Yes, I’m afraid you did, in fact, read the title correctly. This here post will in fact most certainly be a project that is … oh gosh..this is hard for me to say … er, um … HAND SEWN. Yes. The hands that did the hand sewing were my own. I’m simultaneously so proud and yet so ashamed of this. (I apologize to you meticulous types out there but I am NOT a gal who loves to do things the slow way!)
These are Hand Sewn Rice Therapy Bags!
I’ve been intrigued by rice bags ever since I bought these for my sister-in-law for Christmas. They’re simply nice rectangles of fabric stuffed with rice instead of pillows. You simply heat up or freeze the bags – then place over your eyes to soothe or over your “boo-boo” to comfort. I saw this handmade project (almost exactly) in a book at Barnes & Noble, and I just HAD to make a set.
Thanks to Thimble Times for recalling the name of the book - and thank you SEWN BY HAND for such an approachable book on hand sewing!
Here’s how you make these fun Boo-Boo bags:
Choose your fabric - you don't need much. Depending upon how large or small you want your bags to be...I'd suggest between 1/3 and 1/2 a yard. I chose a linen cotton blend for sturdiness and coordinated with a quilting weight cotton (top fabric). HINT: use scraps, like I did, so your project is just about FREE.
Cut out 3 sets of rectangles from 1 each of both fabrics. For this project, I knew I wanted to stack them on top of each other, so I cut them in 3 different sizes. You can, of course, do them all the same size if you like.
Before I started sewing, I stacked them on top of each other just to make sure I was happy with the sizes.
Then, for each bag, sew a running stitch all the way around - leaving a hole on one side for turning. Oh, and you can see how I tripled the thread so that I could have a sturdier stitch. I almost never sew by hand, so I have no idea if this is a necessary step. Anyone out there agree or disagree with loading up the thread?
When you finish, your bags will look like this. Be sure to get those corners really closed up or else they'll pop out when you turn the fabric.
Turn each bag right side out, fill with rice, then whipstitch closed.
The book where I saw this suggested adding a topstitch along each bag. I decided I don't really like that look, so I only did the small one.
As much as I loathe hand sewing - I still really love this set! I mean really, who could resist such darling "ice packs" and "heat packs"..??!!! I'm almost hoping my kids bang their heads on something today!
I love this little set! I am going to keep it safe and sound until someone I know gets sick … what a fun Get Well Soon present! Here’s the breakdown:
Time: Okay….sooooo…. this is NOT a fast project – but only because it’s sewn by hand. If you machine stitch these, you’re done in about 30 minutes TOPS! Hand stitching is going to run you about 1 1/2 hours. I’ll let you guess which way I’ll create the next set!
Cost: Rice will cost you about 80 cents per bag. I used 2 bags. Since I used scrap fabric and have embroidery thread on hand, this project cost $1.60! YOWZA! If you pay for everything, you’re still looking at only paying about $5!
So there you go. A darling little project … so so cheap … not so quick … but really worth it! Send me photos if you make one!
Oh…and since you read all the way down … I’ll make a set of these* for on of YOU….IFF: you leave me a comment about why or why you do not enjoy hand sewing! I’ll choose a winner Saturday night, 1/28/12.
****Here’s the fine print: I am most certainly going to sew these with a machine. Also, I’ll need to send them without rice so that they’ll fit in the shipping envelope. All you’ll need is rice and the ability to sew them up. Sound fair?
Hi Robie, you did a great job hand sewing these! I prefer to use my machine as often as possible as well. But I am hand stitching some hot tea swirls on a tiny little teapot cozy I am making for an older lady friend of mine, and I am enjoying the peacefulness of it all. Sitting in the corner of the couch by my lamp with a show on…much cozier than sitting at the table at my machine.
Have a good day!
Carolyn
These are really neat, thank you. I have some lovely teddy and hot chocolate fabric so I can make one for my grand daughter and another for a baby shower I will be going to in April.
You need to make sure the stitches are super small and close together so the rice cannot escape and so machine stitching would be the easiest choice but I also like to hand sew if it is a small project. I think I wil turn and go back and stitch between the stitches on the first row just to be sure. So I will post if I get them done soon. I tend to have lots on a todo list but I will put this near the top.
Just an aside, I made a set of curtains by hand when I first came to Canada in 1973 as I couldn’t find any I liked and I had no sewing machine. I also made a skirt and wrap around top for a Christmas party that year. So glad I have a machine now – I actually have 3..LOL
Thanks again for this idea, it is great.
