Saturday, January 3, 2015

Tutorial: Rice Filled Heating Pads



Heating pads in this home get frequent use. Adam uses them for his neck pains which come from bent neck desk work and long car drives while traveling (or yours truly, your pick). He also uses them across his forehead when he has sinus issues. I use them monthly and the girls use them to sporadically because they simply feel good. A friend made ours several years ago and it was well worn and ready to be chucked in the bin, but before I did, I used its measurements to sew a new one. It was so easy and we had so much rice we were hoarding like Doomsday Preppers that I decided to craft a whole lot of them. Wanna give it a go?


Cut a length of fabric roughly 12 inches wide and 23 inches long (some of mine range from 22-24 inches depending on the scraps of fabric I used). 


Fold the fabric, right sides touching, and sew along one end and the entire length of the opening. Leave the other end open.


It should be like a tube with one end sealed now. Turn it inside out and mark the length into quarters. I mark the midway point first. These will be your four rice filled chambers.


Use your stockpile of Doomsday rice, or any handy rice laying about your home, and fill about 1 1/2 cups in the tube. Scarlette loved doing this part. The rice has a doughy/yeast/grain scent so some folks add essential oils for added aromatherapy benefits. I lacked these so I skipped this. I just spray mine with Bath & Body Works pillow spray in Lavender & Chamomile. 


Trying to keep the rice bunched at the end, sew along the quarter mark you made. I like to use a zigzag stitch here for funsies. 

After sewing, fill the next segment of tub with rice and sew again at the halfway mark. Repeat the process until you get to the end. Watch those rice bits, they can be tricksy and creep into your sewing area.


Once you reach the end and have added your last 1 1/2 cups of rice, fold in the end of the fabric, pinch, and pin. Sew along the edge and you are done. Ta Da! Quick and drug-less pain relief at the drop of a pin. I pop one in the microwave for 2 minutes for toasty comfort.


I may have made a few for gifting. <3 Spoilers!

11 comments:

  1. Sooo cute!! Is it 1 1/2 cup for the whole tube? Or per section? I don't have doomsday rice... We are jasmine rice addicts. :-P

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    1. 1 1/2 per section. I think our rice was just plain long grain white rice but jasmine will work fine! Although I did make one for you ;-)

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  2. My stepmother made bags like this with feed corn. They are really nice in the winter!

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    1. I have two with feed corn my aunt made. They work nice too! Just had ten pounds of extraneous rice laying around in case of the Zombie Apacolypse.

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    2. The temps have nosedived this week and I could go for some of these in bootie form right now. (Must look for flannel sheets or pj's this week.)

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    3. Oh no! I can't even imagine. I would need a full body heating pad. I hope you find a good deal on some sheets.

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  3. Very cute! I think my MIL has made some of those. I have something similar that I bought years ago, but I keep it in the freezer -- then I put it on my head when I have a bad headache or migraine!! It helps!! :-)

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    1. They do freeze! I have never thought to use it cold with a head ache. Thanks for passing that on. Sorry to hear you get migraines :-(

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  4. Very cool project! These are so great and handy to have around during times of creaky bones and throbbing headaches! Josh made me one in an old sock maaaaany years ago, but it's long gone, so this tutorial will come in handy! Thanks for sharing! <3

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    1. Aww how sweet!! I bet it worked just great too! <3

      I made you one ;-) but yours is the only one not pictured so it will be a surprise.

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