Introduction: $1 Gifts- Soothing RICE BAG
Have you ever been on a budget and not known what to give someone for Christmas? Look no further. A truely amazing gift is a rice bag which can be warmed up and cooled. They look amazing and are easy to make! So let's get on to making a lovely rice bag!
Cost + Materials
Felt: 15 cents
Cloth: 10 cents (free if you use old clothes/scraps)
Thread + Needle: Free (if you don't have them, borrow them)
Button: 25 Cents
Rice: 35 Cents
Tape: 10 Cents
TOTAL: 85 Cents
Hey! Welcome to my first tutorial! I hope you enjoy it! Please critique it as much as you like! (I'd rather know what to change for my next tutorials then to make more sucky ones.)
Step 1: Sewing the Outer Bag:
1.) Take your piece of felt and cut it so it's 7 inches by 8 inches.
2.) Fold the felt in half. The Hamburger way.
3. ) Take some sturdy thread of your choice and sew two of the felts side. Pretty self explanatory, I'm not going to go into detail about how to sew it xD.
Step 2: Making the Inner Bag:
1.) Take some fabric which is thinner than the felt (old clothes/tee shirts) and cut a 7 inch by 4 1/2 inch rectangle out.
2.)Fold it in half the hamburger and tape two of the edges.
3.) Fill it 3/4 full with dried rice or beans and tape the last edge.
OPTIONAL: Add a couple drops of essential oils into the rice. Try peppermint or something relaxing like lavender.
Step 3: Adding the Button:
1.) At the top of the felt bag draw a line for your button hold, and then use scissors to cut the line out. Make it slightly smaller than your button.
2.) Flip the bag inside out.
3.) Sew your button on the inside of the felt bag, so if the bag was flat the button would peek from your cut line, push the button through the hole a couple times, to stretch out the felt a little.
Step 4: Finishing the Rice Bag:
1.) Stuff your cloth bag with rice in your felt bag! Button it up and you're finished!
2.) Microwave the bag, or stuff it in the freezer! You can replace the rice any time, and easily!
3.) Give the bag away for a gift, or keep it for yourself!
4.) ENJOY!
I hope you like this tutorial! Feel free to ask any questions! :D
48 Comments
14 years ago on Introduction
I have one of these, I didn't know you could put them in the freezer.
Reply 5 years ago
http://birthdaypresentsideas.com/best-birthday-gift-for-aunt-who-has-everything/
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
YUP! Just put them in the freezer for an hour and it's like an icepack. :D Multiple purposes are awesome.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Yeah, an ice pack that has almost no risk of that freezer burn tingle. Just nice pleasant pain relief...
9 years ago on Introduction
That's cool. Seems I found a gift for my better half. How does the rice stand up over time? Is there something I need to be careful about, like humidity and rice doesn't seem to go together well?
10 years ago on Introduction
I dont think the tape is such a good idea, I would sew all ends shut except for one and use either velcro, or electrical tape might hold, but I don't know if it would melt in the microwave.
14 years ago on Introduction
Would tape really be strong enough to last? Couldn't you just sew the sides and tape the top? Anyways Great idea.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Also how long do you put it in the microwave.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
About 1-2 minutes, it gets pretty hot if you do any longer, and dosent get very warm if any shorter.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
I would probably use stronger tape (the off yellow color one) if I did it again but as for sewing, unless you used a sewing machine, or spent hours sewing, rice could easily slip out of the gaps. TIME FOR MICROWAVING: Try microwaving about 45 seconds, and then do it again for about 20 seconds, and keep ding 20 seconds until it is nicely warm.
14 years ago on Introduction
umm... how long do i microwave it?
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
I do it for 1-2 minutes and it works great!
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Try microwaving about 45 seconds, and then do it again for about 20 seconds, and keep ding 20 seconds until it is nicely warm.
11 years ago on Introduction
Great tutorial!!! & I realise its old, but I just wanted to make a note against using buttons (or cable ties or duct tape as someone suggested)...Not all plastic is microwave-safe...while they may not melt & cause any visible damage, some plastics can give off toxic fumes when heated...so beware...
I have been meaning to make one, so your instructions are really helpful, & I think based on one of the first comments making simple fabric ties/string would be the safest way to go...
P.S: I have seen Velcro used in the commercial versions, so am assuming they are somewhat safe, (although we cant be sure all Velcro is of the same material)
13 years ago on Introduction
I use cable ties to close the tube sock after filling it with rice.
14 years ago on Introduction
I had one of these heat up pillows and I used it a lot, but one day I found out it had mold growing in it. Will these grow mold?
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
They shouldn't unless they've been exposed to moisture, and even then, alot of moisture. Rice is one of those few things, when it's dry, can last many years in it's dry form. If you add water of any type of moisture to the mix, it will create an environment where little microbes can form and create homes for mold.
The mold risk increases when you add anything else to the mix such as lavender, flax seed, or any herbal concoction. The idea here is that ANY of these can create mold if they ARE NOT properly dried before they are added. So that may have been it's problem or it could have already carrying mold when it was put into the bag.
Also, maybe you didn't use it too much? If you only used it a few times, perhaps the environment within the bag was in a stable condition to support mold growth? If you used it alot, the constant hot and cold extremes of the pack would have been more unfriendly to your growing colonies in the bag.
Sorry for the long hypothesis. I guess I am just a science person at heart. To make the long story short:
plant material + moisture+ stagnant environmental conditions= mold
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
eewwewww yuck oh how gross for you! I wonder why it happened. It would turn me off too.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
EWW! I'm not sure if mold will grow but to make sure it doesn't, I would replace the rice every once in a while. (It's easy to replace since only tape is stopping you.)
13 years ago on Introduction
I found this excellent site. It explains everything and the final product is allowed as an assistive device at the hospital where the author works
http://www.diamondthreadworks.com/microwave_heating_bags.htm