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Homemade Heating Pad
If you've been looking for a simple way to soothe muscle aches, this easy homemade heating pad project may be just what you need! My daughter has been struggling with heel issues due to way too much activity while she's growing, and I was told that adding a heat pack to her foot prior to exercise might help.
Now, a normal momma would run to the store and buy a heating pad, but that would be way too easy for this penny-pinching-momma. My problem these days is I just don't have time to get to the store, so I figure anything I can make at home shaves an hour of wasted time off my day.
UPDATE: I couldn't believe how simple this was to make, and have been sitting here all morning typing with my fun little froggie heat pack taking care of me. My sweet daughter may never see this homemade heating pad again.
Here's what you'll need to make your own heating pad:
- 2 cups rice (I used Minute Rice because it's what I had in the pantry, but any type of rice will do).
- an old sock (I found this fuzzie frog in our missing sock basket ~ so glad to have salvaged him!).
- a ribbon (make sure the ribbon doesn't have wire in it as it will need to be warmed in the microwave).
- OPTIONAL: Essential Oils
like lavender, peppermint, or vanilla; since we didn't have these we used a little cinnamon.
like lavender, peppermint, or vanilla; since we didn't have these we used a little cinnamon.
And here's how to get it all ready in two minutes or less (way less time than it would take you to get to the store!)
- Pour rice into an old sock.
- If you're going to add a scent to it, pour that in as well.
- Heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute in microwave. Heat longer in 30 second increments if you'd like it warmer.
- Apply to affected area.
I didn't initially add anything other than rice to the sock, but the smell of rice drove my daughter nuts. I was trying to figure out how to change the scent, and since I know she loves cinnamon, I figured that might work! I added about 2 tsps. of cinnamon which worked perfectly.
I'm always amazed at how well projects like this one work, and am thrilled to have made it using just a few items I already had at home. . . woot!
***Note: I loved using cinnamon and it smells wonderful. BUT, if the socks you use aren't tightly woven, the cinnamon might come through the fibers.
Ummm…the only reason I know that is because I kept noticing little brown specks on me after using it. After a very quick jog I smell like one of my favorite cinnamon rolls. 😉 Any tips on other ways to “flavor” the rice would be very appreciated! Although I'm thinking my daughter will have no problem at all smelling cinn-a-mon-y!
Looking for more at-home-frugal-fixes? Here you go:
- Homemade Soap Scum Remover
- DIY Homemade Ring Cleaner
- Stop Squeaky Doors with Pam
- Homemade Cooking Spray
I just realized that this was put on here like 4 years ago! I read the replies and really wasn’t looking at the dates until I put my reply up!! Silly wabbit!! Need this heating pad for my back,hips, knee and shoulder and if I could put it on my head for a migraine I would!!
My husband has beard oil in very good smelling scents and I’m making it for him. Thanks for the tips.
Is this discussion still active!!
My granddaughter visiting with her youngin’s last week, and had a stiff and sore neck, and she had me make her dry rice & sock heating pad .. what a great idea!!
Anyway, I was reading some of the suggestions for creating some aroma therapy rice heating pads, I wouldn’t suggest using lose cinnamon or any other food grade aroma enhancer, because it could possible draw bugs. I think I will try a sachet packet (that you put in a dresser drawer) that is suppose to help sooth and relax.
Great tips Kathy – thanks for sharing!
Useuse a cinnamon stick instead of the powder
Great idea Hebah – thanks for sharing! 🙂
You can cover it with another sock and it becomes a wAshable cover.
Oh also I put a raspberry tea bag inside it.
This is terrific thank u so much,I went on the comp to find a place that sells these and found ur site, tried it and it is awesome! Thank you!
I just made one of these for poor neck. I used dried lavendar buds from my garden…..so nice.
can you use vanilla extract?? Like the kind you cook with??
How long does this last? I mean how many times can you use it? And re use it? Thanks!
We re-used ours for about a month and then I made a new one ~ but it probably doesn’t go bad! Hope that helps 🙂
Thank you!! You saved me 🙂 I’ve been having sciatic pain and it hurts to walk. I needed a heating pad without going to the store. I put lavender vanilla massage oil with the rice. The heat lasts so long probably because of the oil, the rice was completely coated. Works wonderfully!!! And now I don’t have to spend on a heating pad. Thanks again!
I tried this and added cinnamon and nutmeg. Smells like some strange French toast, but it works like a charm!
Glad it worked for you!
Could you tear open a peach tea bag and mix with rice and heat ?
Great idea Ashley – I bet you could! Let me know if you try it. 🙂
How many times can you use the sock with rice?
I tried this and put a spoonful of loose leaf tea in it. Very relaxing.
Great idea! Made one today for my son who woke up with a stiff neck and needed a heating pad. Used a sock with rice, black-eye peas (because I only had about 1 cup of rice), and added a few drops of camphphenique to the mix, stirred, filled and microwaved 3 minutes. It works great!
Made this for my mom who has sore throat. She loves it! It still has a hint of a rice smell, but its mostly cinnamon.
Thanks for the great idea! I added a few Downy Unstopables to mine & it worked fine, but I’ve only heated it once.
how about some homemade tips to help dogs with flea control.. we have two pets and see that an orange will help somehow but not without buying two books… anybody know how we can help these sweet pets?
Cinnamon sticks sound like they’d work, or what about using an additional sock–move the rice from the frog into a different, tightly woven, abandoned sock and then just use the frog as a decorative outside layer.
I love the idea of cinnamon sticks … and the extra sock is a great idea too Jill & Kailin! I’ve got to try it this weekend (she’s got a soccer tournament and I don’t want her to be sore!)
How about Cinnamon Sticks, maybe broken into smaller pieces?
Do you think you could use an extract like vanilla, peppermint, almond, lemon? I know I have those in my pantry.
I thought about vanilla too, and think I may try that next ~ great tip Kathy! 🙂