The Picnic in the Park Jar Cozies are the perfect quick make for when it’s too hot to even think about making an afghan or a sweater! This little trio can be worked up in a day, which means that for those of you who celebrate, you can whip some up for your 4th of July picnic or barbecue today. All you need for the perfect table centerpiece is a few wide-mouth pint jars! Small projects like these are a great opportunity to practice your skills and maybe even learn a new stitch. I’ve ordered the options for this pattern accordingly – Option 1 is at an advanced beginner level, while Option 3 is at a more intermediate level and uses crossed stitches. Work through them in order to gradually improve your skills!
Use these jar cozies for all kinds of fun decor – they can hold your silverware for a party, or serve as a nice table centerpiece or vase, or you could even put fairy lights or tea lights inside to create a lovely ambiance for an evening out in the yard. One of my testers plans to make a whole bunch in her daughter’s school colors for her graduation party. I can’t wait to see the other creative uses people come up with!
Find more: 25+ Home Crochet Pattern Collection.
The Yarn
I used Lily Sugar ‘n Cream 100% cotton yarn for all three of these jar cozies. This is a great inexpensive, utilitarian option for home makes, and I use it frequently. I love the wide range of colors and the fact that it comes in three size options (the normal skein, “super size”, and cones), plus there are ombré, variegated, and scented options! My color choices were Wine, Ecru, and Seabreeze. Other good options are Premier Yarns Home Cotton and Peaches & Crème, though you are free to use your favorite worsted or aran cotton here. Each of these cozies uses so little yarn, they’re the perfect stash busters!
You could make these jar cozies with a cotton blend or acrylic as well. The reason I prefer cotton is that it doesn’t stretch as easily and it is absorbent, which is helpful if you plan to use these for drinks!
A QUICK AND VERSATILE HOME DECOR PROJECT
What I love most about the Picnic in the Park Jar Cozies is that they require only a small investment of time and yarn, which leaves you free to experiment! Try making them in a big assortment of colors, and see how many uses you can find. Will you use them as a drink cozy, as a vase, as tea lights for an evening party? Maybe you can make some in neutral colors to bring to your next housewarming party! And there is always the option of using a jar as easy storage for crochet hooks, knitting needles, and notions!
Even though these are quick makes, I promise they aren’t boring! I had so much fun designing each of these jar cozies because they presented a blank canvas to play with stitches. Even the simpler options incorporate openwork and some more textured options like the crab stitch and puff stitches.
Since you like the Picnic in the Park Jar Cozies, these might interest you too?
How Long Does It Take To Crochet That?
How long it takes to crochet something varies depending on your skill & how fast you crochet. But that isn’t a helpful answer is it?
Well, I’ve developed a yarn calculator to help you get the answer to this question.
It will help you calculate exactly how much time you’ll spend crocheting a project.
All you need to know is how much yarn you will use on the project in either meters, yards or skeins. Then crochet your test square & time it.
Calculate how long it takes to crochet that.
PICNIC IN THE PARK JAR COZIES – THE FREE CROCHET PATTERN
Pattern Options
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About The Pattern
This pattern includes instructions for three different mason jar cozies- Option 1 (Wine) is the easiest, while Option 2 (Ecru) is advanced beginner/intermediate, and Option 3 (Seabreeze) is more solidly intermediate in level. All three cozies are designed to fit a wide-mouth pint jar, though one of my testers found that they also fit similarly-sized jars that are not wide-mouth.
Project Level
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Materials Needed
Crochet Hook
Yarn
Yarn used:
Lily – Sugar ‘n Cream in colors Wine, Ecru, and Seabreeze.
Yarn amount used:
Less than 1 skein / 0.75-80 oz / 21-23 g / 33-36 m / 36-39 yards for each cozy
Yarn characteristics:
- 4 medium yarn, worsted/aran yarn.
- 100% cotton.
Other Materials Needed
- Needle, find one here (if you don’t already have one)!
- Locking stitch markers.
Gauge
Your cozy (any option) should be 3”/7.6 cm across after Round 4 (this is the same for all three options). Alternatively, it should just cover the base of your chosen jar (a little smaller is okay – we want a tight fit so it doesn’t slip down).
Notes
- This crochet pattern is written in US terms.
- All measurements given are unblocked.
- Note that measurements are given as exact as possible. But crochet tension & technique might give variations in the result, that changes from person to person.
