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Homemade Heating Pad [Hot & Cold Rice Pack]

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diy rice heat pack tutorial 2 pinAs women, we all share the common bond of going through “that time of the month”. I’d love to share what helps comfort me.  To me nothing feels better than watching a movie while snuggling on the couch with a nice warm homemade heating pad. I would love to share a tutorial for an easy DIY heat pack.  You can warm these in the microwave or chill them in the freezer.

This project hits off the three characteristics that make it the perfect DIY- It’s easy, inexpensive, and quick to make.

To make your own homemade heating pad you will need:

  • 1/4 yard of fabric (use cotton, not synthetics)
  • rice (I used about 1 pound per bag for a bag the size I made)
  • iron, scissors, sewing machine, thread, and pins

Here’s how you make a homemade heating pad:

Step 1- Wash, dry, and iron your fabric.  Then cut out a rectangle that’s 6 X 19 inches.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 5Step 2- Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise, with the right sides of the fabric together.  Iron it flat.  Then pin it along the outside edges.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 7 diy rice heat pack tutorial 8Step 3- Sew along the outside edge, sewing about 1/2 inch from the edge but leave about 2-3 inches unsewn on one of the short sides.  You will use this opening to put the rice in later.

Step 4- Trim the corners.

Step 5- Turn the bag right side out and then iron it nice and flat.

Step 6- Put the bag into a glass or bowl, something to help keep it upright.  Pour the rice into the bag until it’s about 3/4 full.  You don’t want to overfill it. 

A funnel makes this much easier.  If you don’t have a funnel you could also use a paper plate folded like a taco to pour rice in.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 9 diy rice heat pack tutorial 10 diy rice heat pack tutorial 11Step 7- Sew the hole closed.  If you want to make this look nice you can blindstitch it closed by hand.  I chose to sew it shut using my machine because I made the optional cover.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 12 diy rice heat pack tutorial 13Step 8- (Optional) If you want to you can make a cover for your homemade heating pad so that you can take the cover off and wash it.  To make the cover cut out a rectangle that’s 6 X 23 inches.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 14Step 9- Fold the edge of the short side over about 1/2 inch and iron it flat.  Then fold it over again and iron it flat again.  This hides the unsewn edge and helps prevent fraying and unraveling.  Topstitch across the folds on the short sides.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 15DSC_0561 diy rice heat pack tutorial 16Step 10- Place the fabric with the right side down on the table.  Fold one side of the rectangle toward the middle (with the right sides of fabric together).  Fold the other side over so that it overlaps the first one and the cover measures 9 inches tall.  Pin along the edges.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 17 diy rice heat pack tutorial 18 Step 11- Sew along the long sides of the cover, sewing about 1/2 inch from the edge.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 19Step 12- Use the opening in the middle to turn the cover right side out.  Use the end of a pen or paintbrush to poke the corners out.  Slip the rice pack in and you’re done!

diy rice heat pack tutorial 20 diy rice heat pack tutorial 21 diy rice heat pack tutorial 22homemade heating padWhile recently shopping at Walmart I picked up the new U by Kotex® Cleanwear® Ultra Thin Pads.  I find that Walmart has everything I need for my personal care at a good value.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 6U by Kotex® Cleanwear® Ultra Thin Pads feature Unique 3D Capture Core* with Xpress DRI* cover for fast absorption and comfortable, soft sides.  They come in this awesome box with a drawer that makes for easy storage and there are four fun designs.

diy rice heat pack tutorial 3 diy rice heat pack tutorial 4What matters most to you when you’re on your period? Get up to $25 in rewards just for you by purchasing U by Kotex® at Walmart! This offer is live through 9/30/16.  Purchase 2 packs of U by Kotex® products at Walmart (Any Variation) Text UbyKotex to 811811 and upload a photo of your receipt Go to UbyKotexrewards.com and register to choose your customized reward!

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Yield: 1

Homemade Heating Pad

Homemade Heating Pad

Follow this tutorial for an easy DIY heat pack. You can warm these in the microwave or chill them in the freezer.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Active Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Difficulty easy
Estimated Cost depends on materials

Materials

  • 1/4 yard of fabric (use cotton, not synthetics)
  • rice (I used about 1 pound per bag for a bag the size I made)
  • thread

Tools

  • iron
  • scissors
  • sewing machine
  • pins

Instructions

  1. Wash, dry, and iron your fabric. Then cut out a rectangle that’s 6 X 19 inches.
  2. Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise, with the right sides of the fabric together. Iron it flat. Then pin it along the outside edges.
  3. Sew along the outside edge, sewing about 1/2 inch from the edge but leave about 2-3 inches unsewn on one of the short sides. You will use this opening to put the rice in later.
  4. Trim the corners.
  5. Turn the bag right side out and then iron it nice and flat.
  6. Put the bag into a glass or bowl, something to help keep it upright. Pour the rice into the bag until it’s about 3/4 full. You don’t want to overfill it. A funnel makes this much easier. If you don’t have a funnel you could also use a paper plate folded like a taco to pour rice in.
  7. Sew the hole closed. If you want to make this look nice you can blindstitch it closed by hand. I chose to sew it shut using my machine because I made the optional cover.
  8. (Optional) If you want to you can make a cover for your homemade heating pad so that you can take the cover off and wash it. To make the cover cut out a rectangle that’s 6 X 23 inches.
  9. Fold the edge of the short side over about 1/2 inch and iron it flat. Then fold it over again and iron it flat again. This hides the unsewn edge and helps prevent fraying and unraveling. Topstitch across the folds on the short sides.
  10. Place the fabric with the right side down on the table. Fold one side of the rectangle toward the middle (with the right sides of fabric together). Fold the other side over so that it overlaps the first one and the cover measures 9 inches tall. Pin along the edges.
  11. Sew along the long sides of the cover, sewing about 1/2 inch from the edge.
  12. Use the opening in the middle to turn the cover right side out. Use the end of a pen or paintbrush to poke the corners out. Slip the rice pack in and you’re done!

Jennifer Miles

Wednesday 24th of August 2016

Another thing - it's a good idea to make sure your thread (and not just your fabric) is 100% cotton. Microwaves vary, and I've seen polyester thread melt. You may not even notice the melting until it's weakened the thread so much that your bag bursts.

Cat

Wednesday 24th of August 2016

Also great advice. Thanks for sharing!

Jennifer Miles

Wednesday 24th of August 2016

I've made a bunch of these. They're great, but the smell is a little odd. I've started adding a few gently-crushed (like with the bottom of a frying pan) allspice berries to the mix. They give a nice, subtle pumpkin pie scent, and they don't poke through the fabric. Just a suggestion.

Cat

Wednesday 24th of August 2016

That's a great suggestion. Thanks for sharing!

Hildegard

Saturday 30th of July 2016

I would like to know how much rice it takes to fill one of these? Thank you and I would love to make these for Christmas gifts too.

Cat

Saturday 30th of July 2016

Great question, Hildegard! I put about 1 pound of rice in each. I'll update the post with that info. I think they would make great Christmas gifts.

Bonnie Walker

Friday 29th of July 2016

What a nice Christmas present !

Cat

Saturday 30th of July 2016

I think so too. I plan on giving a few as gifts. :)

Debbie

Friday 29th of July 2016

These can be made to any size. I needed one for my eye, so made an eye patch size. Perfect!

Cat

Saturday 30th of July 2016

You're totally right and that's awesome that you made one for exactly what you needed!

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