Cuddle it or put your feet on it - either way it feels good, and it's very easy to make.

Download:
Step by step plans and instructions


It only takes a few dollars worth of fake fur and a sense of fun to make this snuggly hot-water bottle cover. Your child will love you for it as this cute pup is blissfully warm as toast.

You'll need
50cm of fake fur fabric
15cm of pink satin
Small amount of red felt
Black pompom
25cm of Velcro
Pair of safety eyes
Sewing thread
Sheet of lightweight cardboard
Sharp pointed scissors.

Here's how
Note. Use 5mm seam allowances throughout.

Step 1
Click on the Download above to print out the pattern pieces. Enlarge patterns for head, tail and legs. We have included a pattern for the body, although you could trace around your own hot-water bottle to obtain this, adding 1 cm all round. Trace pattern pieces onto lightweight cardboard, including reverse head. Lay pattern pieces on wrong side of fur fabric, taking note of the direction of the pile.

Trace around patterns. Cut out pieces using small snips and taking care not to cut into the fur pile. Cut tongue from red felt.

Step 2
Zigzag neck openings on both the body pieces and the head. With right sides together, pin and sew leg pieces together placing pins at right angles to edges of the fabric. Ensure that fur pile is smoothed away from the seam when sewing.

Turn through. Fold tail in half lengthwise, stitch and turn through. Fold tongue in half, stitch, turn through. Sew fur ear piece to satin lining, right sides together, leaving an opening at the top.

Clip curves, turn through, stitch opening closed. Trim the fur pile away from the top 1cm of the legs and ears to make them less bulky. With right sides facing, stitch legs and tail to openings on one body piece where indicated. Pin and stitch ears and tongue to one head piece where indicated.

Lay remaining body piece on top of stitched piece, right sides facing with tail and legs sandwiched between, pin and stitch, leaving opening at neck. Pin two head pieces together with ears sandwiched in between, and stitch from top of head to point of nose.

Push a darning needle through eye marking, make a mark on the inside of the fur on opposite side with a pen to ensure even alignment of eyes. Snip a hole for the eyes where marked and insert eyes. Clip fur around eyes. Finish stitching head around to back opening.

Step 3
With right sides facing lay head and body pieces together and stitch one side of neck edge. Turn edges of head and body openings under; stitch three pieces of Velcro across opening extending it 4cm past edge. Stitch the corresponding Velcro pieces inside body with one short edge against neck opening, leaving no extension. Turn through. Stitch pompom nose where indicated. Insert hot-water bottle.

Shopping information: fun fur and eyes from Lincraft 1800 640 107.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens 6/00

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