Hot Water Bottle Cover Pattern: 3 Sizes, Fabric, Safety

A hot water bottle cover is a soft fabric sleeve with an envelope back. The bottle slides in through the back, and the neck sticks out at the top. The Animal Bottle Cover pattern makes one in three sizes, for 0.8, 1 and 2 liter bottles. It takes ⅜ to ½ yard of fleece, minky, sweater knit or boiled wool. It is a beginner project of about an hour, with bear, cat or bunny ears and an embroidered face. Always fill the bottle with hot, not boiling, water.

TL;DR

Sizes: Mini (0.8 L bottle), Medium (1 L) and Large (2 L).
Fabric: ⅜ yard for Mini and ½ yard for Medium or Large.
Best fabrics: fleece, minky, sweater knit or boiled wool.
Time: about 1 hour, beginner level. It is a Premium pattern.
Safety: never use boiling water, do not overfill, and check the bottle's age.

The animal bottle cover this Sewzy pattern makes, view 2 — The Animal Bottle Cover from the Sewzy pattern. Photos are renders of the finished item, made from the pattern's shapes.

The animal bottle cover this Sewzy pattern makes, view 3 — The Animal Bottle Cover from the Sewzy pattern. Photos are renders of the finished item, made from the pattern's shapes.

What size hot water bottle cover do you need?

Pick the size by your bottle. The pattern lists each size by bottle volume and by bottle size.

Size	Bottle	Bottle size	Finished cover width	Fabric
Mini	0.8 L	5½ x 7½ in	6¾ in	⅜ yd
Medium	1 L	6½ x 9 in	7¾ in	½ yd
Large	2 L	8⅓ x 11 in	9½ in	½ yd

Not sure what you have? The volume is often printed on the bottle. If it is not, lay the empty bottle flat and measure the body across and from top to bottom, without the neck. Pick the size whose bottle measurements are closest. This measuring tip is general guidance.

On iPhone, search “Sewzy” on the App Store for the step-by-step guide and every size.

What fabric is best for a hot water bottle cover?

Fabric	Feel	Sewing notes
Fleece	Warm and light	Does not fray. The easiest choice for a first cover.
Minky	Very soft, short pile	Sheds when cut. Clip the layers, because it slides.
Sweater knit	Cozy and stretchy	Use a ballpoint needle. An old sweater can work.
Boiled wool	Dense and warm	Does not fray. Check the care label before washing.

The four fabrics come from the pattern. The feel and sewing notes are general guidance. A thick, soft fabric keeps the heat in and stops the bottle from feeling too hot against skin. Thin cotton lets the heat through more quickly. For the bunny's inner ears, a scrap of contrast fabric is all you need.

What is in the pattern?

Pieces: a front cut on the fold, a back upper and a back lower, each cut on the fold, plus ears.
Ears: bear (cut 4, two pairs), cat (cut 4, two pairs) or bunny (cut 2, plus 2 in a contrast).
Notions: perle cotton or embroidery floss for the face, matching thread and a ballpoint needle for knits.
Seam allowance: ⅜ inch, included.

The six steps are cut, embroider the face, hem the two back pieces, make the ears, sew all around and finish the neck. Stitch the face before you assemble the cover, while the front is still flat. The two back pieces overlap to make the envelope opening, so there is no zipper or button.

How do you use a hot water bottle safely?

This section is general information. Always follow the instructions that came with your bottle.

Do not use boiling water. Use hot water from the tap or let a boiled kettle cool first.
Do not overfill. Common advice is to fill it no more than about two-thirds. Squeeze out the air before you close the stopper.
Check the stopper. Hold the bottle upside down over the sink for a moment to check for leaks.
Check the bottle's age. In the UK, rubber bottles are made to the British Standard BS 1970. Most carry a small daisy wheel mark that shows when the bottle was made. Replace an old bottle, or one with cracks, splits or sticky or brittle rubber.
Do not lie on it. Weight on a full bottle can force the stopper or split a seam.
Use the cover. It keeps hot rubber off bare skin, but it does not make an overfilled or damaged bottle safe.
Take extra care with some people. Small children, older people and anyone who cannot feel heat well should not use one alone.

Can you make a cover without a pattern?

Yes, as a simple version. Trace around the empty bottle on paper. Add ½ inch all around for ease and another ⅜ inch for the seam. That is the front. For the back, cut the same shape in two parts that overlap by about 3 inches across the middle. Hem the overlapping edges, then sew all three pieces together right sides facing. Leave the neck open and turn it right side out. This method is general guidance. The pattern adds the shaped neck, the ears and the face.

How do you make it a gift?

A bottle cover is a good cold-weather gift, and it can be sewn in an evening. Pair it with an Eye Pillow, a Premium beginner pattern of about 30 minutes. It comes in Small (3½ x 8 in), Standard (4 x 9 in) and Large (4½ x 10 in). It is filled with flax seed or rice and 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried lavender or chamomile. One fat quarter of each fabric makes two eye pillows.

More ideas in the same spirit are in cozy self-care gifts to sew. Give the bottle with the cover, or include a note to fill it two-thirds with hot, not boiling, water.

Common mistakes

Picking the size by guesswork. Check the bottle's volume or measure it first.
Stretching knits as you sew. Let the fabric feed on its own, or the cover waves.
Sewing the face last. Embroider it while the front is flat.
Too small an overlap. The back gapes and the bottle slips out.
Treating the cover as the safety layer. Safe filling and a sound bottle come first.

When you are ready to sew one, get Sewzy on the App Store and pick your bottle size.

FAQ

What size hot water bottle cover do I need?

Match the cover to the bottle. The Animal Bottle Cover comes in Mini for a 0.8 liter bottle (5½ x 7½ in), Medium for a 1 liter bottle (6½ x 9 in) and Large for a 2 liter bottle (8⅓ x 11 in).

What is the best fabric for a hot water bottle cover?

The pattern lists fleece, minky, sweater knit and boiled wool. Fleece is the easiest to sew because it does not fray. Minky is the softest. Sweater knit and boiled wool feel warm and cozy.

How much fabric do I need for a hot water bottle cover?

The Mini needs ⅜ yard and the Medium and Large need ½ yard each, plus scraps for the bunny's inner ears.

How full should a hot water bottle be?

As general advice, fill it no more than about two-thirds with hot, not boiling, water. Let the air out before you screw the stopper on, and follow the instructions that came with the bottle.

What does BS 1970 mean on a hot water bottle?

BS 1970 is the British Standard for rubber hot water bottles in the UK. Bottles made to it usually carry a daisy wheel mark that shows when the bottle was made, so you can check its age.

Can I make a hot water bottle cover from an old sweater?

Yes. Sweater knit is one of the fabrics the pattern lists. Use a ballpoint needle, as the pattern suggests for knits, and check that the sweater is big enough for your size.