DIY Reusable Rice Heat Pack

It’s winter and we have Eskom running the show. So, I’m loathed to spend any more money on electricity and at times my human hot water bottle (who, every night I’m thankful for) is not enough. I’ve never loved rubbery hot water bottles and (call me crazy) I’m a little nervous of electric blankets. Also, well I’m just not 100% stoked with electric current under my body (ESP since I’m sure I’ll forget to turn it off and then will worry and and and).

If you’re new to the greenish world, this is the PERFECT project for you. It’s easy, cheap, and pretty darn satisfying. Making a reusable rice heat pack is a total win.

You can use heat packs in so many ways:

They keep you warm on a cold night, they’re helpful during labour, they help relieve sore muscles and even help you sleep. You can also pop this bag in the freezer to make a cold pack.

The only downside to is that you need a microwave to heat it (which I don’t looove, and isn’t very green), but hey, 2-4min in the micro is better than boiling water on repeat or hours of pumping heat into your electric blanket.

All you need:

– Scraps of cotton fabric (we used old 1000 count percale sheets that had ripped – they feel heavenly) and cotton thread.

– Rice (I bought the biggest, cheapest bag I could find since we were not eating it).

– Essential oils (optional) if you want to add a scent to your bag. Recommended scents are mint, eucalyptus, cloves or lavender (I’d suggest lavender to help encourage relaxation and sleep).

Errrr… That’s it. Easy huh?

Sew the fabric together (in a square or rectangle) leaving a gap for you to fill it with rice. Fill it around 2/3rds full, leaving enough empty space whereby you can move the rice around within the bag to form shapes and where it can hug the body. Add a couple drops of essential oils into your bag (optional) and sew it up.

Pop it in the micro for 2-4 min and throw it in your bed as you wrap up your late night TV series binge watching. If you want to go extra fancy, you can design your own fabric, add lace or make different shapes. We made mini ones for the kids that won’t maintain too much heat so they can’t burn them.

Voila! Now, get to it.

Photo credit: Fellow Fellow Blog 

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