| The Insides
You can fill the pad with dry rice, corn, bird seed, or a combination
of all of these.
Add spices, herbs and/or essential oils - when heated the pad will smell
wonderful. A combination of allspice, ground cloves, ginger and nutmeg
makes a nice Christmas smell. The combination of herbs below are purported
to soothe a headache:
- Dried lavender
- Marjoram
- Betony
- Rose petals
- Cloves
- Rosemary
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Add a few drops of essential
oil if desired. Cover and leave for a day or two, stirring occasionally
to distribute the herbs.
The Outsides
Quicky pads can be made by using an old tube sock and sewing up the ends.
Other materials:
- An old towel or washcloth
- Flannel (cut up an old flannel shirt or nightgown if you have one)
- Muslin
Simply cut the material into retangle pieces, 2-3 times longer than the
width. Fold lengthwise and sew up the sides. Spoon in the mixture and sew
the top end closed.
If you'll be giving these as gifts, you might want to go one extra step
and make an outer pouch that's pretty, and washable. An outer pouch also
helps protect the skin from excess heat or cold. Follow the same basic
instructions as above, but make the outer pouch just a little larger than
the inner. On one end you might want to include a strip of velcro to close
the pouch and hold the inner pad in place.
Added embellishments might include a loop of material or ribbon on both
ends to use as a handle, a strip of satin ribbon folded over the edges
for trim, or a embroidered design. Just remember, whatever decoration
you use should be soft, not scratchy or hard.
To Use
Simply pop the pad in the microwave and nuke for 2-3 minutes (time will
vary depending on the size of your pad). To use as a cooling pad, place
in the refrigerator or freezer.
Caution!
One of our readers wrote in with a cautionary note about heating pads
catching fire from smoldering on the inside. This may occur when the water
content of the filling is dried out and burned from many re-heatings.
One possible solution is to place a cup of water in the microwave when
heating the pads, to keep the interior moist. Another solution would simply
be to replace the filling after so many heatings.
Thanks, Dawn!
Toni says: I bought a similar product at a flea market and they recommended
spritzing it with water before nuking it so as not to "kill" the filling,
and make it last longer. Makes sense.
Thanks, Toni! |
