Make Something Monday: Heating Pads

Go Graham Go & Jolly Mom host Make Something Monday. Today I am going to teach you all how to make something warm for winter! Around our house we call them warmies. They are sacks of rice that we heat in the microwave and stick in our beds to keep warm at night. You can create one of these heating pads with a variety of grains (corn, buckwheat, beans) but I use rice. It's cheap and easy to find. I used to make these heating pads and sell them at our local farmer's market in the fall and they were very popular. The price of rice has nearly doubled since I use to make these (around 5 yrs ago), but they are still inexpensive to make. I made them mostly with fleece fabric. I created different shapes and sizes. Some were contoured to put on sore backs or necks. If I wanted a particular shape, I would make sure to cut a pattern so that I could recreate it. I have gone the aromatherapy route and added in dried lavendar, mint, and even cinnamon. But only a little bit because the heating intensifies the scent. Here are a few of the ones we use around here on a nightly basis~I like to use remnant to make these. Here is how you make one~
On step three I pin the rice back away from the edge so that it doesn't get under the needle when I am sewing. I have a serger so I quickly serged the 2 sides, but you can just use a regular sewing machine. If you look closely you will see that I hastily stitched it closed (you can click the directions to see a bigger view) I actually serged the end closed and then turned over the edge and zig-zagged it. Usually I stitch straight across and then reinforce with a zig-zag so the rice doesn't come out.

These pads can be heated in the microwave and when you stick them down in the foot of the bed they will stay warm for a few hours. I will heat a pad anywhere from 1-3 mins depending on the size. It's better to start on the short side and then increase it if you need to. These can get very hot...so be careful. They do smell like rice and feel slightly damp when heated. After prolonged use they won't stay warm as long. I try to get moisture back in it by putting a mug of water in the microwave and heating it or even spritzing it with a little water before heating. We use ours during the cooler months and I will put moisture back in probably once a season if the kids haven't thrown them around and worn them out. Eventually the rice breaks down and then we just toss them.

If you want one of these but you don't sew (and I do not sell & ship them because it would cost too much to mail!) just take a sock, fill it with rice, and tie off the end. Now everyone can make that!!