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Last updated on March 12, 2026 by Sierra Verunica
Originally published on October 15, 2015

I remember growing up and my mother had an electronic heating pad. It was made of some crazy late 70’s/early 80’s fabric and we brought it out whenever we had sore muscles or cramps. I was a big fan of it. I would crank it to high and probably gave myself a slight burn one too many times.

When I moved out of the house, I suddenly didn’t have a heating pad. I didn’t really want to invest in an electric heating pad; I’d rather limit electronics and having a heating pad attached to a cord limits your mobility. My mother in law had been using a “rice bag” for years. It was almost a family joke when she would get her rice bag and warm it up. Why we joked about it, I don’t know… I certainly use mine just as often now that I have one. The great thing about my MIL’s rice bag is that I could easily make one myself!

Making your own heating pad using the rice bag method is incredibly easy and very inexpensive. As an added bonus, you can make it smell wonderful! Organic lavender herb is being used for this heating pad and it’s a perfect scent for a toasty bag of rice to relax you and your muscles.

This does require a bit of sewing, but if you can sew a straight line then you will do just fine! Plus, since all the seams are hidden you don’t have to worry too much about what your sewing looks like. I’ve used the wrong color thread before, had excess edges, zigzag edge cutting… and nobody knows the difference.

Easy DIY Heating Pad

Brittany Thomas

5 from 2 votes

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Course Easy DIY Heating Pad

Ingredients

  

• Cotton Fabric - 12x20 inches
• Sewing Thread
• 6 cups of rice
• 3 T organic dried lavender herb
• 3-5 drops organic lavender essential oil optional
• Funnel – Make one with paper if you do not have one

Instructions

 

• Take your 12x20 inch piece of fabric and fold it into a long rectangle with right sides together.
  
  
  
• You should now have a 6x20 inch rectangle.
  
  
  
• Sew fabric down the three open sides but stop so that you have a 1-2 inch opening. You will need this opening to turn your fabric right side out and to fill the bag with rice.
• Turn fabric right side out.
  
  
  
• In a bowl, combine, rice, dried lavender, and lavender essential oil (if using). Mix well. The essential oil is optional but it definitely increases the lavender scent.
  
  
  
• Place funnel into the bag opening and begin to fill the bag with your lavender rice. The 6 cups of rice should get the bag half full which is just the amount you want.
  
  
  
• Remove funnel. Fold the raw edges of the opening so that it matches the sewn edge. Sew the opening shut. Sewing by hand is preferred so that you cannot see the seams but if you don’t mind seeing a couple inches of seams then go ahead and use your sewing machine.
• You now have a DIY heating pad!
  
  

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You can use this easy DIY heating pad in so many ways!

Anything that is inflamed or sore and even your child’s ear for an earache. Speaking of, have you seen our easy DIY garlic earache oil? It is a great recipe to accompany this easy DIY heating pad.

Love organic lavender herb and want more of it?

You’ll *love* our lavender infused organic body lotion!

Click the image below for all things lavender here on Scratch Mommy!

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