Friday, November 25, 2011

Scented Rice Packs and Homemade Fabreeze

For years when I've been in need of a heating pad or pack, I've turned to a trusty gym sock filled with rice.  Pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and there you have it.  warmth for my back, neck, abdomen, whatever.   Very utilitarian not very pretty.  

enter this pinterest tutorial. plus there's a link for the drawstring bag she made for it, also.  

The best part of this project, all I needed was some lavender essential oils to scent the rice.  I already had everything else.

The flannel I used was leftover from Daughter's Peppa Pig ears, nose and tail. We always have rice in the house.  And I happened to have a white ribbon that would match some scrap fabric that I love.  (seriously, this is part of the walmart grey/yellow/black/white fabric. love)


all my materials (the essential oils have already been added to the rice)
 In one hour, I turned all of that ^ into ...
this.

the rice pack in the bag
It's great.  I love it.  But sadly, after almost a month of everyday use, it only smells like rice.
I also made two mini ones for headaches.  The top on in the zip top bag stays in the freezer and the bottom stays beside the larger bagged one on my night stand.  I didn't scent these two.
I've also made a pack and bag for my mom (as sort of a make up for forgetting her birthday AGAIN) and a bag and a pack for TMDS.

Plus since I had lots of lavender essential oils left over, I've taken a few scented soaks in the tub.  A very rare wonderful treat.

AND I've made ghetto fabreeze. In a spray bottle I mix 1/2 cup of alcohol (I use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol because it evaporates quickly and the smell only lingers for about a minute), 1 cup of water, and 35 drops of essential oils.  (I think next time I will buy a bottle of lavender and either grapefruit or orange for a more fabreeze like smell.  I even wrote the "recipe" in sharpie on the bottle so I wouldn't have to look it up every time.  There are lots of other "recipes" on that pin, but this one is the one I use and love.

6 comments:

Jennifer said...

That fabric is cute! I'm going to have to go to Wetumpka to check it out!

Mandy Mc said...

I LOVE this tutorial! I've been wanting to try a sectioned heating pad. Do you think that a muslin sectioned one with a cotton flannel cover would work? I kind of want to be able to wash the outside part. I got LOTS of flannel for $1.49 a yard at Jo-Anns today. I'm so excited to sew something with it ;-)

Christy Ross said...

Mnady, you could definitely make it with muslin and a cover. The hardest part would just be figuring out/deciding how big to make the cover so that the sectioned pack fits in it.

Mandy Mc said...

I think I might give it a try later tonight. And I'm definitely going to make some of those drawstring bags for Christmas wrapping. :-)

Christy Ross said...

I really like the drawstring bags too. And they're REALLY easy. I think I'm doing a few for kids to put their small toys in.

The Oily Bumper Mama said...

That's awesome! I bought rice on closeout at the grocery store last year to make a not so pretty version and just never got around to it. This one is really cute!