2 in 1 Heatable Lapdesk

This is a heatable lap desk that can detach and turn into a heatable hugger/cushion! Whether you’re studying, working, watching a movie, or having a snack, this cozy companion keeps you comfortable while being useful! This portable must-have is perfect for home, car rides, or just on the go. Detach the cushion for a warm, snuggly pillow, or reattach it for a cozy workplace. It’s perfect for cold days, late-night work, or just lounging in bed! With this, function and comfort will go hand-in-hand :)

You will need:

1. Wooden board (14” x 11”)
2. Cotton Fabric (15” x 9.5”) for the cushion
3. 2 pieces of cotton fabric (10” x 6”) for the pouches on the cushion
4. 2 pieces of cotton fabric (13.5” x 4.5”) for the heatable packs
5. 0.25 lbs of stuffing material
6. velcro (adhesive)
7. 2 cups of raw rice
8. scissors
9. measuring tape
10. 2 sewing needles
11. sewing thread
12. a pen
13. Paper towels
14. glitter varnish (optional)

Start by “prepping” the wooden board.

1. Grab a paper towel, dampen it with a little bit of water, and wipe off the excess dust or wooden bits.
2. Grab a dry paper towel to wipe off the wetness on the board. Make sure it dries properly.
3. This is optional, but if you want to make the board shiny, glittery, or more water resistant, go ahead and varnish it. (I’m using craft glitter varnish!)
4. Set the board aside.

Time to sew!

1. Fold the big fabric (15” x 9.5”) in half lengthwise, so that 15” becomes 7.5”
2. Grab sewing thread and measure out a piece that is 2.5 times the length of each side of the rectangle. But DON’T measure the folded side because that side doesn’t need to be sewed.
3. Start sewing a running stitch from one of the shorter sides. (A running stitch is just the basic in-and-out
4. DON’T sew all the way to the end because you’ll need to flip the fabric inside out. Stop sewing about 4 inches before closing the seam to leave an opening.

Take the cushion fabric and flip it inside out so that the stitches will be hidden nicely. Take some stuffing material, preferably cotton, and stuff the cushion pouch until it’s full.

Now take the leftover thread from the edge that was left open earlier, and use it to sew a ladder stitch to close the opening.

Now the pouches for the hot packs will be sewed on.

1. For the pouches, grab the 2 fabric pieces (10” x 6”) and fold in the edges along the 10 inch sides by about a centimeter.
2. Place the cushion in front of you. Take the 10” x 6”, or the pouch fabric, and positioned as a long rectangle, about 1.5 inches away from the edge of the cushion. Overlap the top of the 6 inch side onto the cushion by about a centimeter with the folded edges facing up. The rest should hang below.
3. Sew along the overlapped edge, using a running stitch to attach it to the cushion.
4. Once that is finished, flip the hanging fabric up and place it on top of the cushion.
5. Repeat the same process with the other fabric piece, placing it next to the first one.

Now that the bottom of your pouches are sewn onto the cushion, grab sewing thread and measure 2.5 times the length of the pouches longer edge. Use this thread to sew the pouch fabric from the outside, using a ladder stitch.

But make sure that you don’t sew the top edge of the pouch because you need an opening for your hot packs.

Repeat this for the other pouch.

Once this is finished, you should have two nice pouches on the outside of your cushion with an opening on each.

Leave it aside.

Now it’s time to make the hot packs!

1. For this, take the fabric that measures 13.5” x 4.5” and fold it in half lengthwise.
2. Similar to the cushion process, measure 2.5 times each side (excluding the folded edge), and sew each sides by doing a running stitch. But again, make sure you leave an opening! (Around 2.5 inches of opening.)

Don’t cut the leftover thread on the needle since it will be used.

3.Flip it inside out.

4.Repeat this process with the second hot pack fabric.

1. With 2 cups of raw rice, pour one cup to one of the hot pack pouch, and the other cup in the second pouch. (If more is needed, you may add more. But be cautious of how full it is, or it might be too big to fit in the cushion pouch!)
2. Once they are filled with raw rice, take the leftover thread, attached to the pouch, and close the opening by using a ladder stitch.
3. Tadaa! Two hot packs have just been created!

1. With adhesive velcro, cut to the desired length. (Mine was 3.5” x 0.8”) There should be 4 pairs.
2. Stick it onto the top, inner side of the cushion pouches to create an opening and closing mechanism.
3. With the remaining two pairs of the velcro, attach one pair to the top and bottom of the cushion and the other pair to the top and bottom of the wooden board (if the varnish is all dried), this will allow the cushion to align with the board and be securely attached, creating the lap desk. And with the velcro, it makes it easy to detach when a warm cushion is wanted!

Note: If the adhesive velcro isn’t sticking onto the fabric that well, feel free to sew it onto the fabric by using a running stitch.

Voila! Your heatable 2-in-1 lap desk is complete!

To heat it up, take the hot packs out of the cushion pouches, and microwave it for about a minute. Make sure you don’t heat it for too long since it could burn the rice.

Once it’s heated, place it back into the pouches and secure the openings with the velcro.

(The hot packs also help the lap desk be balanced and stable.)

Now you’re all warm and cozy while you work or relax!