DIY hot water bottle cover

This cosy cover is just the thing to snuggle up to on cold nights.

Whether you use hot water bottles for warming the sheets or for soothing upset tummies, a cosy wool cover will be pleasing to cuddle and will keep the bottle warmer for longer. You can use either wool felt or a wool underlay, which you can buy very cheaply at thrift stores. Wash it first, then it’s good to go.

Materials

• Wool felt, or a wool underlay
• Red wool sliver (for needle felting the heart)
• Medium felting needle
• Foam block for working on
• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• White thread

Method

1. Lay your hot water bottle on top of the felt or wool underlay and cut around it, allowing for a 6mm (¼ inch) seam. Cut two pieces.

2. Cut out a ‘neck’ to allow the top of the bottle to poke through the cover, as shown.

3. On one side, needle felt a heart into the centre, using the red wool sliver and felting needle. To do this, you can either draw a heart shape onto the felt with a pencil, and ‘fill in’ the lines with the red wool, or place a heart-shaped cookie cutter on top of the felt, place the red wool inside it and needle felt it in place.

4. With rights sides together, sew the two sides of the cover together, leaving a 6mm (¼ inch) seam. Leave a big enough opening at the top to insert your hot water bottle.

5. Turn the cover right side out and insert the bottle. Hand stitch the shoulders closed.