I have tried this twice but the peanut brittle is chewy any ideas of what I might be doing wrong would be appreciated. I heard that most people who answer the pet ads on Craigslist are looking for bait, not for pets. old baby suirrels I was able to keep them warm by putting one in the cage with them. When I came home I found cherry pits in the back of my closet, my dresser and in my attic. Since I don’t have a sewing machine I found that making a bag with my vaccum sealer worked great! The brittle needs to reach the hard-crack candy stage, about 146 degrees to 154 degrees. All you have to do to use it is nuke it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and its wonderful. If wanting a removable cover, just sew a “pillowcase” idea with your soft, plushy fabric by making it a little larger than your pad and leaving an open end (make sure to finish off ends by sewing a hem). I WORK IN THE HEALTH FIELD AND WANT TO MAKE SOME HOT PACKS FOR SOME CLIENTS, I NO TO USE 100%COTTON BUT NOONE HAS RELLY SAID ABOUT OATMEAL I WOULD LIKE TO USE OATMEAL ,SO ANYONE THAT HAS USED IT DOES IT HOLD ITS HEAT ? Soooo will regular oatmeal work (mine says 100% natrual whole grain) from the brand quaker oats?? Don’t tell my family but they are getting these for Christmas this year! Sprinkle a layer of semi-sweet chips as soon as you pour the hot brittle onto the pan. Put the s'mores into the fridge for a few minutes so that it can harden, then eat it. The mixture will get very foamy and lighten in color. Good Luck. Rob there are knee high socks, dress socks, stockings, sockettes, etc. It's sweet, salty, crunchy, and a great holiday treat or homemade gift. Tube socks are generally sold in the mens sock department at discount stores. Does anyone know what is causing this? Look people. I was originally looking for DIY instructions for a hot water bottle and could not find anything sustainable. You have to be weary about people that take 3 kittens. The exception to this is when you’re baking because we all know how much butter is actually in those amazing, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. I didn’t care for how the rice heated as well as the corn. Great tip! Cricket pellets also work well. I have multiple bags(about 3/person in the house, plus a few extra). and if so, what are they? It is meant to be a gift, so I was hoping to find out so that nothing would go wrong. The people who lived there before us had a bird. These hot pads to sew up for the body aches are a lot cuter than hot water bottles (yuk!) Okay, there are a lot of confusing/conflicting things here. I have just gone through the original post and the thread and there are so many posts with great information! They are different than regular socks in that they do not have a heel so they are just one long “tube” Great for things like this and other crafts. After rummaging through my cupboard I found a bag of dried black beans, a bag of dried black-eyed peas and a half a bag of dried kidney beans. MADE THESE FOR FAMILY. My boyfriend, however, dislikes the smell & much prefers the rice one. I’m using old ripped denim jeans. I use it every night almost. Hello, Would fleece work? Your help would be appreciated. Do you perhaps live in a humid area? If anyone wants a copy of what I write to put in with the bag, I think I could copy and paste it into here…??? I have also used them for earaches, cramps, and recovering from surgery. If you have a farm supply place near such as Orchelns, MFA Feed or something like that you can usually buy the feed corn in bulk rather than by the bag so you can get what you will use rather than having a bunch left over. I’m making these for Christmas gifts this year–finally something even guys will like and actually be able to use I’m filling them with rice and tea leaves, Is there something you’re supposed to do the rice first because I’ve made a gew and they come out too moist when heated, Wouldn’t the feed corn filler pop, like pop corn? Sometimes I heat it up just to smell up the room even if I don’t need a heat pad. Not sure why so I laughed out loud when you asked why because I have no idea they just love them. I have made many for cool Boo Boo Bags for kids out of buck wheat and rice because they are not as heavy. But the crystals are not only sold in agricultural, but in florist and hobby/craft stores, look near the products for arranging fresh flowers. I really want to use them as my filler, we live in Perth. hope this isnt too late, or at least it helps someone else asking the same question. As stated above when soaked in water, they turn to a gel consistency, and hold the moisture for hours and feel cool. That will also make a great gift if you know of somebody that likes the patterns. Also…do you use whole seeds or milled/ground flax seed? I have seen this happen to many times. My sister made some using some old whole coffee beans. In a deep microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar and corn syrup. Have I used the right corn. The heat seems to last for ages, great to warm the bed on those cold winter nights. I hunted thru stores frustrated not finding Raw peanuts until a baker happened to be in my local grocer. NO! I don’t know about the heating part, but you can often find those water soaking pellets in the floral department cause they used them in flower arraigning to keep water closer to the stems in decorative displays. Especially my dog… Gotta love that lightening fast roll they do so eagerly yet so lovinlgy into that invisible stink pile in the neighbors yard before you can even blink!