Hello, lovelies!
Finally I am sharing another project. It may seem like I’ve not had much on my hands lately, but no worries, I’m about to show all the crafts I’ve been working on in the upcoming weeks.
This project has become my new obsession. They make for great gifts, and have given me the best sleep of my life since I’ve learned how to make them.
I originally thought of this idea when I crocheted a bean eye bag for my yoga sessions. During the last part of each session, I enjoy having something laid over my eyes. It was only perfect to add some essential oil to the mix, to add on to that part of yoga.
Then I thought that it would be fun to make heating pads of a similar fashion! Turns out I was right.
Homemade heating pads are actually quite easy to make, not to mention very calming and relaxing. Adding some essential oil makes it even better. Then again, I feel like that’s the current trend. Add essential oil to everything to make is better!
Every night I warm one up, put it on my back, and sleep like a baby.
This project seriously only takes me about 30 minutes to complete, and as a teacher summer days, I’m finding myself with plenty of 30 minute increments. Hey friends that are reading this, you can guess what you’ll be getting for Christmas!
Here’s how I make them!
Materials:
Scissors
Cotton Fabric
Thread
Dried pinto beans or dried rice
A funnel (or something to function as a funnel)
First of all, the measurements I am using are completely subjective to your preference. Feel free to make your homemade heating pad the size you want. My measurements for this heating pad were 12 x 12, which resulted in being 10 x 10 by the final product.
First of all, with the wrong sides facing outward, stitch the two pieces of fabric together, leaving about 1.5″of space to insert the beans/rice. Be sure to use tight stitches, unless you want little pieces of dry food randomly around your house.
Push the fabric through the opening so that the fabric is facing the correct way. Press the so it is nice and straight. This next part is optional, and mainly used for decorative purpose. This is when you can match or mismatch thread colors with your fabric patterns.
For example, I chose a pink thread for the border for this fabric.
Sew a trim around the edges, about 1/5″ away from the the edges. For the corners you will have to cheat, and sew a diagonal across the corner.
After you do the decorative border, insert the beans/rice.
It is your preference whether you use rice or beans. Both heat well and will sooth your aches in this homemade heating pad.
This is when your funnel will come in handy. I didn’t have a funnel handy, so you can see I made one myself! It makes it so much easier filling your heating pad.
Once again, it is your preference how full you would like your bag to be, but using the measurements I did, my heating pad ended up being 1/2 pound.
After you fill your heating pad to the desired weight, return back to the sewing machine. If you did the decorative border, then all you have to do is sew across that 1.5″ opening. If you didn’t do the decorative border, then hand sew down the seam line of the opening to close it.
Tada!
Put your heating pad in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time to the desired heat. I recommend not warming the heating pad over 1 minute at a time. Finally, add several drops of essential oil to the bag for a more relaxing experience.
These are perfect for gifts, or just to have around the house.
Let me know how your’s turns out! I would love to feature different heating pads on Instagram and the website.
Leave a Reply