Abstract: A handled, open-ended, single layer, elastic and resilient thermal insulator for cylindrical beverage containers made in the form of a flat rectangular strip of foamed cross-linked polyolefin which is slightly longer than the circumference of the container to be insulated and has a pair of overlapping inter-engaging tabs at its opposite end portions and integral closed handle elements extending radially outwardly from above and below the tabs when the strip is applied to such a container. The insulator is made by a method in which a generally rectangular strip is cut from a panel of such flexible expanded thermal insulating material and, at the same time, a U-shaped cut is made in the interior of each of the opposite terminal portions of the strip to thereby produce flexible tabs, with the open end of each of the U-shaped cuts facing each other.