Sylvia
Very Cute! I like them. I love my machine sewing…but I must confess I love hand sewing too. One day, when I’m old, I want to stitch a quilt entirely by hand! I know. Crazy. Remember the first Thailand trip the guys went on? Do you remember that I made my first ever quilt over those weeks? I hand quilted it. Oh it’s so bad too!! But at least I tried. Oh and I think that book you mentioned is called: Sewn By Hand (Two Dozen Projects Stitched with Needle and Thread)
I made a couple of them using my Serger, some leftover scraps, just leaving an opening for the Rice to be funneld in. When finished I just sewed the opening shut with the sewing machine. I also put a fabric handle on one side so if not in use I can hang them up. Filling them with Jasmin Rice, a little more expensive but should leave a very nice fragrance. I also made a couple small muslin bags filled them with clean sand, put these bags into another pretty looking bag and now use them as pattern weights.
Hi there,
What a wonderful idea. I live in a senior apartment complex and our residents have many “aches and pains.” These are do mainly to everyday activities and such. These bags are great ideas for their “boo-boo’s.” I usually like to sew by machine also but since my machine is wedged under the corner of my bed right now, this gives me the opportunity to still do some “sewing.” I can sit and watch the activities or listen to the presentations that people give, and still keep my hands busy doing something useful. I think this is a great idea. In fact I may even bring it up for a “craft” project for those who do not have too much trouble using their hands and fingers. Thanks for a wonderful idea and also a good craft project for our seniors.
Hi Robie,
I am new to your blog and I love reading about the projects you create. I love this idea too! I saw a similar project made by machine and decorated with pipping around the edges. I am planning on making some of these for friends and for my daughter and neice at college (I can’t be there to fix her boo-boos). I will be machine sewing for the sake of time and instant gratification. I work full time and don’t have a lot of “spare time” to do all the sewing I would like to do. These will be fun, quick, and will allow me to sew when I only have a small window of time. Thanks again!
I have made a few in the past and machine sewed them for durability. I made a lining out of muslin and filled it with rice. Then I made an outer cover with velcro closure. It is easiy tossed in the washer if it gets dirty.I keep them in the freezer and the kids can grab them for each other when a boo boo happens.
I don’t like hand sewing because it takes waaaay to long. Loved this tutorial!!
i learned to embroider when I was 4 and when i got my first Barbie type doll I hand sewed all the outfits I made for her cause I hadn’t been taught to use the sewing machine yet. I think that gave me my love of hand sewing. I also love to machine sew as you get things done a lot faster.
These boo boo bags will come in quite handy for me as I have several medical problems that give me pain..
Thanks for making this tutorial.
Hi Robie, I loved the blog about rice bags. I am not a neat hand-sewer. I would sew by machinge. Thanks for considering me. GeorgiaAnn
What a great project for the Pioneer Girls at my church. Girls are 2nd thru 4th grade. This will be there first sewing project…we will machine stitch around 3-1/2 sides, fill with rice and then learn to hand stitch. I’m sure the girls will love to take these home….so excited, I think I’ll sew up some samples tonight! Thanks a million!
Dear Sandee…my heart jumped when I saw “Pioneer Girls” as I used to be involved with them in Michigan. Wow…How sweet to see that name…God bless you and may you continue with such a fine group…
Hi! I make mine in simple shapes, the favorite is a flat bear. I call them boo boo bears. My granddaughter has a thing for ice packs, being a tomboy seems to incur plenty of ouchy moments.
If you make the bag from a simple cotton then make a cover for it, the cover can be taken off the bag and washed very easily. I just over lap the back of the cover so there is no need to add a closure.
someone gave me one of these for christmas one year, but they had put deer corn in it, i never froze it i jsut put it in the microwave a few minutes and it got hot and stayed hot, i cant remember how long i put it in the microwave for it was not long and just when you think it is cool all you have to do is turn it over and you will find some heat. it last a good while, i have never used it with rice. they are very good for sore muscles, fever,sprains etc. the one i have is machine sewn and the corn is in a seperate bag so you can take the bag with the corn out and wash the outter bag.
Cindy I have never heard of one with deer corn, does it have a smell to it when heated? When you say it stays hot for a long time….aprox. how long are you talking? They reason I am asking is I have neck problems and I have one that is made with the rice, it really does not hold the heat that long for me. I have about a 40 minute drive to my Doctors office and I live in North Dakota, the cold really hurts my neck. I wonder if the deer corn would stay hot/warm long enough for me to get from home to my Doctor and back? What do you think?
I have one of these that I bought at a several craft show years. Mine is filled with corn. Mine smells a bit like popcorn when I heat it.
It would probably stay pretty warm on your way to the doctor but would have cooled down by the time you come home
Great idea but I’m wondering what you do with them. Do you heat them in the microwave? Will the rice explode? Leave them in the freezer?
Great idea! I had made similiar projects forming a tube shape to go around the neck, but I put small aquarium stones in it. But I’ll try the rice. I might put the rice in a cheese bag before inserting it. Thanks for sharing your boo, boo bags.