- Beginning chains do not count as a stitch unless otherwise noted, but chains within the round do count as stitches unless otherwise noted.
- Read pattern instructions carefully before beginning to make sure you understand everything. It might save you hours frogging your work & crocheting it again!
- If your swatch matches the gauge, you’re good to go. If the gauge is wrong, you might need to change your hook. Go up in crochet hook size if your stitches are smaller & go down in crochet hook size if your stitches are bigger (more details).
- Check yarn info if you want to find an alternative or test your yarn against the gauge. Learn more about substituting yarn.
- At the end of each row, the stitch count is given in [].
Size & Measurements
Base width: About 3″/7.6 cm.
Height: 3.75″/9.5 cm
Abbreviations
- ch = chain
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- sc = single crochet
- rep = repeat
- hdc = half double crochet
- dc = double crochet
- sl st = slip stitch
- sk = skip
- sp = space
- BLO = back loop only
- PM = place marker
- FO = fasten off
We try our best to include all crochet abbreviations in the list above for the crochet pattern, but sometimes we may forget one or two.
Learn more about crochet abbreviations & find a complete list on our Crochet Abbreviations & Terms post.
Stitches You Will Need
crab st = crab stitch
Insert hook into stitch before current stitch (working backward across the round), pull up a loop, yarn over (yo), pull through both loops.
puff = puff stitch
[Yo, pull up a loop] three times (7 loops on hook), yo, pull through all loops. Ch 1 to close (does not count as a separate stitch).
pc = picot
Ch 3, slip stitch to first chain made.
Front crossed double crochets (FCDC)
Sk 2 sts, dc in next. Working in front of st just made, dc in each of the 2 sk sts.
Note: we will be working (ch 1, sk 1) before the FCDCs in this pattern. Make sure you skip one for the chain space PLUS the two for the FCDC!
The white arrows indicate the locations of the two dc that will be worked in front of the first dc.
The dashed line indicates the location of the first dc, which runs diagonally behind the last two dc worked.
STITCH: Back crossed double crochets (BCDC)
Sk 1 st, dc in next 2 sts. Working behind sts just made, dc in sk st.
Note: we will be working (ch 1, sk 1) before the BCDCs in this pattern. Make sure you skip one for the chain space PLUS the one for the BCDC!
The white arrow indicates the location of the dc to be worked behind the first two dc.
To work the dc behind, push the first two dc (dashed lines) to the front of your work. Yarn over (purple arrow) and insert your hook into the previous stitch (whose location is shown in the previous photos). You may have to twist your hook a bit to get it to the right spot. Hang in there – you can do it! Complete your dc as normal.
Techniques You Will Need
Joined rounds
Picnic in The Park Jar Cozies Pattern Instructions
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ALL OPTIONS
Ch 2 (alternatively, can make a magic ring).
Round 1: Work 8 hdc into 2nd ch from hook, working over yarn tail. (Or ch 1, work 8 hdc into ring). Sl st to first st to join. Pull tail gently to tighten. [8]
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 hdc in each st around. Sl st to first st to join. [16]
Round 3: Ch 1, hdc in first st, 2 hdc in next, *hdc in next, 2 hdc in next. Rep from * around. Sl st to first st to join. [24]
Round 4: Ch 1, hdc in first 2 sts, 2 hdc in next, *hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next. Rep from * around. Sl st to BLO of first st to join. [32]
Gauge check: piece should measure 3” across at this point.
Round 5: Ch 1, hdc in BLO of each st around. Sl st to first st to join. [32]
Round 6: Ch 1, hdc in each st around. Sl st to first st to join. [32]
From here, the three options diverge. Follow the instructions for your chosen option.
Option 1 (Color Wine)
Round 7: Ch 1, hdc in first st, ch 2, sk 2 sts. *Hdc in next 2 sts, ch 2, sk 2 sts. Rep from * to last st, hdc in last st. Sl st to first st to join. [16 hdc, 16 chs]
Round 8: Sl st into first ch-2 sp, ch 1. *Work 2 hdc into ch-2 sp, ch 2, sk 2 sts. Rep from * around. Sl st to first st to join. [16 hdc, 16 chs]
Round 9: Sl st into next st, sl st into ch-2 sp, ch 1. *Work 2 hdc into ch-2 sp, ch 2, sk 2 sts. Rep from * around. Sl st to first st to join. [16 hdc, 16 chs]
Round 10: Ch 1, hdc in each st around. [32]
Rounds 11-14: Rep Rounds 7-10.
