Crochet tea light covers are tiny projects with a big cozy effect. In this tutorial you’ll make a free crochet tea light cover in about 20 minutes, learn how to make light glow through your stitches, and get ideas for snowman, lantern and gingerbread versions.
💡 Once you’ve finished this free project, you’ll find our snowman, lantern and gingerbread tea light covers pattern at the end of the tutorial.
In this tutorial
Safety first: crochet covers are for LED (battery) tea lights only. Never use a real flame inside or near yarn.
What You Need
- Worsted weight (#4) cotton or acrylic yarn
- 3.5 mm (E-4) hook
- A standard LED tea light (about 1.5 in / 3.8 cm across)
Abbreviations (US terms): MR = magic ring, ch = chain, sl st = slip stitch, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, dc = double crochet, inc = 2 sc in the same stitch, dec = single crochet two together (invisible decrease recommended), BLO = back loop only. The number in brackets is the stitch count at the end of the round.
Free Pattern: Basic Tea Light Cover
Round 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: (sc, inc) x6. (18)
Place your LED light on the circle — it should be the same size or very slightly bigger. If it’s too small, add Round 3b: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24).
Round 4: sc in BLO in each st around. This creates the crisp bottom edge. (18)
Rounds 5–8: sc in each st around. (18)
Finish: sl st in the next st, fasten off and weave in. Slip the cover onto the light.
How to Make It Glow
- Lace rounds: replace Rounds 6–7 with *dc, ch 1, skip 1* around — the light shines through the gaps.
- Light colors glow more; dark colors look best with lace openings.
- Choose warm-white flicker LEDs for a real candle look.
Free printable version
Prefer paper? Download this free tutorial as a printable PDF to keep next to your yarn.
Loved making this?
Your first little light is glowing. Now imagine a row of snowmen, lace lanterns and gingerbread houses softly lighting up your table on a dark winter night. Our Christmas Tea Light Covers pattern includes all three finished designs.
Yes, I want to make it – $2Instant PDF download · stitch counts on every row · US terms
3 Easy Variations
- Snowman: work in white, embroider two black eyes, add a tiny orange nose and a scarf (ch 30, then 1 row of sc).
- Lace lantern: dark green or red with the lace rounds above.
- Gingerbread: brown cover with white surface-crochet “icing” zigzags.
Styling Ideas
- Line them up on a windowsill or down the middle of the table.
- Put three on a wooden tray with pine sprigs and pinecones.
- Gift a set of three with the LED lights included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use real candles?
No. Yarn is flammable — LED tea lights only.
How long does one take?
About 20 minutes, so you can make a full set in one evening.
More cozy makes: our free coaster pattern and mini ornaments.
Happy hooking! 🧶 Ready for the next step? The Christmas Tea Light Covers (LED Candles) pattern is just $2 — and every purchase helps us keep writing free tutorials like this one.
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