Sew a couple of hot packs with these free sewing patterns ...
Rice Hot Pack (or Cold Pack) and Rice Buddy 'Faux Hot Water Bottle'
By Jane Lake
We now have directions for two versions of the popular rice pack free sewing patterns on this page. The original Rice Buddy Hot Pack and the new Faux Hot Water Bottle Rice Pack. If you wish to add the power of aromatherapy to your hot packs, you can add small amounts of herbs or a few drops of your favourite herbal essential oil to the rice before filling the packs. Lavender smells wonderful and has been used for centuries for its calming effect.
Handy Tip: Both rice hot pack variations can be used as hot packs by heating in the microwave, but they also make useful cold packs to ease sprains and strains when stored in the freezer.
Directions for the Original Rice Hot Pack: For those who would like to stick with the traditional rice pack project, which produces a 3' x 4.5" tube, divided into rice filled segments, here are the full directions:
Supplies: scrap of cotton fabric, 37"x 10"; thread; chalk; sewing machine; one cup measure; measuring tape; scissors; 6 cups of white rice (not instant).
Skills:
This is an easy to make beginner's sewing project. Ability to measure, cut, and sew rectangles with half inch seams.
What You Do:
Fold fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together, and sew along the bottom and length using half inch seams. Turn tube right side out. Measure and mark with chalk, from bottom seam, every 6" along the length, ending a half inch from end. Pour one cup of rice into tube and sew across width at the first 6" mark, enclosing rice in a 6" x 4.5" rectangle. Repeat for remaining 5 cups of rice. Turn in a half inch from end, and sew very near the edge to close tube.
Include these instructions with your gift: "Rice Buddy Hot Pack/Cold Pack. Microwave for 3-5 minutes, until hot, and use as you would a hot water bottle. Great for easing aches and pains. For cold pack, store in the freezer."
Directions for the Faux Hot Water Bottle Rice Pack:
Supplies: cotton, fleece or other suitable fabric; printed template or a hot water bottle to use as a template; scotch tape, sewing thread; sewing machine; one cup measure; measuring tape; scissors; approximately 3 cups of white rice (not instant); funnel.
Cost: under $2.00.
Skills: Beginner's sewing project. Ability to trace, measure, cut, and sew with quarter inch seams.
What You Do: Print the two halves of the hot water bottle template. Join the two halves with scotch tape. Alternatively, trace around a hot water bottle, and add 1/4 inch seam allowance all around to make your own template.
Fold fabric, right sides together, and pin the template along the fold line where indicated. Cut out two pattern pieces like this.
Pin the two fabric pieces, right sides together.
Starting at one side of the neck, sew all round to the other side of the neck, using 1/4" seams. Leave the top open. Turn right side out.
Top stitch a straight line down the center of the pattern, from the nub on the bottom to the base of the neck.
Use the funnel to put approximately 1/3 - 1/2 cups of rice in each side of the line just sewn. Now top stitch in a straight line across the pattern, trapping the rice in two segments, approximately 1/3 of the way from the bottom of the pattern.
Repeat this step two more times, ending with a short sewing line across the neck of the fabric bottle pattern. See photo for details.
Now turn in a quarter inch hem on the neck, and sew close to the edge to close.
Include these instructions with your gift:
"Rice Buddy Hot Pack/Cold Pack. Microwave for 1-3 minutes, until hot, and use as you would a hot water bottle. Great for easing aches and pains. For cold pack, store in the freezer."
Gift Basket Suggestion: These are wonderful wrapped around your neck when you have the flu. If you know a friend who is feeling ill, why not put a gift basket together? A clementine orange crate is perfectly sized for this gift. Arrange either rice pack in the crate, or a similar sized basket, and add layered chicken noodle soup-in-a-jar, soda crackers, Vicks vapor rub, cough drops, a good book, and uplifting music (nice choice for a cd:
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Songs Of Joy And Jubilation To Open the Heart and Rekindle The Spirit.) Wrap your gift basket in cellophane and tie with curling ribbon.
