... and a Lavender Heat Pad

I spent time over the weekend sorting the lavender that I had dried from the summer.... It was a bit time consuming, but all that lavender meant I was very relaxed by the end!! Plus I now have a big bag of dried lavender.... so used some to make this heat pad!

There are lots of variations on a theme on how to make heat pads/ lavender bags, but here's how I made my version...

Start by cutting two rectangles of fabric - mine were 7.5" by 4" and made from old T-towels!

Place the two pieces right sides together, sew around the edges with a 1/4" seam allowance making sure that you leave an open gap (approx 2" wide).

Turn everything back the right way and ease out each of the corners.... I found a knitting needle worked well for this!

On Pinterest I've seen people choose a wide range of fillings for heat pads, but I chose rice (mainly because there was an out of date bag at the back of the cupboard!!). A funnel would probably help at this stage - but I couldn't find one - so a spoon had to do!

I'd recommend filling the bag about 3/4 full, so that it's still a bit 'floppy' and not full to bursting. To seal up the bag I decided to top stich all the way round the bag. In my head that would also make it more sturdy and keep the rice in??

To heat it up I put in the microwave for about 20 secs which is enough to make it nice and toasty as well as releasing the lavender scent! It can also be turned into an ice pack by putting in the freezer to cool down.

[Health & Safety disclaimer - keep a close eye when you put it in the microwave and try a few seconds at a time as each microwave is different!]

My lavender heat pad now lives on my bedside table and even just a quick squeeze makes the room smell lovely! This was a really quick project too, so I may just have to make a couple more as pressies .. perhaps in time for Christmas?!

We are linking up to these parties!

5th December 2013: Update - this post was featured here at Crafts a la Mode