The Easiest Homemade DIY Heating Pad Ever

You won’t believe how easy it is to make this homemade DIY Heating Pad and it doesn’t require you to be an expert sewer. Learn how to make it here

Are you as cold as I am? If where you live is as cold is as where I live, this tutorial will help you a lot to stay warm. I made these 2 homemade heat packs as gifts for friends back in Bogotá since it’s cold most of the year there!

DIY Homemade Heating Pad Tutorial

This is the easiest DIY Homemade Heating Pad you will ever make!!! Either if it’s for yourself or as a gift you will have it done in less than 30 minutes.

You may have endless ways of doing this project. I found this one the easiest but as you might know, imagination is the limit.

Heating pads are a fantastic way to not only stay warm but to ease neck and back pain, muscle aches, and menstrual cramps. A heating pad is often recommended for heat therapy due to its ability to increase blood flow to painful areas. I used to use heating pads a lot for menstrual cramps.

This made at home heating pad project is something that would make a perfect and thoughtful gift during winter or if your life is mostly cold as well as to relieve sore areas.

You only need fabric, ribbon, and white rice, besides thread, a needle, and a sewing machine. Though, I think this is something you might be able to hand sew as well.

Anyway, have a few scraps of fabric you can make this. Also, the size is what you want it to be.

I just love this and the best part is a couple of minutes in the microwave and you will have quite some time of warmth. I love putting the DIY heating pad on my lap while watching TV or close to my hands while I’m on the computer. It’s just awesome.

How to make this DIY Homemade Heat Pack

Here are several ways to create your own heating pads, but I’m showing you here how to make large ones to cover more areas weather it’s to stay warm or ease a pain.

Let’s go!

Supplies:

• Your favorite fabrics. I used 2 different ones, one for each side.
• Ribbon {fabric matching color}
• Regular rice – uncooked rice.

Tools:

• Large funnel
• Sewing Machine
• Scissors
• Fabric (mark-and-be gone) markers.
• Essential oils *optional.

Rice Variation and Alternatives

• Best overall options: Whole corn, walnut shells, flax seeds, and jasmine rice are great fillers. I read that cherry pits are great for larger packs, but their heat doesn’t last in a small pack.
• Best scent: Cherry pits, jasmine rice, or walnut shells. If you choose a different filling, you can make it smell really nice by mixing in drops of essential oils, dried flowers, dried herbs, or cherry pits.
• Most pleasant calming feel: Flaxseed, whole corn, jasmine rice.
• Best heat retention: Whole corn, rice, wheat, and walnut shells.
• Worst options: Buckwheat hulls (too expensive), clay beads or cherry pits (poor heat retention in a small pack), dried pinto beans, lentils or whole peas (beany smell), or flaxseed (even after a few heatings the oils were starting to smell a little rancid). Quick note, flax seed would probably make an amazing cold pack if you kept it in the freezer.

Instructions:

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Step 1: Cut the fabric

First, cut your fabric to the desired size. Mine was 2 rectangles 30×15 cm {12X6 Inches}. It’s a large homemade heating pad.

Step 2: Creating the heating Pad Main bag

Then putting together the front and back pieces right sides together, trace your layout.

I left 1cm (1/4 inch) seam allowance from the edge on each side and traced lines every 7 cm (2.75 inches). This will make the rice pockets.

Or course this will be only for reference you will see why in a bit.

Cut a string of ribbon about double the length of your heat pack.

Fold in half.

Place it in between both fabrics lengthwise about in the middle of one of the short sides.

Pin in place.

Step 3: Sewing the pack

Stitch along the sides leaving one long side open.

Turn it right side out. Press.

This is where I was talking about the reference.

Your lines are now inside but you can make a few dashes so you know where to stitch.

Fold your open side edges inwards to make a hem. Pin in place.

I do this because it’s easier to fill each pocket from the open end and then stitch them close later.

Stitch around the edges again (french seam) to make it look prettier.

Stitch each pocket’s lines.

Cut all the remaining threads.

Step 4: Filling up the heat pack

Using a large funnel fill 3/4 of each pocket with white or jasmine rice.

Optionally you can add a few drops of essential oils to each pocket

Step 5: Closing up the heating pad

Using a pin, Close each pocket really close to the top of the rice. Sorry I completely forgot to take a picture of this step.

Once you have filled a pocket just press all the rice down press closing the pocket right where the rice is and pin. This is only to make it easy to stitch close the heat pack.

When you are done filling the pockets and pinning each one, just stitch along the edge.

Remove the pins and let the rice spread.

Step 6: Finishing up the cute Heat pack

Roll the heat pack and tie it with your ribbon and make a cute bow.

There you go!

I even made some other Homemade Heat packs in different colors!

It’s super easy, quick to make and so, so awesome to stay warm.

Hope you enjoy today’s tutorial and that you got inspired to make your own.

Variations and alternatives

Some homemade heating pad without rice alternatives that can be made at home dependnding on what you are using it for could be:

• The Wet Dishcloth: Grab a wet dishcloth, put it in a microwave-safe freezer bag, and heat it in the microwaves. Wrap the hot bag in a towel and apply it to the sore area for 15-20 minutes.
• The Oven-Heated Towel: This method is perfect for making a larger heating pad. Fold a damp towel and place it in an oven preheated to 300°F (149°C) for 5-10 minutes (time varies based on towel thickness). Wrap the warm towel in a thinner dry cloth and apply it to the affected area for 15-20 minutes.
• The Rice Old Sock: Take an old, clean sock and fill it three-quarters full with uncooked rice, corn, barley, or oatmeal. Tie or sew it shut and heat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Always test the heat on the inside of your arm before applying it to ensure it’s comfortably warm, not hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Sewing Projects to Try

If you enjoyed this fun DIY Heating Pad tutorial, you might also love these other cute sewing project ideas too:

✂️ Tutorial

Some other heat packs I love from my favorite bloggers:

• Diy No-Sew Natural Heating Pads (Rice Socks) by Making Lemonade.
• DIY Rice Heating Pad with Lavender essential oils by Crafting in the Rain

If you enjoyed this DIY Homemade Heat Pack tutorial, don’t forget to PIN and share it with friends!