How to Make a Rice Bag Bed Warmer

Make rice bag bed warmers for your whole family.

A rice bag bed warmer is excellent for keeping you warm on cold winter nights. Simply pop it into the microwave for a few minutes. When it comes out, slip it between the sheets down by your feet. But rice bag bed warmers aren't just for humans. Why not make one up for your dog's bed or for your cat. Rice bag bed warmers are especially therapeutic for your older pets, who tend to develop arthritis later in life. Keep every member of the family warm with these simple to make bed warmers. To complete this project, a basic knowledge of how to use a sewing machine is good but not essential. Bed warmers can be sewn by hand but will take much longer to stitch.

Things You'll Need

• Flannel cloth, 100 percent cotton
• Scissors
• Stick pins
• Sewing machine
• Rice, white long grain
• Kitchen funnel
• Needle and thread

Instructions

1. Decide on the dimensions of the bed warmer based on who it is for. Cat bed warmers will be smaller than, say, a large dog's bed warmer or one made for an adult man. For a man, a good size is 12 inches by 16 inches. Cut two identical rectangles out of 100 percent cotton flannel.

2. Pin the two pieces of fabric together. Make sure the two right sides are facing each other. The right side of the fabric is the side on display in the fabric store. The back side of fabric is usually duller. Sew three of the four sides closed using a standard 5/8 inch seam allowance.

3. Sew the remaining, fourth side closed but leave 4 inches un-sewn, leaving an opening through which you'll insert the rice.

4. Turn the flannel bag inside out, so the right side of the fabric is facing out. Stick the nozzle of a kitchen funnel into the 4 inch opening and start pouring regular, uncooked, long grain white rice into the funnel. Fill the bag as full as desired.

5. Sew the 4 inch opening closed using a whip stitch. Thread a needle and tie a knot at the end. Push the needle through the two layers of fabric from front to back . Pull the thread all the way through. Bring the needle and thread back over the top to the front and stick the needle through again. Repeat until the opening is completely sewn shut.

Tips & Warnings

• The floppier the bag of rice, the easier it will be to have it conform to the body.

• Consider sewing "pillow" cases for the individual rice bed warmers so you can wash them when they get dirty.

• Other things you can fill bed warmers with are wheat, oatmeal, corn, barley, cherry pits, flax seed and buck wheat hulls.

• Mix different fragrant dried herbs and spices in with the fillings for aroma therapy.

• Practice warming up your rice bags in the microwave so you know how long it takes to heat up the rice. Average time is 3 minutes or less.

• Do not use instant rice.

References

• TipNut: How to Make a Microwave Heating Bag