Use flax seed in place of rice in rice bags.
Rice bags are useful for soothing tired or sore muscles. The fabric rice-filled bags retain heat or cold and are used as compresses that conform to your body. You can use flax seed in place of rice in rice bags and get even better results. Flax seeds are smaller than grains of rice, so the bag will conform to your body better and, because flax seeds have such a high oil content -- 30 to 40 percent -- your bag will heat up faster and retain its heat longer.
Instructions
1. Fold your fabric in half and cut your fabric into the shape you desire for your rice bag so you have two identical pieces of fabric. Remember to cut your shape 1 inch larger than you want the finished product to be due to a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Rice bags are usually rectangular, but you can make them any shape depending on what part of the body you intend to use them on. For instance, you can make a curved shape for the neck, a long rectangle for the lower back or a small square for the wrist.
2. Sew the two pieces of fabric together with the right sides together, leaving at least a 3-inch gap open for filling the bag later. Use a small stitch setting on your sewing machine, so the little flax seeds will not be able to slide out between the stitches. Turn the bag right side out and press the seams with your iron.
3. Insert a funnel into the hole in the bag. Pour flax seed into the funnel until the bag feels about half full. The bag should give the flax seeds plenty of room to move around and conform to your body. If the bag is too full, it will act more like a ball than a conformable pad.
4. Turn the edges of the hole under to match the other 1/2-inch seams, and pin the hole closed with straight pins. Use a top stitch to sew the hole closed. For a more finished look, you can continue the top stitch all the way around the bag, moving the flax seeds out of the way of the presser foot as you go.
5. Heat your flax seed bag in the microwave in 10-second increments. This is a difference from rice bags. Rice bags can be heated for two to three minutes at a time, but flax seeds, with their high oil content, will scorch with such treatment. Check the bag's temperature after 10 seconds, and return the bag to the microwave for 10 more seconds if the bag isn't hot enough. Continue heating the bag in 10-second increments until you reach your desired temperature. If you want the bag to retain cold, place it in a resealable plastic bag and put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you intend to use it.
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