I make these using cherry pits to fill the bags. I use the machine. The great thing about using cherry pits, it makes them washable and dryer friendly. Just be sure you wash your fabrick first to prevent shrinkage. They are great made in the pattern of a sleep mask also.
I grew up with my grandmother hand sewing in the middle of the night, a salt bag and heating in a skillet on the stove, for my ear aches. We called them owie bags for my grandchildren.
I Love these bags, & like Deb B I started hand sewing for my Barbie Doll too!! I still love to do hand a lot !! I do use my machine, but it’s old & contankerous at times so hand sewing is just the better thing to do for me. I’ll try to make some of these. I Husband works at a Senior Home & this would be a good Idea to make for them or maybe some of them can sew it themselfs. Thanks for the idea.. I would make a lining too to put the rice in, & then the outside cover can be wash.
Thanks
Wow! Thank you so much for these. I think hand swing these its a great idea. Fun to do when watching an old movie or chatting with a friend on speaker phone. These will be great for my daughter with fibromyalgia and some friends with aches and pains. A loving gift this will make. Thanks again for sharing. I will try it soon and let you know outcome. Excited!
Wonderful, friend just had heart surg (being prepped for gallbladder surg and they found blockage) and she could sure use some loving caqre. Made potato sopup (soul food) for her and will follow with another batch plus these bags. Will hand sew because I can sit with my husband who is swatching the boob tube a lot while I sew…..May do both, who knows…..Thanks for the idea. IRENE
I too started out sewing by hand to make clothes for my Barbie doll. I also learned to do hand embroidery as a child. I have hand quilted a twin size quilt and love to do crazy quilting as well. I like the look of hand embroidery better than machine embroidery so I do a lot of hand stitching. I love my sewing machine though too. I have 2 sewing machine and 2 sergers and they are all used on a regular basis. I love your tutorial.
Jenine
Such a wonderful idea for scrap material. I love seeing these great ideas. I was wondering if the material used to make tie blanklets would work? I use my sewing machine mostly. I hand hem mostly. But hand trim sewing is a great way to highlight. But I always compare my hand sewing to my grandma stiches. She made the most pretty hand sewn quilts and had such tiny even stiches. I admired so much and have always wanted to be able to do tiny stiches like her. thanks sarah
Hi…just found this. Love it – and I have a whole lotta scraps that would look great this way. I’m going to a surprise birthday party tonight (in only 1 1/2 hours!), so if I’m taking some of these, they’ll be machine sewn for sure!! Thanks for the tutorial!! Linda
I have been doing these bags for awhile now.I do sew them on my machine.We use them in our bed if the sheets are cold.Great feet warmers.My grandsons use them every night when they go to bed.Also great cold for my migraines!I also have used deer corn with essential oils.
I love the BOO BOO bags. I also plan on sewing some for my grandchildren. I would love a set because I HATE TO HAND SEW, also I have problems with my hands going numb so I can’t do all of it by hand, after awhile I can’t feel the needle anymore.
My aunt made these for Christmas one year a while back. She made them with a sewing machine I’m sure but she made the actual rice bags in a linen type fabric and then made a “Pillow Case” out of a fleece to put them in. She put a strip of velcro on the casing so you can take it off and wash it if it gets dirty. Great Idea but definitely I would want to use a machine. I also tried to hand stitch something like this one time and because my stitches weren’t very even my rice would fall out one by one. I thought it was cute I tried to make it be like a stuffed animal.
Thanks for the project! I definitely will make those pillows! I almost want to have tired eyes or sore muscles(I may start doing zumba) to try them out! I must say, I do enjoy (when I have the time and patience), hand sewing, especially when I’m doing a cute little project. I have a lot of scrap fabric right now, and I’ve made eyeglass cases and a holder for pens to carry in my purse. With small projects like that,I find it’s probably more practical to hand sew them than to whip out the sewing machine, thread the needle & bobbin, etc. I also find hand sewing strangely relaxing. Do you feel the same?
I love these, partly because of the cute fabric you used but also because I always am hurting my muscles. I can never have enough ‘boo boo bags’. My daughter just started using a scooter/razor thing. I will need to make some of these asap.
As for hand stitching vs machine… I like the machine. I always stab myself with a needle when I hand stitch. Always. I have a gift with that.
Love your dedication to your craft and the instructions for this project! I also hate hand sewing, but am impatient enough to try doing it when I don’t want to pull out the machine. My fingertips have been known to be bloody from hand sewing!
I have a couple of big rice bags, but was unsure of the “stuffing” as all mine have lilac in them also. Glad to know it’s just plain rice in there.
