Fluffy Hot Water Bottle Cover and Back Warmer

I often get lower back pain and have found that heat helps a lot. The main problem with using hot water bottles is I also dislike having to stay in one position for long so having something that moves with me is really useful. I decided to make this to combat both the issue of not having a proper cover for my hot water bottle and having something which will allow me to move around with it on. I hope others will also find this useful.

All of these can be picked up for pretty cheap from your local homeware or crafts store if you don't have them already.

Materials:

• Fabric of your choice
• Thread
• Velcro
• Snap fasteners
• Paper

Tools:

• Fabric scissors
• Sewing needle
• Pins
• Pen

I ended up buying a teddy bear blanket to make this as it was cheaper than buying a metre of fabric. This isn't always the easiest fabric to use especially if you were planning on using a sewing machine. Other warm fabrics such as fleece or felt would also work and have the added benefit of not fraying and making a mess as you're working.

Put your hot water bottle on a sheet of paper and draw around it. If, like me, your paper is too small then draw it across two pieces then cut it out and stick it together, making sure to line up the corners.

After you have got the whole shape together, you want to draw a horizontal line just below where the top corners finish curving. Cut along this line so you have two pattern pieces. This will give an opening on the side so the top of the hot water bottle can fit in the cover.

Fold your fabric in half and pin down the pattern pieces, you want to leave a gap between pieces to allow for the seam allowance (2.5cm in this case). In addition to the cover itself, I am cutting out two straps to attach it to myself later.

I haven't left seam allowance on the far right edge in this image as I'm using a blanket and this edge is already hemmed but if you're using unfinished fabric leave a gap here.

I ended up just using the width of my fabric as the length of the straps, the minimum length of strap would be half your waist measurement, plus about 5cm for seam allowance. The straps are 10cm wide plus another 2.5cm each side for seam allowance

Cut around your pattern pieces, leaving a gap of about 2-2.5 cm for seam allowance.

Turn over 2.5cm on the two long edges and one of the short edges of your straps. Pin them in place and sew them down using a simple running stitch.

Take the two bottom pieces. Pin right sides together. Insert one of the straps into the bottom edge so the unfinished edge is in the seam and the rest of the strap is coming out the top.

Sew around the edge of the piece, sewing straight through all three layers when you reach the strap. Stop sewing about 2.5cm away from the top edge of the piece.

Pin right sides together and sew around the edge, again stopping 2.5cm away from the bottom edge.

As I used a blanket my top edge was already hemmed. If yours is not, pin each side back 2.5cm and sew them down, leaving an opening at the top.

Fold back one edge of each section and sew it, leaving the other side raw.

Turn both the top and bottom pieces the right side out.

Line up the raw edges and insert the second strap between them. Pin them together and sew.

Attach poppers to either side of the opening on the main cover.

Add velcro to the straps. To position it, I wrapped the whole thing around my waist then used pins to mark where I wanted it to be then pinned and sewed it on.

Now you can enjoy your hot water bottle cover. Feel free to ask any questions about the make.