These rice filled pads are amazing, useful little things that help with many things such as:
Muscle Aches
Backaches
Menstrual Cramps
Or just plain warming up!
These are also useful if you need something cold to help with swelling, just pull out of the freezer and set it on the problem area! After having severe issues with my spine this Summer and many visits to the Chiropractor I have been looking for safer items to use than just electrical heating pads. Not to mention these are one of the easiest projects to whip up. I added drops of Young Living's Essential Lavender to the rice for a little aromatherapy as well.
Tools Needed:
Sewing Machine
1/4 yard of fabric of your choice - I used cotton, flannel is a popular choice as well.
Pins
Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Funnel
Rice - Do not use instant! I used 4.5 cups for this item.
*Optional - Young Living Lavender Essential Oil
Iron
Ironing Board
Seam Ripper
Step 1.
Start with pre-washing your fabrics and then iron once completed.
Cut 2 equal size pieces, 1 for the front and 1 for the back. You can adjust the size to fit your needs, these are just the dimensions that I had used for ours.
Step 2.
Place the printed sides together so that only the back side of the fabrics are showing, then pin all the way around. Make sure everything is straight and lined up.
Step 3.
Sew all the sides until you reach your starting point. Make sure to leave a 1-2" gap as that is how you will then flip and fill! Once your done sewing, trim all 4 corners as shown and then flip! Now the printed side will be on the outside.
Step 4.
I mix 1 drop per 1 cup of rice, for this pad I used a total of 4 drops of Young Living's Lavender Essential Oil. Once finished mixing comes the easy part! Take your funnel and place it in the opening you made and pour in the rice. The funnels have a tendency to get clogged, so make sure to pour slowly. You can use more or less rice in this part, its all on what you want. The more rice you use, the better it will hold the heat. After filling, you will need to either hand sew the opening shut, or my preference is to just use the sewing machine.
Step 5.
Since I made mine long and narrow I divided the rice up into 3 sections. Roughly every 6" I would sew a vertical line to create the 3 different sections. It can get a little tricky with this part, the rice needs to be evenly divided and make sure all the rice is pushed away from where your sewing. If you pin your vertical lines first and push all the rice to the side it will help!
Voila! The finished result!
To use, put in the microwave for one minute. You will need to experiment with the heating time as microwaves can vary. If you need more time, use 15 second intervals until you achieve the warmth you desire. Do not overheat as it will burn the rice!