / Tools

Sewing machine
Notions
Scissors
Embroidery needle
Embroidery hoop
Measuring tape or cutting mat

Materials

Colorful fabric
Felt for backing
Embroidery thread
Stick-on hook and loop fastener (like Velcro)
Insulbright insulated fleece (optional)

Cut the Fabric

Start by cutting your fabric. You'll need one piece of your featured material, one piece of felt backing, and one piece of Insulbright if you choose to use it. Cut each piece to 12-by-5 inches. This will make one koozie.

Note: The Insulbright is insulated fleece that helps really keep the drink cold. So if that's your goal, we recommend using it. Alternatively, if you skip the Insulbright the koozie will function more to keep your hand from getting too cold or wet while you hold your drink.

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Embroider Your Pattern

Start creating your embroidery. Insert your featured fabric into the embroidery hoop and thread your needle, knotting the ends of the thread.. If you want to create an abstract pattern like the one shown here, simply bring the needle up through the back of the fabric and then down through the front in any patterns that you like, tying the thread off at the back when you want to change colors. Here's a great guide to a few basic embroidery stitches to get you off and running with ideas.

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Finish Embroidering Your Pattern

Continue embroidering until you're satisfied with the design. You'll most likely want to stay focused on the center of the fabric, so that the design has a focal point and doesn't get wasted around the sides or back of the koozie. Once you're done, remove the embroidery hoop.

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Layer the Fabric

Iron your fabric if needed. Then, place the layers down in the following order: embroidered fabric right side up, felt backing right side down, then (if you're using it) Insulbright. Pin the layers together.

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Sew the Fabrics Together

Sew a straight stitch with a 1/4-inch seam allowance around the edges of the fabric, leaving a 2 to 3-inch gap on one of the short ends.

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Flip and Finish

Flip the koozie right side out by pushing all of the layers through the gap in the stitching. If necessary, use a pencil or other tool to press the corners outward so that they're crisp. Then sew the gap closed using a straight stitch.

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Add Hook and Loop Fastener

Cut a length of your hook and loop fastener and add it to either end so that you can close the koozie. Be sure you place the pieces so that this part will be hidden once you wrap it around your can or bottle.

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Cheers! Enjoy Your Koozie

Wrap up your drink, head out to the pool, and enjoy!

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