It’s winter and your bed is cold and your neck is sore from shoveling snow and you want the soothing relief of heat. A heating pad is the best thing to beat the winter chill and soothe aching muscles. In this post, I will show you how to make a microwaveable heating pad in less than an hour. These heating bags make perfect gifts too, especially during the winter season. The best part is that you can choose any fabric design your heart desires.
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Fabric Choice
Make sure to choose only 100% cotton or linen fabric since these fabrics can withstand heat. Personally, I like a soft and cozy flannel like the green and cherry houndstooth fabrics I choose for this project. You’ll also want to make sure that the fabric is a tightly woven medium- or heavy-weight fabric. Medium-weight fabrics are easier to work with than heavy-weight fabrics and are generally more soft and pliable, so they are my preference. I purchased mine from Quilter’s Cupboard here in Ontario, Canada.
Materials and Supplies for the Microwaveable Heating Pad
- Small amount of cotton or linen fabric (1/4 yard or meter is more than enough)
- Matching thread
- Ruler, pencil, scissors, sewing pins
- Sewing machine
- Rice (basmati or jasmine rice have a nice scent)
- Essential oil if you want a scented heating pad (lavender and peppermint are good choices)
- Weigh scale to measure rice (optional)
How to Make a Microwaveable Heating Pad
- Cut two pieces of fabric 20″ by 7″ in size and place them right sides together
- Sew around all four sides, leaving a large 17″ opening centered on one of the long sides
- Turn right sides out and press flat with your fingers
- Mark two vertical lines with pins; each line should be 6.75″ in from the outer short edges
- Stitch from bottom to top along each line to form a bag with 3 segments/pockets
- Fill each pocket with rice, filling each pocket only about half full (I used a total of 1.1 kg of rice)
- Add a few drops of essential oil to the rice in each pocket if you desire
- Sew the bag shut by sewing the open edge closed, stitching very close to the edge all the way along the long open side
The Finished Heating Pad
The size and shape of these heating pads lend themselves to wrapping around the neck to soothe a sore neck or shoulders. It can also be used as a bed warmer. You can easily adapt the size and shape to suit your needs.
Winter Hand Warmers
For hand warmers that you can fit inside your mittens for outdoor winter activities, follow these directions for each hand warmer:
- Cut two pieces of fabric 4.5″ by 3.75″
- Place right sides together and use a sewing machine to stitch pieces together using a quarter-inch seam allowance, leaving a one-inch opening in the middle of one side
- Turn right sides out and use a funnel to fill with approximately 65 grams of rice (about half full)
- Stitch the opening closed using the machine
Hot or Cold Relief
These heating pads can be used for hot or cold relief. Heat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds (for large heating pad) for hot relief or chill in the freezer for 1-2 hours for cold relief before using.
Notes on Safety
To avoid the risk of fire, test the microwave time required to heat the bag to the desired temperature. To do so, start with a small amount of time, about 30 seconds for the large bag described here (10-15 seconds for a smaller bag). Then test for warmness. Keep adding on time in increments of 20 or 30 seconds, up to a maximum of 90 seconds for the large bag. Place a small cup of water in the microwave while heating the pad to ensure it doesn’t become too dry and susceptible to burning. But avoid spilling any water on the pad!
When placing the pad directly on the skin, ensure that the heating pad is at a comfortable temperature and not too hot. Do not fall asleep with a heating pad in contact with the skin.
Summary
I hope you have found my post, How to Make a Microwaveable Heating Pad, useful. I think these warmers really come in handy in the winter months. Our winters are so cold here in Ottawa and sadly, our winter is just beginning! I feel better knowing my bed is pre-heated each night- it makes winters in Ottawa bearable. And they really come in handy if I’ve overdone the shoveling or any other physical activity.
If you liked this craft, check out some of my others:
POTTERY BARN CABLE KNIT PILLOW
Such a great idea. I’ll share a link on my Sunday Dirt Road Adventure.
Thank you so much Rachel!