Are you and your family active?  Do you fight over the heating pad in your house? Well…. as normal as this may not be, this is the norm for us! 🙂

Between my husband, my dog, and myself, there is always an injury of some kind present in my household!  My husband is an ultra marathoner, so sore muscles are no stranger to him!  My dog is had 2 CCL surgeries (ACL in humans), so he gets sore sometimes after long hikes and rough playing  And me….?  Dancing, hiking, or just falling down on flat ground always leaves me with an injury to an appendage of mine!  Since we all end up fight over the use of the electric heating pad we have, I decided to make another one for us to share. This pack is extremely easy to make, incredibly inexpensive, and couple it with the use of Young Living Essential Oils  and add some pretty potent therapeutic effects! 

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If you have any injuries or or just plain-old sore from a workout, then this DIY Therapeutic Heat Pack will be perfect for you! If you have about 15 minutes, you can whip one of these babies up in no time and get some relief!

Here’s what you need:

1. 2 pieces of fabric, 8″ wide X 11″ long (you can make this any size you want)
2. 4 cups of rice (or as much as needed to fill your pack to your liking)
3. Sewing machine, needle and thread, or fusible tape (you can use whatever method you know how!)
4. Paper (to use as a funnel)
5. 4-5 drops of lavender Young Living Essential Oil-  to add a SERIOUS relaxing and calming effect to your experience!  *** optional

*** To feel even better, rub 3-4 drops of Young Living Essential Oils on the area that has discomfort.  I use Pan Away as I find it helps alleviate discomfort and aches when I am sore.  Another oil I use that is AMAZING is

Here’s what you do:

1. Fill a bowl with 4 cups of rice.  If you choose, add 4-5 drops of Young Living Essential Oils to the rice and stir.  Allow to dry while making the rest of the pouch.  I usually add lavender or Pan Away.
2. Lay both pieces of fabric together with the right sides facing each other. 
3. Sew the sides and bottom closed using a 1/4″ seam allowance.  Leave the top open. Since my fabric was able to be folded, I was able to only sew the bottom and the side closed, leaving the top open.
4. Flip so that the wrong side turns in. 
5. Using a ruler, make a horizontal line about 1 inch below the open top with tailor’s chalk .   Then, starting at that line, draw 3 vertical lines, evenly spaced, to the bottom.  These lines will be used to stitch over, in order to create baffles for the heat pack.  The baffles allow the rice to stay dispersed (more evenly) throughout the pack. 
6. Stitch ONLY on the vertical lines, stopping at the horizontal line.
7. Fill each baffle with one cup of rice. I used a piece of paper as a funnel. 
8. Next, fold the open top down once about 1/2″ and then again 1/2″.  This will create the seam to close the pack.  Pin and sew closed.

You can now warm the pack up in the microwave for 30 seconds, and use to heal, soothe, and comfort sore muscles and injuries!

**** If in the future you would like to replenish or change the scent, use a seam ripper to open the horizontal seam, refill or re-scent, and re-close!