I read your post this morning. I didn’t think I could help you but I looked back again this afternoon just to see what the clever people on this forum suggested and was surprised to see that so far there are not many ideas.
I had looked at making lap quilts a while ago but never did. My daughter thought they should have a pocket for a hanky or phone etc.
There are some interesting ideas online. One is to have ‘pocket’ that the user can slide their hands in from each side. This not only keeps their hands warm but also stops the quilt from sliding off.
Here is a link that you might find helpful -
http://quiltingcubby.com/lap-quilt-w...n-hide-snacks/