Felt Coffee Cup Cozy

     Hello!  Today project is one that's been sent to me by my wonderful up-line, Stella (check out her website, Stellar Stamps).  I loved this idea so much that I thought I'd share it with you!
     Next time you buy a cup of coffee be sure to get a cardboard cozy for your cup. Keep the cup so you can check tightness of your cozy later. Keep cardboard cozy and gently open it up at the seam to allow it to lay flat which will create your template. Trace onto a piece of felt (brown in my sample) that is likely to be about 11" long and about 4" wide then cut out. This is a great chance to use scraps you may hanging around.

     Using a blanket stitch and embroidery floss stitch around top and bottom of brown felt then stitch edges together to make it tight enough to go around coffee cup. Not sure how to blanket stitch? I found a super easy tutorial on a blog here.
     Using our Hearts & Brackets Originals Die (pg. 213 of Idea Book & Catalog) cut out heart using contrasting felt color (red in my sample) with the Big Shot. Adhere heart to brown felt using Crystal Effects (page 197 of Idea Book & Catalog), hot glue gun or Aleene's tacky glue, etc... Allow to dry completely. Note how heart is leaning a little and not straight. It stands out more that way I think.
     Using a button from the Holiday Mini Big Designer Buttons (pg. 17) stitch button onto cozy overlapping onto heart a wee bit.

     Using Watercolor Paper (pg. 170) stamp the coffee cup and "perk up!" images from the set Morning Cup (pg. 60) with Early Espresso ink. Color in using either markers or with an Aqua Painter and a little ink squished into an ink pad lid. Take care to not color too much over the brown ink of the image so it does not bleed.
     Punch stamped image using 1 1/4" Circle Punch (pg. 203) then layer/adhere onto a piece of Early Espresso card stock then punch using 1 3/8" Circle Punch (pg. 203). Punch tiny hole at upper left using 1/16" Circle Punch (pg. 202). Insert a piece of the same embroidery floss into hole and knot so that the loop is about 1 1/2" long. Dangle this piece onto button that you sewed onto the cozy.

     Slip cozy onto some warm coffee, tea or cocoa and enjoy!
     You can use any colors, any die cut images, you can cut something out free hand. You can add any embellishments you want.  How about more buttons?  Or Fleurettes (pg. 188), Paper Daisies (pg. 188), or ribbon (pg. 190-191). As long as you can comfortably hold the coffee, the sky's the limit as to how crazy you want to get with this.
     I am dying to make one of these but life is a bit hectic right now with the bustle of the holidays.  I'm thinking I won't get a chance to sit down and try it out until January (bummer!).  If you get a chance to make one of these before me, I would love to see it!  Just leave me a comment and I'll make sure to add your photo to my blog!