Inexpensive and SO quick + easy to make, a reusable hot + cold rice bag is a great way to warm up on a chilly night or provide some hot/cold therapy for bumps, bruises or tired, achy muscles.
In our home, we’re big believers of natural remedies for whatever ailments might pop up.
Obviously there are times when traditional medicines are necessary and that’s totally okay. But, for those everyday ailments, like headaches, muscle aches, colds and flus, bumps, bruises and even preventing scars, Brady and I are both very strong believers in trying out the most natural remedy first.
Essential oils have been a big part of both of our lives since we were kids. Brady’s mom in particular would have us gargling water infused with tea tree oil when we had a sore throat or smearing lavender over our biggest cuts, scrapes and even burns to prevent any scarring (this totally works by the way, you should definitely try it!).
Another favourite all natural remedy around our house is a simple hot/cold rice bag.
There isn’t much a reusable hot + cold rice bag can’t fix, especially if you’ve got kiddos. From stubbed toe or itchy bug bite to those unbearable growing pains that wake up the entire house through the night, a nice warm rice bag can cure it all! Carson’s always got one on the go for one thing or another and, a “warm beanbag” as he like to call it, has become and integral part of his seemingly ever-growing bedtime routine.
Pop one into the microwave for a minute and you’ve got yourself an all natural heating pad that forms to your body, delivering heat exactly where you need it. Or, keep one in the freezer for those times you need to ice any strained or sore muscles.
And, if you really want to pack a punch, adding a few drops of essential oil to a warm rice bag is a great way to combine two all natural ways of healing.
These hot + cold rice bags take just minutes to whip up and, because they’re reusable, you can put them to work over and over again for years to come.
How to Make a Reusable Hot + Cold Rice Bag
MATERIALS
– 1/2 yard fabric (I found mine here & here)
– rice to fill
– really good quality thread
METHOD
one. Cut a rectangle from your fabric measuring 10″ x 16″.
two. Fold the length of your rectangle in half, with wrong sides together so that you are left with a rectangle measuring 10″ x 8″. Press fold with an iron.
three. Sew a 1/2-inch seam around the outside edge of your rectangle, stopping about 1 1/2-inches from the end – this will leave you with an opening to turn your fabric right side out. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. Because these rice bags tend to get a ton of wear + tear, I like to reinforce my seam with a really strong zig zag or overlock stitch across the seam allowance.
four. Turn your rice bag right-side out and press all of the edges with an iron. Be sure to fold the edges of your opening inside the seam to match the rest of your rice bag before pressing into place. Stitch another 1/4-inch seam around the edges, stopping at the opening you left 1 1/2-inches from the end.
five. Then, using a funnel, fill your bag with rice. Be sure not to over-fill here as you want the rice bag to be malleable so it can shape itself over your body to deliver the hot/cold therapy just where you need it. I used about 4 cups to fill mine.
six. Making sure the edges are folded inside the seam, stitch a 1/4-inch seam along the opening to seal it closed, matching the rest of your rice bag. Because this bit of your rice bag won’t have the benefit of the extra stitching inside that the rest does, you’ll want to be sure to stitch over this part one or two extra times to really shore up that stitching.
And that’s it friends! A reusable hot + cold rice bag in just minutes!
We honestly use these hot + cold rice bags SO much in our home, I hope you love them as much as we do!
Wishing you SUCH a lovely day!
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