… and always right after a bath too! I hope the couple that took all three weren’t using them as bait. If you make teddy bears and fill them with the fillers like rice it makes something really nice for kids and you don’t have to keep it hidden if your picky about whats on the bed. I have a bazillion wheat berries so I used those in mine along with brown rice and a bit of oats. How many years does a cozy heating pad last ? Thank you. hi, i just made a heat bag and it works quite well but i put it in the microwave with a cup of water, the water boiled over and spilled all over the bottom of the bag. Take care Roberta. Any ideas would be appreciated! I will let you know of the results after testing! Without it I probably wouldnt have slept and might have made a trip to the ER yet again. Do not leave unattended “just in case” the filler smokes or starts on fire. Flax can be washed if you’re very careful, and I’ve never actually tried to wash a coffee-bean bag, so I don’t know about that. In the rare case of entrapped water in the rocks, they could explode. This website began in 2006 as a way to organize all the creative homemaking tips, crafts and notes I have collected over time. As a precaution, you can set a cup of water inside along with it to add moisture or spritz sack lightly with water first. How long did you have it in the microwave for? There’ll be some heat for about 2 hours, it does depend on the size and the filler used. Jasmine rice is beautiful.It holds the heat longer and smell lovely…. A sty will have a white hair in the center. Great for pain relief too. Hey I want to make a pillow for my boyfriend and was wondering when using essential oils do they last or no? What is the best filler? I hope someone still gets on here! I heard if you sew it like you would a quilt with the pouch style filled it keeps them from all flowing to bottom. There might be way to make it safe, but the one made in China caught on fire the first time I used it. I made 2 heat bags over a year ago, both with rice. I have made a few heat packs for my daughter and neice for cramps i used long grain white rice mixed with a few drops of vanilla essential oil placed in a ziplock bag for 2 days shaking it a few times a day then i used scraps of fabric left over from quilts filled and stitched them up the girls love them they have had them over a year still smells good we heat them for 1 minute at a time stalking the microwave just to make sure it does not catch fire they use them after track on their thighs i freeze mine when i have a migraine its a blessing hope this helps someone , I’m trying to figure out how to make these to donate to an inpatient Hospice facility. I bought one which has a label on it, saying I have to put a glass/cup half full with water in with the pack when heating it in the microwave. The hot pads will keep the food warm until ready to serve…and the newspaper acts like insulation too. Also in the ends of the towels I put a loop of cord as handles. Thank you…, U can use herbs to make them sented such as lavender, cinnamon, sage and other desirable dried herbs, but from what I have heard and read you should put the filler and herbs in a large freezer bags for a few days and shake or stir couple times a day to mix with the filler then remove any extra herbs and fill with just the filler and sew as directed. I appreciate these great ideas ideas . I was still using them until my friend made me another set. Just found your site and I love it! Anyway, so which hold the heat the longest? You can definitely find them online too. Put in the pot of water and boil . I’ve been told I risk ending up in hospital with cellulitis because of how the hot water bottle usage has affected my skin. I usually place a hot water bottle on her when these happen but thank you for this idea. Hope this helps. Learn more about our team. Not sure whether or not those are metal or mineral…. They are really cute and would feel great too. Any ideas? So, I’m thinking about people buying my items, I always think about the people that use my items. Polyester teddy won’t work, polyester will melt or catch fire in a microwave. Only problem was they were $30. Hello can anyone tell me how long does the heat last i was thinking of making some cushions for my dogs and wondered will they last through the night? They’ve always been a hit. One caught on fire last night. Things are a tad wonky atm but I hope to be back on track in the near future. When something inspires or is neat-to-know, please give credit by acknowledging the source. I discard any seeds that are flat or discoloured. You can find them at any pet store. 30+ Fun, Sweet & Oh-So Cuddly Softies: {Free Patterns}, Homemade Lip Balm & Gloss: {Recipes & Tips}, 10 Strategies To Assist You In Stopping Fingernail Biting. I have arthritis and heat has, in my experience, proved itself to be the most efficient painkiller and/or pain reliever. I have had one of those “ice pack tubes” for 24 years and I LOVE it!