Nestling: Homemade Christmas

Hello :)

Today I wanted to share a simple gift I made for a few of the special people in our lives, like our son's speech therapist.

Rice packs are a staple in our house, for boo-boos and body aches, they are used all the time. I received a really lovely rice pack as a gift once to sooth tired eyes, and I remember thinking how nice it would be to create my own {only with prettier fabric!}

So here we go:

My original plan was to actually use some leftover fabric I have from around the house. I have been saving bits and pieces from our dining room and family room projects specifically for this intent. {wouldn't a yellow chevron one be fabulous?!}. But when the time came to make them, it just didn't feel right. I wanted something soft and more luxurious. I searched through my fabric collections and found this old sweater that I have been holding onto in hopes of making a small pillow out of. It was perfect. The sleeves provided enough fabric for two packs, leaving me the entire front/back for a future project.

So I cut out my shapes, measuring about 3" x 6".

{I am a horrible sewer, so I like to trace a pattern so that it leaves lines so I know where to sew :) shhhh, don't tell anyone!}

Before sewing, I created custom tags that I hand stamped with their names on one side and the hashtag #thanks on the other.

I slipped the tag into the bag before sewing. {notice on the bottom, right hand side there's a small dash - that's a reminder to stop sewing there to allow an opening to pour the rice in!}

After sewing, here is what you will need {not pictured, and optional, was lavender essential oil}:

Pour you rice through the funnel. I used brown rice we had on hand. Make sure it is not instant rice, though.

In small scoops, fill the bag up to about 3/4 full (leaving enough room to make the bag moldable). I clamped my shut until I was able to sew it {you can either hand sew it shut or use your machine since it's not too full}.