This is such a wonderful Idea, I was wondering if there was an alternative to Wheat as all I can get here is organic wheat and it is not cost effective as I make them for the farmers market I attend, rice and flax are, thanks
Debbie – West Virginia
Apr 23, 2009 - 09:19
I really like these patterns. Thanks so much for sharing them. I have made my own for years-without the channels-and use flannel usually. On occasion I use fleece, but I prefer the flannel ones. I have many different sizes and shapes. In a pinch I have even used a tube sock, just fill to desired level and sew across the end-super easy!!
I have fibromyalgia, osteo-arthritis, degenerative disc disease and chronic pain, among other things. Heat really helps me to tolerate the pain. I use them many times a day and that is my only relief, for now, until some new procedure(s) that will work for me. I have to have that hope for the future.
Every couple of years I make 30-plus of them and gave them to all my family and friends as a Christmas gift. They all love them! They are relatively inexpensive to make and I know everyone uses and appreciates them.
Samantha – Usa
Jan 04, 2009 - 16:53
Is there a way of making an outter cover with a vinyl inside to protect the pack itself while in use or would that restrict the heat? if your an expert and know the answer can you please let me know?
Reply to Samantha
Donna – USA
Mar 30, 2009 - 16:51
Please do not use vinyl to protect pad because of danger to your
body from "phtalates". Sew a simple all-cotton pillow case to protect
the pack and which can be washed (and should be before using).
Check out: www3.nationalgeographic.com for the article
"The Pollution Within" and the NG author's report card. Oct. '06 issue
Freda Chatham – Homosassa Fl
Dec 16, 2008 - 12:21
I MADE SEVERAL OF THESE AS GIFTS ONE CHRISTMAS AND WE FOUND THAT THEY WORK GREAT FOR A COLICKY BABY(JUST DON'T GET TO HOT) AND AS A COLD PACK GREAT FOR BRING A BABY'S TEMPERTURE IN CONTROL
Laura from SC – South Carolina
Dec 13, 2008 - 05:55
Flax seeds make a great filler for these heating pads and will last 3 to 4 years, depending on how often you use it. The oil in the seeds helps hold the heat for longer (30 to 45 minutes), and the texture is wonderfully slinky for contouring to the body. The scent of the heated seeds is reminiscent of a mixture of freshly baked bread and herbal tea. I make several sizes of pillows, preferring to make them without channels, to keep the slinky properties, so that they can be re-shaped into myriad configurations to fit various areas of the body. A large pillow (12" x 18") takes approx. 3.25 lbs. of flax seed. It's makes a great all-purpose heating pack. Wedge it behind the lower back when sitting, or apply it to sore muscles, hands, feet, knees, etc., or put it in your lap as a hand warmer/soother (great on cold morning commutes!) or for post-surgical heat therapy. A smaller heating pad (8" x 10") takes about 2 lbs. seeds. Another idea is to make a long, skinny one (24" x 7" with 2 lbs. of seeds) to use at the computer keyboard, as a wrist support, or use it as a neck wrap. These pillows also make great cool packs. Put them in the freezer inside a plastic bag 30-60 minutes or more (the longer the better!). Lastly, if you keep your pillow in the freezer, inside a plastic bag, during longer periods of storage, they'll keep longer.
Mary – Minnesota
Nov 22, 2008 - 16:14
Just a note...you can use whole dried corn kernels too.
Reply to Mary
Avitu – someplace
Dec 04, 2008 - 22:41
only thing is the corn ones stink after awhile
linda – Fl
Oct 20, 2008 - 10:19
Hot water bottel is cool I want to make them for my "norhtern" friends to warm up toes after shovleing the snow. How cute in a gift bag with hot coco?
Paula – watertown, ny
Oct 02, 2008 - 08:40
Thank you for the pattern. My mother also has fibromyalgia. She has had many of these bags given to her over the years and loves them. She gave one to me several years ago. We use cleaned whole kernal corn. Newer bags give off a moist heat. Older bags give off a dryer heat. I like the new one for aches and pains. I like the older, dryer one for my feat when they are cold
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