diy heating pad tutorial.

generally speaking, im not at all shy about the fact that i have about one million health problems. i mean, i dont go out of my way to make a big public show about it, but if you ask me, i wont lie: various types of chronic pain and i have basically been inseparable since i was, i dont know 15 or 16 or something. its not something i really complain about all that much, and i definitely dont want any special treatment over it, its just what i have to deal with. maybe one day ill write a more serious post about living with invisible illness, but today is not that day.

today I'm going to show you how to make your own super-cute heating pad. these are very, very useful for things like period cramps and muscle spasms and hands that just WILL NOT stop hurting because, i dont know, the wind blew a slightly different direction today. i (obviously) use mine all the time. but the thing is, the one i had was just rice sewn into a (clean) sock, and it was really ugly. not only was it ugly, but the sock was stretchy (like socks usually are) and that made the rice pool in the ends and it would flop around and refuse to lay flat (which was a pretty big issue when i needed to use it for my neck and shoulders). so i made a new one.

and you should make one too. seriously, everybody should own one. you just pop this thing in the microwave for about a minute and you have over an hour of soothing heat that is way, WAY less wasteful than those stupid disposable ones. and I'm willing to bet that you already have everything you need to make one (also, this project takes maybe half an hour start to finish. YOU DONT EVEN NEED TO PLUG IN YOUR IRON).

heres what you need:

fabric (a woven cotton is best, i used some leftovers from my battlestar galactica skirts because if anyone can make my pain go away its commander adama)
rice (about three cups)
pins
scissors
marking pen of some kind (im OBSESSED with my new chaco liner, but you can just use a marker)
thread (not pictured)
small funnel or piece of paper to fold into a funnel (not pictured)
sewing machine (not pictured, though you could totally hand sew this too)

step one: measure, mark and cut two rectangles of fabric measuring 5 by 14 inches:

step two: pin your two rectangles together right sides together:

step three: sew a running stitch around all four sides of your rectangle using a half inch seam allowance, and leave a two-inch or so gap on one of the short ends for turning:

please note the gap:

step four: trim your corners to a 45 degree angle, but be extra careful not to cut through your seams:

step five: turn your fabric right side out and use a pencil or chopstick or something to poke the corners out nice and sharp:

step six: using either an actual funnel or a piece of paper (like i did because we dont have a funnel), fill your fabric up with rice (this should take almost exactly three cups of rice):

step seven: fold the seam allowances of the opening back under and pin the heating pad shut:

step eight: sew the opening shut by hand. you can use a whipstitch or running stitch, or you can get fancy and use a ladder stitch like i did, this part is really up to you: