crafting

crafting

Monday, March 17, 2014

I love my sewing machine. I wish I had more time to spend using it, but I can't just make zillions of pillows for myself. I would run out of room...and fabric. To fill my creative void, I made heating pads this Saturday. Heating pads are so useful. Achey back? Heating pack. Cold toes? Heating pack. Don't want to get into bed because your sheets are cold? Heating pack. 

I didn't want to make just one so I made one for each of my roommates too. They're so easy! Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 yard of fabric (this makes five)
• 5 cups of rice (for one)
• Dried herbs (I used spearmint and lavender) 

First, cut the fabric into five long rectangles of equal width. Take one strip, fold it in half (hamburger-style) and iron a line into the fabric. This will make cutting the fabric so much easier. After cutting the fabric, place the two pieces together so the 'right' sides are facing each other. Sew these pieces together, leaving a small space on one side open to fill with the rice and herbs. Trim the extra fabric off the sides to remove some of the bulk. Turn this 'pillow' inside-out.

You're now ready to fill with rice! I mixed the herbs and rice together in my Pyrex glass before I put into my bag. A little bit of the herbs go a long way. I used a small spoonful of each and it's still pretty potent, so air on the light side. Fill the bag up about 3/4 of the way. After you're finished filling the bag, take a needle and thread and hand sew the small opening closed and you're done! Microwave anywhere from 3-5 minutes and you're good to go!