Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

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Cold and flu season is no fun for sick children or their Mommas. Stuffy noses, sore throats and fevers are bad, but stomach bugs are especially horrid. Especially when they hit without warning.

Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat PackAfter too many stomach bugs hitting and finding me unprepared, I’ve created a Stomach Bug Survival Kit to keep on the shelf in our medicine closet. No more searching for a bucket or bowl when queasiness hits. I keep all our favorite tummy soothing supplies in the bowl so I’m prepared anytime of day or night. Since our medicines are kept in the linen closet, I just grab our Survival Kit and a few towels when crisis hits.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Two things seem to soothe upset stomachs in our house: a cup of Bigelow tea sipped slowly and a homemade heat pack on the achy tummy.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

When I pack our Stomach Bug Survival Kit I just grab a big bowl, add Bigelow’s Lemon Ginger tea and a few homemade heat packs and store the whole thing in the medicine closet until it’s needed.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

My children always want me close by when their stomachs hurt, with our Stomach Bug Survival Kit all the supplies we need are on hand so I’m free to cuddle my child instead of running all over the house.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Sewing a Homemade Heat Pack is really simple. In fact I made several this week, because you never know when a stomach virus will take down several kids at once! I’ll teach you how to make one below. These homemade reusable heat packs actually stay on your child’s tummy, thanks to tubes sewn in the pack to keep the rice in place. No more rice sliding all to one side like traditional homemade heat packs!Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Make your own Reusable Heat Pack

SuppliesCreate a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

  • 1/3 yard flannel fabric
  • rice (a 5 lb bag will fill 3 reusable heat packs)
  • thread
  • disappearing fabric pen

Directions:

Fold the 1/3 yard of fabric in half.

Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Cut the fabric as pictured below. Do NOT cut the folded edge! You end up with a piece of fabric 9 inches x 26 inches once unfolded.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Open the fabric, and refold it so that the right sides are touching and the wrong sides are showing.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Sew down both long edges with 1/2 inch seams.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Turn the reusable heat pack right side out. Next you will sew tubes to keep the rice in place. Using a disappearing fabric pen, draw one line down the middle of the rice pack, and then two more lines, each half way from the first drawn line and the edge of the heat pack. Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Sew the lines, starting about 1/4 an inch from the edge of the bottom seam, and then stop an inch from the open end of the rice pack. See the photo below. I sewed my seams with red thread so they’d be easy for you to see.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Now, fill the rice pack with rice. Then fold the raw edges down, and sew the opening closed.Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat PackNow you have Reusable Heat Pack that will actually stay in place on your child’s tummy! Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Heat Pack

What are your stomach bug must haves?Create a Stomach Bug Survival Kit with Homemade Reusable Rice Heat PackThis shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MeAndMyTea #CollectiveBias

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31 Comments

  1. Ok, can you make me one?!?! My sewing machine and I are no longer on speaking terms and the purple one is perfect!! We just have an old sock filled with Rice and it’s not nearly as nice.
    Hope your little one feels better!

  2. What a smart idea, and no plug to have to worry about either with the littles. I like this way better than a heating pad.

  3. Did I miss something, like warming the rice pack? I saw all the instructions to make the pack, but nothing about heating it. I assume you heat it in the microwave?? How long and at what power?

    1. Yes, definitely just heat in the microwave. How long depends on how strong your microwave is. It takes 2 minutes in my microwave, but it’s a small not very powerful one. I’d recommend starting with one minute.

  4. I am thinking that with the sick child touching these that you would be sharing bugs among all family members. Maybe make a washable cover like a mini pillowcase to go over it

  5. Lol…. Would take me a month to figure out how to follow those directions ….. I plug ours in… Have has it for 20 years!! No mess no fuss

  6. I make pillowcases for mine so when they get dirty you can wash the case. I have made tons of these in all sizes and shapes.

    1. We’ve never had throw up get on ours- truthfully they are so quick and easy to make I’d probably just toss it and make a new one.
      As far as germs on it, I don’t worry much about that either, figuring that germs don’t usually live long on surfaces. Maybe a quick spray of lysol if it was an especially bad bug.

      1. Norovirus is one of the toughest bugs there is. It lives on surfaces for 2+weeks lysol doesn’t kill it unfortunately. The microwave probably does though. Anyway I like the idea of having a heating pad, tea, and bucket handy.

  7. This same technique for making the warm packs can be used to make weighted blankets or pads for kids who suffer with anxiety. Use a pillowcase as a start for a small child or as a lap blanket for someone older. Just see the length of the case to make several tubes, fill with rice and sew closed. Be sure to store these in a plastic container when not in use if you have a problem with mice in the house.

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