Round 15: Ch 1, crab st in each st around. Sl st to first st to join. [32]
FO, weave in ends, and enjoy your new festive jar cozy!
Option 2 (Color Ecru)
Round 7: Ch 1, hdc in first st. Ch 1, sk 1 st, *hdc in next, ch 1, sk 1 st. Rep from * around. Sl st to first st to join. [16 hdc, 16 ch]
Rounds 8-9: Ch 1, hdc in each st around. Sl st to first st to join. [32]
Rounds 10-12: Rep Rounds 7-9.
Round 13: Rep Round 7.
Round 14: Ch 1, puff in first st, ch 1, sk 1 st, *puff, ch 1, sk 1 st. Rep from * around. Sl st to first st to join. [16 puffs, 16 ch]
Note: remember that the closing chain of the puff does not count as a separate stitch!
Round 15: *Sl st into ch-1 sp, pc, sl st into puff. Rep from * around. Sl st to first sl st to join (this will be the slip stitch made at the end of Round 14).
Note: remember that we already slip stitched into the first stitch of the round (the puff stitch) at the end of Round 14.
FO, weave in ends, and enjoy your new festive jar cozy!
Option 3 (Seabreeze)
Round 7: Ch 3 (counts as a st for this round), PM in last ch made. Working in front of ch-3, dc into last 2 sts of Round 6 (Beginning FCDC formed). Ch 1, sk 1 st, *FCDC, ch 1, sk 1 st. Rep from * around. Sl st to top of ch-3 to join (this can be very hard to find, so the marker should help guide you. [8 FCDC, including Beginning FCDC]
Note: When you are counting skipped stitches for the first regular FCDC, remember that the ch-3 counts as the first stitch, so that stitch is already considered worked!
You may remove the marker at the end of the round, though you may wish to keep it to help you place the first stitch of Round 8.
White arrows indicate the location of the first two dc of the round. The red arrow indicates the first stitch, which is considered worked because the ch-3 counts as the first dc. Black arrows indicate the three skipped stitches (one for the ch-1 space, and two for the FCDC).
Rounds 8-9: Ch 1, hdc in each st around. Sl st to first st to join. [32]
Round 10: Ch 3 (counts as a st for this round), PM in last ch made. Working behind ch-3, dc into second-to-last st of Round 9 (partial Beginning BCDC formed). PM in last st of Round 9. Ch 1, sk 1 st, *BCDC, ch 1, sk 1 st. Rep from * around. Working behind beginning ch-3, dc in last st of Round 9 (the second stitch we marked; Beginning BCDC completed). Sl st to top of ch-3 to join (this can be very hard to find, so the marker should help guide you. [8 BCDC, including Beginning BCDC]
Note: When you are counting skipped stitches for the first regular BCDC, remember that the ch-3 counts as the first stitch, so that stitch is already considered worked!
You may remove the markers at the end of the round, though you may wish to keep the first one to help you place the first stitch of Round 11.
The white arrow indicates the location of the first dc of the round. The purple arrow indicates the last stitch of Round 9, where the marker is placed. The red arrow indicates the first stitch, which is considered worked because the ch-3 counts as the first dc. Black arrows indicate the two skipped stitches (one for the ch-1 space, and one for the FCDC).
Rounds 11-12: Ch 1, hdc in each st around. Sl st to first st to join. [32]
Round 13: Ch 4, *sk 3 sts, sl st in next, ch 4. Rep from * around. Sl st to first sl st to join. [8 ch-4 sps]
Note that the sl st ending Round 12 counts as the first sl st of the round. This means the first stitch is considered “worked”, so you will skip the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stitches after the first ch-4.
Round 14: Sl st into first ch-4 sp, ch 1, sc in ch-4 sp, ch 3, *sc in next ch-4 sp, ch 3. Rep from * around. Sl st to first sc to join. [8 sc, 8 ch-3 sps]
Round 15: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Sl st to first st to join. [32]
Note: if working into the chains rather than the ch-3 spaces drives you crazy, you can definitely work into the spaces! I prefer working into the chains only because it looks neater.
FO, weave in ends, and enjoy your new festive jar cozy!
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