How to Make Rice & Corn Bags

Use uncooked rice or feed corn to fill homemade heating bags.

Make homemade heating bags with uncooked rice or feed corn. These bags make a comforting gift that will warm up a friend's arthritic hands or sore neck. Make these personalized gifts in various sizes, depending on their use. A small, pillow-shaped bag that fits in your hand is ideal for easing sore fingers or warming up the bed. A long, narrow, snake-like bag is ideal for wrapping around your neck. When using corn instead of rice to fill the bag, use feed corn instead of popping corn. Before beginning your project, wash and dry the fabric.

Things You'll Need

• Rice or feed corn
• Sturdy cotton
• Funnel
• Iron
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Dried herb (optional)
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Sewing needle

Instructions

1. 

   Iron the fabric.

   Press the clean fabric with a hot iron to remove all wrinkles.

2. Turn the fabric upside down on a flat surface.

3. 

   Draw a rectangle pattern on the fabric with a pencil and ruler.

   Draw a rectangle on the backside of the fabric, using the pencil and a ruler as a guide. Make the rectangle twice the size as your desired finished bag, plus an additional 3 inches in length. For example, if making a bag that will ultimately measure 6 inches by 4 inches, draw a rectangle that measures 16 inches by 4 inches.

4. 

   Cut out the rectangle.

   Cut out the rectangle.

5. Fold the piece in half, with the wrong side out, to create the finished shape of your bag.

6. 

   Sew along the sides of the bag.

   Sew along both sides of the folded bag, using a sewing machine with a ¼- inch seam. Leave a 2-inch opening to pour the rice or corn through. The finished bag will resemble an inside-out pillowcase.

7. Turn the bag right-side out.

8. 

   Use a funnel to add rice or corn to the bag.

   Insert the tip of the funnel in the bag opening and pour the rice or feed corn into the funnel. If desired, add a sprig of dried herb, such as lavender, to add a scent. Don't overfill; leave about 3 inches of the bag unfilled.

9. Sew up the end of the bag, using the sewing machine with a ¼-inch guide on the machine.

10. Fold the end over several times, to finish off the end and pack the rice or corn in on end of the bag.

11. Sew over the folded end hem, using a zigzag stitch, to secure the bag tightly and finish the seam.

12. Put the bag in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes to heat. Always test carefully, as it can get very hot.

Tips & Warnings

• Make a decorative pillowcase for the bag, which can be removed and laundered, to keep the bag fresh.

• Corn bags can also be put in the freezer and used as cold pads.

• For a simple and quick bag, stuff a sock with corn or rice, and sew up the end of the sock.

References

• "Arthritis Helpbook"; RN Kate Lorig, James Fries; 2009