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Upcycling really is this easy! You can jazz up an old jar or vase with a sweater sleeve or sock, adding cute embellishments to personalize your DIY candle sweater cozy however you wish. Pop anything from a pot plant or flowers or even a candle in there and make extra because they’re fantastic seasonal gifts. You’ll love how easy these little candle holders are to make! In just a few minutes, you can create something beautiful that looks amazing with a tea light glowing inside.
It’s so simple to make a DIY candle sweater cozy using some simple supplies. Set aside some time because you’re going to have a lot of fun with this craft project.
More crafts to try include this hand-knitted blanket, some felt gingerbread man ornaments or these DIY beeswax wraps. They’re all easy projects.
Why You’ll Love It
Such a simple project: You just need to stretch your fabric over the jar, glue it on and add any embellishments you want.
A cute seasonal gift: Gather up all your old jars, vases and candle jars and old clothing and make these adorable gifts for friends and family.
You can get creative: Every DIY candle cozy is different and you can get as creative as you wish, using different fabrics and different decorations on each one.
DIY Sock Candle Cover Materials
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Candles, jars and vases: You need some containers to start off with. All kinds of shapes and sizes are possible. This is the perfect way to upcycle Oui glass yogurt jars or glass dessert containers from Costco.
Old sweaters or cable knit socks: Anything chunky will work (such as these textured socks).
Fabric scissors: Or regular sharp ones.
Hot glue gun: Don’t forget the glue sticks!
Decorations: Embellish your candle cozies with buttons, ribbon, jute, tags, and anything else you want. If you’re making them for Christmas, how about some plastic mistletoe, holly and berries?
How to Make DIY Candle Sweaters
For more detailed instructions, jump to the printable tutorial card.
Add the sweater sleeve, sock or fabric: Stretch the material over the jar, pulling it from the bottom upwards. Snip off the part under the jar with scissors, leaving enough fabric to hold the jar base.
Glue it in place: With the jar bottom-up, apply some hot glue to the jar and press on the fabric. Let the glue dry. If you’re worried you might burn your fingers, use a popsicle stick or some tweezers to press the fabric on to the hot glue. Work your way around until you’ve glued it all in place.
Add embellishments: Glue on any embellishments you want, such as jute, fabric flowers, buttons, and so on.
Substitutions and Variations
Different fabric: Anything goes as long as it’s stretchy so it stretches over the form of the vase or jar you’re using. Stretchy sweater socks or anything with a bit of stretch is good.
Hot glue: You can use regular glue if you want, either crafting glue or anything that’s got some serious “stickiness” to it!
Other containers: Jars, either a mason-type jar or an old candle jar will work, or you could use a plant pot or similar, depending on what you plan to put in there. If you are like me, you save the Oui glass yogurt jars or glass dessert containers from Costco, so use them on this! If you’re going to add candles, it’s safest to use a glass vessel.
What to Put in a DIY Sock Cup Cozy
Flowers: Fresh or dried flowers look great in a cozy vase
Candles: Anything from a tea light to a scented candle will work.
Plants: Add some earth and a cute plant. If it’s a plant that needs to drink from the bottom, add a smaller pot into the jar so you can pour water into the jar.
Top Tips
Fire safety: Make sure to keep the fabric and embellishments at a safe distance from the flame to avoid a potential fire hazard when the candle is lit.
Make extra: Because a candle jar makes such a great gift, snuggle up with plenty of supplies and make a batch of these cute gifts for all your nearest and dearest!
Use sharp scissors: If you don’t have fabric scissors you can use any sharp scissors for this project.
Mix and match or color coordinate: You can use a variety of different colors and textures or make matching candle jars using, for example, beige and white cable knit socks or sweater sleeves.
Get festive: Make some festive treats to munch while making these, perhaps Christmas marshmallow pops or Santa cupcakes.
DIY Sock or Sweater Candle Jars FAQs
I used a toddler-sized (1-3 years) knee-high sock for this craft on my small jars. Feel free to try different sizes for different effects. If you have slouchy socks or a bigger sweater, you might need a larger candle or jar but they could definitely work nicely too!
A good place to find some gently used clothes for this craft would be Goodwill, a thrift store or perhaps consignment shop. Many times they will have a “fill-a-bag” sale where you can fill a bag for just a few dollars. Look for cozy patterns and colors that will match your decor or fit your theme.
Add embellishments such as buttons, tags, jute, ribbon, and/or clips to hold photos or quotes. The possibilities are endless. Dress them up, or keep them simple. They are sure to bring a cozy feeling to your home. Candles look especially cozy all dressed up with their warm glow.
This craft is so easy, even kids or teenagers would enjoy it. With plenty of supplies on hand, it would be a great craft for a sleepover or retreat. Enjoy crafting together and make something pretty to enjoy time and time again.
Cozy Candle Holder From a Sock Tutorial
DIY Candle Sweater Cozy
Equipment
- Jars or Vases recycled or new
- Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Supplies
- Cable Knit Socks or Sweaters
- Accents and Embellishments, such as Buttons, Jute, Ribbon, Clips or Tags
Instructions
- To give your jars and candles an updated, cozy look for fall and winter, fit the open end of a sock or old sweater sleeve over the jar, starting from the bottom and working your way up until you have reached the desired coverage.
- Using a good pair of fabric scissors, cut the end of the sock/sweater underneath the jar. Be sure to leave enough fabric to fold under the bottom of the jar. If you are unsure how much to leave, cut extra. You can always go back and trim the excess when you see how the sock/sweater lays underneath the candle. An inch or 2 underneath the jar is a good length to start with.
- Once the material is trimmed to the correct length, turn the jar upside down so that the bottom is facing up. Lift the material and apply a small drop of hot glue to the jar.
- Carefully press the material to the glue and allow to dry. If the material is thin and you are concerned about burning your fingers, you can press the material down with tweezers or a popsicle stick. Make your way around the bottom of the jar with the hot glue until you have secured all of the fabric to the bottom of the jar.
- Now your jar is cozy and it's time to decorate! Add ribbon, jute, plastic flowers or berries, or anything you like.
Notes
Make extra: Because a candle jar makes such a great gift, snuggle up with plenty of supplies and make a batch of these cute gifts for all your nearest and dearest!
Use sharp scissors: If you don’t have fabric scissors you can use any sharp scissors for this project.
Mix and match or color coordinate: You can use a variety of different colors and textures or make matching candle jars using, for example, beige and white cable knit socks or sweater sleeves.
Get festive: Make some festive treats to munch while making these and put on some holiday music.
This craft project is the perfect thing when it’s chilly outside (i.e. sweater weather) because you can go through your old sweaters and old pairs of socks and make these sweater socks candle jars. You don’t need many materials – just something to make them out of like old sweater socks, plus scissors, hot glue, and some embellishments to make them unique and special.
Other Crafts to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
