Homemade Heat Packs

If you want a simple project to keep busy on a rainy day, why not try making your own microwaveable heat pack?

Besides the comfort of heat on your aches and pains, the great thing about these homemade heat packs is that you can make a simple one in just a couple minutes. If you want to go fancy, you can also give them away as gifts. A gift that keeps on giving.

The simplest no-sew versions require a clean tube sock. You must fill the sock with rice or dried beans, then tie the end with a knot or rubber band. Alternatively, you may take a colorful cotton bandanna, fill it with dried beans, and knot the four corners together. Voila!

For all these projects, you are best off using dried beans or regular long grain rice, and don’t overfill. Three quarters full is enough.

You can purchase flannel or fleece fabric when it is on sale, or look for cheap tea towels. You may even have fabric in the house already you can use, or old jeans, a flannel shirt, or flannel sheets that are partially worn and no longer usable.

Huge bags of rice and beans are available for a reasonable price at stores like Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Costco, etc.

If you feel it necessary, make a paper pattern first from a piece of newspaper. Go simple for your first one with a square or rectangle. Once you decide on the size, cut out the material. With material pieces right side to right side, sew a 1/4 ” seam around all four sides, leaving a 2 inch space or so on one side open. Turn inside out and fill with the rice, using a funnel. (You can make a larger mouth funnel by cutting the bottom half off a plastic soft drink bottle). Sew the opening closed, and you’re done! If you make larger ones, you may want to “quilt” them in 3 or 4 sections to hold the rice or beans in place. If using a tea towel, just fold it in half, and sew along the three sides.

You can add scent to your project in a few ways. The easiest would be to purchase essential oils of your choice, and add a few drops to the rice before filling. You can also use dried lavender buds, and place a few of them in with the rice. If you have some herbal tea on hand, just open the bag, and place the tea leaves in the rice. The scent will wear off after a few uses, but you can revive it by putting a drop or two of essential oil on the material before heating.

Now that you’ve made your first one, you can also make more elaborate projects for gifts, or just to pamper yourself!

Try tracing the outline of your foot, and make two very flat ones with rice and fleece. Warm them in the microwave, and put them inside your slippers on a cold day when your feet ache. The warmth and “massage” from the rice is so soothing!

You can make almost any shape or size you desire. Buy a teddy bear pattern at the fabric store (or make your own), and make one for a child’s gift. Make adult gifts using pretty towels and ribbon ties. You get the idea. Make them as small or large (as long as it fits in the microwave) as you like. You can customize the shapes to fit the parts of you that need them most. You can even add Velcro, to fit them to your wrist or head. I even know someone who uses large ones to warm the bed!

Key Take-Aways

Heat packs take only a few minutes to make.

You don’t have to know how to sew.

They’re inexpensive.

Nothing feels better than heat when you’re achy and sore.

So why not try it today? Once you’ve completed your experiment, give us your feedback on the heat pack!