How to Make a Cozy Wet Felted Hot Water Bottle Cover

Some of us are old enough to remember the old fashioned brass and metal bedwarmers which are more often than not only seen in local auctions or antique shops these days. There is no doubt that these bed warmers were hard wearing and very efficient conductors of heat. They are now much valued by collectors of today. They were replaced by Stonewear bottle warmers and later by the modern rubber hot water bottle. Designers continue to seek additional ways to improve their features but the rubber hot water bottle remains a firm favorite, especially with woman and children.

This tutorial provides you with an opportunity to create a cozy cover for the modern hot water bottle. The fibers used in this wet felting tutorial are soft and natural. The end result is a well-fitting cover that is both hugable and soft to the touch. Enjoy!

• 250 - 280 grams Botany Waste which is more often than not a delicious 'lucky dip' of Merino Wool fibers with a few decorative fibers included.
  
• Or, 250 - 280 grams Merino wool roving: In colors of your own choice
• Embellishment for decoration, such as a few silk fibers which can be added to the surface of the hot water bottle cover.
• A Standard Hot Water Bottle
• A Template
• A heavy-duty bamboo blind
• An old towel
• Warm, soapy water in a squeeze bottle
• Paper on which to create a water bottle design
• A sheet of foam underfloor layment, bubble wrap or plastic on which a template can be cut from. Laminate underfloor layment is the perfect choice for this template because it can be re-used many times over
• Scissors: Make sure you have a sharp pair!
• A narrow strip of leather. (Mine came from an old belt)
• A Tumble Dryer (Not essential but it minimizes the time and effort spent to complete this project)
• A Scanner or Printer (Handy but not essential)
• 2 Small circles of Felt left over from a previous project or you may use 2 circles of leather.

1. Draw around the Hot Water Bottle as shown and add a surround of about 1 inch before cutting out the paper template.
2. Put the template onto a scanner (if you have one) and set it to print at 145%, (actual size plus 45% which should take care of the shrinkage which will inevitably take place.
3. If you do not have a printer/scanner to hand draw the template as shown in the 2nd image which is shown below.
4. Tape the printed pages together to form one template.
5. Use the paper template to create a template cut from underfloor layment, bubble wrap or thick plastic sheeting.

• Place an old towel down onto a waterproof surface.
• Put a large heavy duty bamboo blind down onto the towel.
• Put the prepared template down onto the heavy duty bamboo blind

• Put down an even layer of Merino Wool fibers as shown on the template below.

• Sprinkle the project using warm soapy water from a squeeze bottle.

• Wet the surface to facilitate easy movement of the fingers when rubbing the surface.

• Flatten the fibers by pushing down on them and rub well until flattened.

• Gently lift the bubble wrap from the wool without displacing the fibers below.

• Fold the loose fibers over the edges of the template
• Use your fingers and a little warm soapy water as needed.

• Cover the 2nd side with an even layer of Merino Wool Roving.

• Cover and wet the surface of the 2nd side.

• Force the water out towards the edges by pushing down on the surface.
• Rub well.

• Flip the template over and prepare to neaten the edges.

• Fold the loose fibers over the edges of the template.
• Use your fingers and a little warm soapy water as required.

• Continue as before until you have 3 even layers of fiber on both sides.
• The layers should we fairly thick, and even without any holes as shown below.

• Roll the project inside the bamboo blind.
• Roll gently at first so as not to displace the fibers inside the mat.
• Increase the tightness and the firmness of the rolling motion as the fibers begin to tighten.

• Keep on turning the project inside the bamboo blind to ensure that the fibers shrink evenly from all sides.

• Shrinkage inside the bamboo blind will soon become evident.
• The template will start to buckle as shrinkage takes place.
• Perform a 'pinch test' to ensure that the fibers cannot be plucked between your fingers.

• Alternatively, you can put the project under hot and then cold water.
• Rinse until the water runs clear and then either drop the project onto a hard surface (the floor) or sink top.
• Or you can hit the project hard against an outside wall.
• Hit it from all directions so that even shrinkage takes place.

• Put the project into a tumble dryer.
• Heat is not required (It is the bashing against the sides which facilitates shrinkage) but if you don't have a cold setting (as I don't have) it will make no difference.
• Check the contents of the tumble dryer every few minutes to ensure that it does not shrink too much.

• Cut an opening as shown below and extract the template.
• Put the project back into the tumble dryer for a couple of minutes to seal the cut edges.
• Alternatively, you may like to use a little soapy water and your fingers to seal the cut edges.

• Cut 2 circles of thick felt from a waste piece of contrasting felt
• The purpose of these 2 pieces of felt is to add strength and to prevent unnecessary wear and tear in the tie area.

• Make 2 holes in the center of the 2 circles using a leather punch.
• The punch can be used to make 2 tiny holes through which the leather ties can be threaded through using a large sewing needle such as the one shown here.

• The end result is a cozy hot water bottle which is held inside by the leather strips.