Fast and Easy Water Bottle Covers

Water bottles are not really bottles.  They are made of rubber.  They aren’t even shaped like bottles.  Nevertheless, they are wonderful, old-fashioned things.  Time was when people heated bricks and potatoes in the fire before bedtime, wrapped them in cloth and settled their cold toes on them for the night.  Today, people have heating pads and microwave bean bags.  All give “comfort”.

• put the water bottle on a piece of card stock and trace one-half inch larger than the bottle
• cut two pieces of fabric, preferably soft fabric such as minky or chenille
• one third yard will make two large covers
• pin right sides together and sew around the entire outside, leaving the top open
• zig-zag the edges to keep them from fraying
• sew some kind of trim around the opening, like the strip of brown roses seen here
• fold each side of the water bottle to the center so that it will squeeze into the opening
• flatten it out again once inside
• tie a ribbon around the neck of the water bottle and add a flower  {take off the ribbon and flower when you use the bottle}
• to use, unscrew the cap at the top and fill the bottle with VERY hot tap water
• don’t fill all of the way.  leave the water squishy inside of the bottle.  it will feel better

Curl up with the water bottle if you can’t get warm, have a stomach ache or cramps, or just want to feel the softness and the sloshiness of the whole thing.  Lean against it if your back is sore or you have pain anywhere except right in the middle of your face !  (tee hee)

Now, the little water bottle is a different story.  It has a history.  I bought it in 1975 and used it until 2003.  I even wrote those dates on it in black marker when I retired it.  Not once in its lifetime was it ever warm or hot.  It was always a frozen block of ice.  It lived in my freezer.  My children could take one look at me and head for the freezer to get it.  I had migraines.  My little water bottle cost about $3 as I recall.  I filled it once in 28 years.  I stuck it inside of my pillowcase.  I wrapped it in a towel and held it next to my head.  When the headache came on, it generally lasted for 72 hours.  My little water bottle had to go back into the freezer more than once before the headache was gone.  Sometimes it relieved the pain a little bit as it tried to constrict the blood vessels pulsing under it.  If I was lucky, I fell asleep and woke up with the ice inside of it melted and water sloshing around.

My trusty friend didn’t have a cover on it in all of those years.  It was a workhorse and I didn’t care how it looked.  I moved a few boxes and found my small cedar chest.  The one my husband built for me.  Inside I found my tiny water bottle.  First, I expressed gratitude that I didn’t need it anymore, for as suddenly as the headaches began, they ended.  If you can call 28 years sudden.  I guess I mean unexpectedly.   I decided to have it handy for little grandchildren who might need some comfort.  Squishy, sloshy comfort.