Hot water bottles are an efficient low-cost method of taking the chill off your bed, or warming parts of your body. This homemade woollen cover will improve its efficiency.
Used cleverly, a thermal layer or two of woollen fabric has the ability to improve the quality of your sleep by helping your hot water bottle retain its heat for longer.
You can make these covers from any wool fabric; blankets that are past their best or even a worn-out machine-knitted jumper. The principles are pretty straightforward, and there’s a lot of room for improvisation and embellishment if you want to go beyond the basics.
Australia and New Zealand were huge producers of wool and woollen blankets throughout the 1900s and the high quality means they mostly remain in great condition half a century or more later. Blankets as bedding fell out of favour during the 1970s with the introduction of feather-filled quilts and doonas, so woollen blankets turn up frequently in far corners of linen cupboards, at garage sales and in op shops. Upcycling woollen blankets extends the use of these fabrics for another lifetime at least.