How to make a rice heat bag

I don't know about your kids, but mine of late mine have been getting in the wars. I took for grated that all kids are happy to pop an ice pack on a bump or bruise.

Ummmm nope.

It actually frightens them, well mine anyway. Not that they say it in so many words, but the look on their little faces when you come at them with an over size object that is freezing cold doesn't thrill them.

I have also lately had Hudson say, mummy my bed is cold make it warm.

Like every mum you want to help your little people so to solve this I hunted around & found a few tutorials on heat bags. I was more worried about the contents of it & what to put in it, than making it, I had that all planned out in my head. I found & loved the tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew, & just adapted it according to my vision. I decided to make them as kiddie friendly as possible, so of course I utilised my own designs.

These heat bags are mini in size perfect for little hands.

You can used any fabric you have laying around the house. Sew up your scraps, even use a tea towel.

I used my very popular owl had to adorn those comforting words, "All better now".

Cut 2 squares, mine are 21cm x 15.5cm.

Place your squares right sides together & sew a 1cm seam allowance all around leaving one whole side open. Turn inside out.

Here is mine turned in the correct way, & I used a chop stick to help push out the corners.

Turn you iron on. At the open end of the heat bag fold a 1cm seam allowance inwards. You can measure this or go by your eye, that's what I do. With the tip of your iron press gently. Go all the way around until the whole opening is turned inwards & pressed.

Press and you will end up with a clean edge like this.

Your are now going to top stitch the whole area of your heat bag. My top stitch width is 0.5cm in from edge. On you pressed seam area, place the foot of your machine on top of the opening. Start slowly & make a quick back stitch, and them follow around the edge of your heat bag.

When you get to about 2cm before where you started before, stop & do again another quick reverse stitch. This will just reinforce the opening.

Now the fun part. I mixed even parts of plain long grain rice and organic lavender in a bowl.

A funnel & one of those free scoops I have received from Tupperware over the years came in very handy.

I found the contents should weigh around 250grams, this what a nice quantity I felt to fill the bag. Once I had filled the bag I shook it to one end & stitched across the opening I had created to fill it.

One happy customer.

I found 1 minute is a lovely temperature to warm for the kids, depending of course on your microwave wattage. This will also be a lovely ice pack for when a situation calls for a cold emergency. To freeze pop the heat bag in a plastic bag, like a freezer bag to protect it.

This method is easily adaptable to any size or shape heat bag.

Enjoy!