Thanks, Lyn
What a great idea. I am going to make some for my great nephew and niece.
I think I will take your hint and machine sew too!
I am hand sewing a project right now. My hands are a mess. I’ve tried to use those stupid, awkward thimbles, but, I just cannot get the hand of it. Any suggestion or methods would be greatly appreciated!
Can you add some lavender in with the rice? Thought it might be a soothing addition to the BOO-BOO Bags.
Thanks,
Gil
I think you can put any scent in them. My bag has cloves in it.
Found you from the UK and I love the simplicity. I do most of my sewing by hand as it’s usually in the evenings when everyone else is watching the television.
Thanks
Sarah
Like the idea, but would rather use the machine. Made 2 covers for my daughter, and 3 bags with rice in them. Used velcro to close, cold bags(or warm) can be inserted into the pretty covers. Can always have one cooling this way.
I think it would be nice to have duplicate sets of these: one to keep in the freezer and one available for heating in the microwave. Years ago I gave one to my grand daughter and she had to have its warmth to help her get to sleep every night. The heat lasts about an hour and it was in a simple bear shape. Great idea because I can’t find them where I used to buy them. Thanks.
oh wow! I have heard of these over and over and was afraid the microwave would mess up the fabric over time, but if it did ….so if it takes more time to get out the machine than it does to make them who cares?? thank you!!
If I want to do slowwork, I do embroidery. C’mon – Singer wouldn’t have invente the sewing machine if we weren’t meant to speed down teh lines! AND my plantar faciitis would LOVE for me to win these!
I don’t like to sew by hand because I love my new sewing machine. Until Last Aug I still had the old Kenmore I bought way back in 1978. It was a good machine but can you say straight and zig zag. I now have a Brother 1500D. What a different and wonderful world it is.
Hey was looking at all these posts. someone has asked thisbut got no answer. can these bags be microwaved. if so how long and do you have to put anything in with them?
Lindsey
Hey Lindsey! Thanks for the reminder to answer this question! Yes, you can microwave them … everything I’ve read says to heat small ones (like this set) for about 30 seconds. There’s a shop called ComfyCreations on Etsy that sells tons of these kind of things … you can read her instructions here: I hope this helps!
Try 1 minute. It depends on the size, etc. You might want to wrap it in a towel if it is too hot. If it isn’t hot enough, just put it back in the microwave for a 1/2 minute more.
I have made these and they are great. I added lavender oil to the rice………soooooooo nice.
This is Great!.. I have 3 grandchildren and these will be good as the are always getting scrapes . I think the hand sewing is a good project for me as I am laid up and looking for things to keep my hands and mind busy. Thank you for sharing this idea.
I love handsewing small projects because my space is limited, so the machine is tucked in a corner- it takes about 15 minutes just to move everything and get at it. This is also goig to be a great way to use the fabric pieces I inherited from my mom!
I am thinking about making these, but much larger, for my cat to put in his bed during cold winter nights. Will you please share the info on how long to heat in microwave, per gm./lb.. I’m using heating pad for his arthritis right now, but am afraid he might get a burn. This sounds like a safer alternative. Thank you, Vickey
Hey vickey – i wish I knew the answer you are looking for! I just came across this project by accident … my expertise is merely in sewing the bags, not in heating them. =) I bet if you google it or scroll the down the comments on this post you might get some direction. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help…it is a GREAT idea though – what a lucky kitty!
I love to both hand sew and machine sew. Hand sewing small projects are great because they are take alongs. I travel by car a lot and I am always looking for take alongs. I plan on making these plus a long skinning one for the neck area.
I have to share this. My daughter had to have surgery on her knee. While she was at the hospital, I stayed with my two grandsons who are 4 and 6. I was trying to think of something I could help them make as a surprise for Mommy. I decided we would make a couple of these. The night before I pre-sewed two muslin bags but left them open so the boys could help fill them. I took along an old tee shirt to cut up for the outer covering. The boys helped me measure the inner bag so we would know how big to make the outer part. They liked scooping grain and using a funnel to fill the bag. I gave them each a needle and thread and a piece of tee shirt fabric while I sewed the inner bags shut. They each actually only made a few stitches with lots of tangles and over the edge but it didn’t matter. (I finished the sewing). My older grandson was only mildly interested in the whole project but the younger one was so excited. We had to put his in the freezer right away and as soon as his mother came in the door, he rushed to tell her about it and get it out for her to use. (since she was on narcotic pain medication she didn’t really need it then but was very touched by the gift)
Janice, this is FABULOUS!!! Thank you for taking the time to share this, it makes my day!
I have made plenty out of field corn and gave everyone away to friends and their elderly relatives. This time I think I will try rice, with my sewing machine, I do like the look of the outside stitch. Thanks for taking the time to share!