DIY Lavender Heat Pack

Editor’s Note: Today’s guest post is from Mel Faulk. Mel is a homesteading mama, full-time nurse, and a continual student to Mother Nature. Her and her family just finished their first year as newbie homesteaders and blog about their experiences at faulkfarmstead.com.  Head over to the blog to learn along with her! Keep reading here to learn how to make a DIY Lavender Heat Pack.

By Contributing Writer Mel Faulk

Are you in need of an easy fix for stressed out shoulders, an aching neck, and a sore back?

As a homesteader, full-time nurse, blogger at Faulk Farmstead, homemaker, wife, and mom, I often feel like I’m pulled in every direction – at any given moment of the day.  I’ll be honest:  My husband is not waiting in the wings to give me a massage – sometimes, yes – but mostly, no.

What’s a girl to do?  Why, take a few minutes and whip up your very own Lavender Heat Pack!

This does require a tiny bit of work on your part , but only initially.  Don’t worry, though – you’ll be able to continue to reap the benefits for a long time after! Ready to roll?

DIY Lavender Heat Pack:

The Supplies

100% cotton fabric (take the size you want the finished heat pack to be, then double it) – I used a piece that was 12 x 20 inches

Long-grain rice – 3 pounds

Lavender – 1 cup (I used some like this)

The Steps:

1. First things first, cut the fabric.  In our house, I always have a bag of scrap fabric. It contains things like leftovers from projects, or pieces of clothing I don’t want to part with.  For this project, I used some fabric from one of my favorite dresses that belonged to my daughter at the age of 3.

2. Press the fabric to make it easier to work with. Next, cut and fold into an even rectangle, with the right sides facing inwards.

3. Leaving approximately a quarter-inch seam allowance, stitch the fabric tube closed around the edges, leaving about 2 inches open in one corner.

4. In a large bowl, combine the rice and lavender buds.

5. Next, using a funnel, fill the fabric bag with the rice and lavender – about 3/4 of the way full (you need to allow room to adjust for comfort).

6. Tuck the unfinished ends in and sew closed!

Now that you have your lavender heat pack, what do you do now?   For moist heat, simply stick it in the microwave for one to two minutes, place the pack on your neck or back (or where ever!) – and RELAX!

I like that I can take this with me anywhere – work, in the car, on vacation, where ever!  🙂  It is also easy enough that your child could make some.  My daughter watched me make this one, then grabbed some flannel scraps and made herself two little pocket warmers!

Looking for more easy DIY sewing projects from repurposed materials?  Check out my tutorial for Cloth Napkins!

I’m contemplating other herbs or flowers to add to my next one – What would you add?  Peppermint?  Rosemary?

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