Last updated on December 18th, 2019 at 03:44 pm
Pin
A warm comfort on cold winter nights, this faux hot water bottle is filled with rice and warmed in the microwave.
I made this one for my mother, who liked the rice-filled rectangular neck rolls that I gave her for Christmas, but missed her traditional hot water bottle for warming the bed and cuddling on cold nights. She loves this version and has asked for another one. A success, methinks!
by Jane Lake
Supplies:
» » cotton, flannel or other suitable fabric
» » printed template or a hot water bottle to use as a template
» » sundry items such as scotch tape, sewing thread and a sewing machine; one cup measure; measuring tape; scissors; funnel.
» » approximately 3 cups of white rice (not instant)
Skills: Beginner’s sewing project. Ability to trace, measure, cut, and sew with quarter inch seams.
What You Do:
Print the top half and the bottom half of the hot water bottle template. Join the two halves with scotch tape. Alternatively, trace around a hot water bottle, and add 1/4 inch seam allowance all around to make your own template.
Fold fabric, right sides together, and pin the template along the fold line where indicated. Cut out two pattern pieces like this.
Pin the two fabric pieces, right sides together.
Starting at one side of the neck, sew all round to the other side of the neck, using 1/4″ seams. Leave the top open. Turn right side out.
Top stitch a straight line down the center of the pattern, from the nub on the bottom to the base of the neck.
Use the funnel to put approximately 1/3 – 1/2 cups of rice in each side of the line just sewn. Now top stitch in a straight line across the pattern, trapping the rice in two segments, approximately 1/3 of the way from the bottom of the pattern.
Repeat this step two more times, ending with a short sewing line across the neck of the fabric bottle pattern. See photo for details.
Now turn in a quarter inch hem on the neck, and sew close to the edge to close.
Include these instructions with your gift:
“Use your Faux Hot Water Bottle as you would a traditional hot water bottle, for warmth, or for easing minor aches and pains. This homemade fabric bottle is filled with rice. Heat in the microwave for 1-3 minutes until comfortably warm. For a cold pack, store in the freezer.”
There are many different fillings that you can use in a hot pack, including whole corn (not popcorn though)! See What Filling Makes the Best Hot Pack, at A Little Crispy Sewing Patterns for an independent comparison of different options.
Leave a Reply