How-to: Sew a Rice Pillow to Use as a Heating Pad or Cold Pack

To use the rice pillow, store it wherever you keep your first-aid supplies. To make the rice pillow into a heating pad, microwave it for one minute, then check its temperature. If you want it hotter, microwave it for additional time in 30-second increments, checking the temperature each time. The rice pillow will hold its heat for up to an hour.

To use the rice pillow as a cold pack, put it inside an airtight storage container, so that it doesn’t pick up condensation, and freeze it for one hour. Again, the rice pillow will hold its temperature for quite a long time.

You can customize this rice pillow in lots of ways. If you’d like to make a removable, washable cover, then simply sew it slightly larger than the original rice pillow, and use whatever button, snap, or Velcro closure that you prefer. You can sew a pocket onto your pillow to accommodate a changing assortment of dried herb sachets. You can sew each member of the family their own personal rice pillow, in their own favorite fabric–as I clearly did!