Rice Baby Tutorial

This rice baby was inspired by my aching (I'll leave it up to you to figure out where) that just so happened to start during finals week. I needed heat to relieve the pain, and something that smelled good to calm my stressed out mind and body. Not to mention, I needed something to tell the world that they better leave me alone or I would, quite frankly, rip their head off.

Hence,

THE BACK OFF RICE BABY!

Tutorial:

This is SO simple. Or, as my mother would say: "It's just straight lines!"

You'll need:

- 1 rectangular piece of fabric (mine was 14" x 11")

- Thread to match

- Small embroidered fabric

(mine was on canvas, and was 3" x 4")

- 3 cups rice

- 2 Tablespoons dried lavender

- Just a few drops of essential oil

(optional: I used lavender and lemon)

STEP ONE:

Determine where you want your embroidery to be, and trace your embroidery fabric with a fabric pencil.

Then, with your fabric pencil, draw the same shape 1/4" smaller, inside the original.

Cut out smaller shape.

Place your embroidery fabric under the cut-out hole and with a zig-zag stich, sew around the embroidery.

STEP TWO

Fold your fabric in half, hot-dog style, right sides together.

Sew a straight line 1/4" from the edge.

Iron your seam open.

STEP THREE:

On one end of your tube, fold the ends in about 1/2"

Sew a straight line about 1/4" from the newly folded edge

STEP FOUR:

Fill bag with about 3 cups rice (NOT INSTANT RICE!), 2 Tablespoons of dried lavender, and a few drops of essential oils of your choice

*Be sure NOT to add too many drops of oil as you don't want your bag to become greasy.

STEP FIVE:

Repeat step four on the open end of the bag so that both ends match

STEP SIX:

Place rice baby in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (NO LONGER!) and place on aching area.

Let's pretend it was my head aching, shall we? ;)