This easy to make pillow is filled with rice giving it a heavy weighted feeling that feels great around a stiff neck plus it heats up in the microwave until it's toasty warm. 50% of people over the age of 45 have some kind of neck pain at least once a year. Probably on account of our brains being so heavy with information.
When I started blogging 10 years ago my health went to crap. CRAP I say. Within months of working at a desk all day I got migraines, my shoulders became knotted like a macrame plant holder and my neck got so stiff I lost the ability to shake my head "no".
This tragically led to the misconception I was agreeing to a lot of things I wasn't. I now have the 24 month extended warranty on every electronic I've bought since then for instance.
After a few years, yes it really took me a few years, I started dealing with the correlation between sitting at a desk most of the day and my health. I started doing stretching exercises every day, built myself a GREAT DIY treadmill desk,( you can read the tutorial on how to make your own for $250 here ), and got regular Active Release Treatments (which hurt like hell).
I still get a stiff neck the odd time and the one thing that helps it is my heated neck pillow. Which is really just a couple of towels from the dollar store sewn into a bag and filled with rice.
DIY Heated Neck Pillow
You can make this out of any soft material. Flannel, cotton, linen, an old favourite pillow case, whatever you want. I chose terry cloth because it's thicker and so if the rice is really hot from heating up, there's more of a buffer between you and the hot rice.
When you choose what to use for your fabric make sure it has a tight enough weave that the rice and lavender won't work its way out.
If you are absolutely and completely opposed to sewing you can use a longgg sock for this. Just fill it and tie the end in a knot or fasten it with a string or rubber band. The sleeve off an old sweater would work too.
If your towel is really big, just sew the seam allowance that leaves you with a pillow that will be 18" long by 5" wide once sewn.
Cut off the excess seam allowance fabric.
Get your rice (I used 2 small bags for my pillow) and dried herbs. Only use dried otherwise you'll get a mouldy mess in your pillow.
I used lavender that someone had given me 2 years ago. It has become so brittle I can't touch it without the flowers falling off so it will have a second life in this aromatherapy neck pillow.
Here I have lemongrass I dried in the oven and the lavender.
Once your bag is filled with rice add ¼ cup of the herb and sew the end of the bag up.
How to use the warming pillow.
To heat the bag put it in the microwave for a minute on high. Remove the bag then shake it around. Put it back in the microwave for another minute. Repeat until it's the temperature you want.
DIY Heated Neck Pillow.
Like a little weighted blanket for your neck!
Materials
- 1 terry cloth hand towel*
- 1 bag of rice
- ¼ cup of dried lavender (optional)
Tools
- Sewing machine or needle and thread.
Instructions
- Remove the tag from your hand towel.
- Turn the terry cloth towel* inside out and fold in half lengthwise.
- Sew around the edge with a standard ⅝th seam allowance, leaving one end open to fill the pillow.
- Turn the pillow right side out.
- Fill the pillow ⅔rds with rice**.
- Add ¼ cup of lavender flowers***.
- Turn in the edges of the open end and either hand or machine sew together.
- To heat the bag put it in the microwave for a minute on high. Remove the bag then shake it around. Put it back in the microwave for another minute. Repeat until it’s the temperature you want.
Notes
*You can also use linen, cotton, old soft tee shirts, bed sheets … whatever material you find around the house that’s soft and not too stiff.
** Whole Oats or wheat will work as a filling as well.
*** Try mint, lemongrass, rose petals or any other nice smelling dried herb or flower.
(To dry lemongrass cut it into 4" lengths, then slice those pieces thinly lengthwise. Place on a cookie sheet and place in oven at lowest temperature possible. Leave oven door open so any moisture escapes. Remove from the oven when the lemongrass pieces are brittle, after 3 or 4 hours)
I now have a loose neck, warm shoulders and he ability to shake my head no. With God as my witness I will never buy an extended warranty again.
Dana Studer
Such a cool DIY, Karen. I'm going to steal one of hubbys socks and make one. Don't tell him.
Have you tried using a microwave to dry herbs? We are one of the few left who have one (reheating coffee and leftovers, melting butter, and toasting nuts). Anyway, I love drying herbs in it. Zap them for 30 second intervals until crisp and dry.
*p.s. Will you be doing more posts about the Instant Pot? My sister gave me the Pioneer Woman floral one for Christmas and I'm reading every tidbit of info I find.
Karen
HI Dana! No more Instant Pot posts I don't think, lol. I just don't like it so I'm not curious about doing more recipes in it. :/ And I definitely don't think you're one of the few people left who has a microwave! Literally everyone I know has one. :) For mainly the reasons you say. I don't dry herbs in it, I either hang them or use my dehydrator but I used to use it for drying herbs the odd time. ~ karen!
Chris
Anyone who suffers from sinus pain or head aches...these things work fantastic! I also suggest having a cold pack to alternate with.
SK Farm Girl
My chocolate lab has arthritis in his right hip and I use one of these heat packs on his hip. I have a bag made just for him that has no added scent or oils. If you decide to use one for your own beloved pooch be very, very mindful of how warm the bag is! Some days me and my boy are nearly buried under a pile of warmed bags of wheat, rice or various other fillers! The joys of arthritis!
Marilyn
Please tell anyone making these things that they must use 100% cotton otherwise the material will burn in the microwave
Vaughan
This is great! Thanks.
My problem is I have a great pillow already but I have to clean out the dang microwave every time I need to heat up the pillow.
Tomato sauce grease isn't good on a pillow....
Vaughan
Great idea. thanks.
I have a nice fancy pillow that a dear person gave me and my problem is that I have to clean out the dang microwave before I can heat up the pillow.
You may not think your microwave is dirty but all it takes to mess up a wonderful pillow is one spot of tomato sauce grease....
Wish I had enough room for a microwave dedicated for just heating pillows.
Or I could give up cooking but the best and easiest peanut brittle can be made in a microwave.
But I digress!
Best to you!
Dawna
I read half of the comments before I started getting a neck ache, so forgive me if I am repeating something that was already said.
My Auntie taught me about rice bags years ago. She too added lavender, but mine has lost its fragrance over the years. We made ours with double layers of muslin and cheap white rice. Then made an envelope cover (the length of the rice bag x 2 plus 6” for a 3” overlap, and a 1/4” larger all around) out of any fabric you like. Now the cover is easy to slip off to wash!
My boyfriend, who is always cold because of Raynauds Syndrome, tried to steal my rice bag. So I made him two for Christmas. Now he has toasty hands AND feet.
Angela
Brilliant! I can smell the warm lavender already! These would make lovely gifts too. I think I'll make myself one first though!! ;)
Sandra Blackwell
I keep my rice bags in the freezer, so I have an ice pack when I need it. It may take an extra couple minutes to heat it up, but there is no equivalent for getting it cold.
Madeline
Just fyi, buckwheat husks often have pollen trapped in them, which can cause allergic reactions. (Happened to me.) I missed my Japanese buckwheat pillow, so I bought a substitute from Amazon which is stuffed with snippets of plastic tubing that functions much like the buckwheat, but without the pollen. This is just for sleeping, not to be microwaved.
For heat, I like both the salt and the rice ideas mentioned above.
Sheila Marie Etches
I too work at a desk all day long. Approximately three years ago I reconfigured my desk so I could stand up and work....have not had back pain due to work since. In fact the only time my upper back bothers me now is when I have a long weekend or am on holidays and I find myself sitting around a lot.
You may want to give it a try!
Karen
I actually took it one step further about a year ago Sheila. Just to the right of these comments you can see me actually standing at my DIY walking treadmill desk. :) https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/diy-walking-desk-for-250-and-that-includes-the-treadmill/ ~ karen!
Sheila
I am SO envious! At the time I made the switch at work I simply taped two paper boxes together and put my keyboard on it and my monitor on the shelf above my desk. Two years later I convinced my boss to purchase a stand up desk for $200. sadly I could not convince her to go for the treadmill desk...but I sure tried! lol
Chana
When I look at this I think the new, hip, chic, Mrs. Claus or one of his very cultured but mischievous elves. :) muah!
sf
I would love to see a post about how you reworked your office, etc. (Sorry if you've already posted such a thing and I missed it.) I work from home , so I feel your (literal) pain. Reworking my office is on my short list! Plenty of people have these cute little office makeovers...but they don't actually look like anyone could comfortably work in there (such as, with staged accessories all over the desk). :)
Sandi Coker
Just want to say that I'm a newbie to you blog and how much I'm enjoying it. In the future it will be my "go to" site for my wake up chuckles. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Karen
Welcome to The Art of Doing Stuff Sandi. ~ karen!
Sandi
Just want to say that I'm a newbie to your blog and how much I enjoy it. It will be my morning "go to" for my first chuckles of the day. Thanks.
Melissa
Any idea on how to get it hot without a microwave?
Dea
Love the idea of using an old terrycloth towel! So much softer and cozier than a tube sock (which is what I've used in the past!). For those who don't have microwave ovens, you can use a hot water bottle. You can actually still buy these rubber stand-bys at most drug stores. The sewing comes in when you make a hot water bottle cover! Hello, terrycloth towel again! Instead of folding it lengthwise, fold it across, and leave one side open to put the bottle in. If you need to keep it against your skin, use some old ribbon or soft cotton rope to make "back-pack" loops. It will hang perfectly from your shoulders and keep that nasty space between your shoulder blades nice and toasty. If you're moving around much with it on, you might want to put snaps or Velcro in the towel opening to keep it closed and keep the bottle placed properly.
Dea
Oh, I forgot to mention -- probably not necessary anyhow, but just in case -- you fill the hot water bottle with (wait for it...) HOT WATER... LOL! Depending on your need for heat, you can actually get it very hot. Or, if you have a seized muscle, a muscle spasm, which may be caused by inflammation, you can use it with cold water and crushed ice to make a killer ice pack. I have used both the rice bags and the water bottle after back surgery, and found that the flat water bottle works best on my lower back, while the rice bags work best up around my shoulders. But I could use the water bottle both places if I needed to.
Heather (mtl)
YOU HAVE A BERNINA?!!
I've had a bag'o'beans (dried peas) that I keep in the freezer as well as a bag I can heat in the microwave since... the late 70's. No joke. They were initially used for blind baking pastry, then as I aged, they evolved. Ha.
They work - hot or cold - and make great gifts with different scents.
I'm still craving a Bernina, though.
signed,
Miss Chartreuse.
Sarah
Oh! such a lovely pic of lavender! What a great idea too! I do have a neck pillow I purchased a Winners ages ago. It saves me every time a migraine starts up. I heat it and, standing up, I position the neck pillow between my right shoulder blade and the wall. Then lean against the wall and the pressure and the warm pillow eases the knots out. Now I will make one with some dried lavender! Thanks!!
Carl
You hurt yourself "blogging"?
you only post every other day, and when you DO, you only fart out posts like this?
Perhaps it's time for a real job.
Karen
Oh Carl. You hurt me so. ~ karen!