by Tsu Dho Nimh

Created on: November 10, 2008

Heat is one of the simplest, safest home remedies for pain relief. Grain-filled cloth pouches are a popular way to warm hands, soothe aches and pains and take the chill off icy sheets. They are easy and cheap to make, even if you can barely sew a straight line.

What materials are best for grain bags?
To be safe in a microwave oven, the grain bag material and the sewing thread must be 100% linen, cotton or wool. Synthetics will melt, overheat and fall apart. Silk might be usable, but I didn't have any scraps to test.

Mass producing grain bags:
I had just finished sewing a batch of cotton muslin grain bags - cutting, sewing the sides, turning the seams to the inside, filling and closing each one - when I realized that I was wasting time because I was using the wrong starting material. Washcloths or towels are already the right size and the edges are already finished. If you are making grain bags as a gifts, buy the poshest 100% cotton washcloths or hand towels your budget allows. If you are cranking out dozens for the ski club or hockey team, buy packs of cheap cotton washcloths from a discount store or the white cotton "shop towels" from a home improvement store.

For a square bag, pin two washcloths together at the edges. Stitch three sides closed with a straight stitch. Fill the bag about 1/2 full of grain, and close the remaining side with straight stitch. Then zig-zag stitch around the whole bag for extra seam strength.

To make a neckwarmer tube, fold a hand towel lengthwise, and stitch one end and the side closed. Fill the bag about 1/2 full of grain, and close the remaining side. To keep the grain distributed, spread it evenly in the interior, then sew a zig-zag stitch across the bag, trapping equal portions of grain into each section.

To make a boot-warmer, fill a 100% wool sock about 2/3 full with the wheat. Then hand or machine stitch the top of the sock closed. To make it pretty for a gift, use 100% wool yarn and embroider something on the sock.

How much grain do I need?
It takes 3 cups of wheat to fill one 9x9 inch bag half-full with grain. That's about a pound of wheat for a hand-warmer size grain bag.

Which grain is best for bags?
I tested brown rice, whole oats, buckwheat, black linseed, and wheat berries for heatability and heat retention. Results: they all got hot in the microwave, and all stayed warm for more than 20 minutes. Wheat berries - hulled whole wheat - is the easiest to find and costs the least per pound. I buy 10 pounds or so at a local market. If you want to make dozens of grain bags as a fundraiser, you can buy 100-lb sacks from any place that sells home-style flour mills.

Which grains don't work well? Rice and oats crumble into dust after a few uses. Linseed doesn't crumble, but the seeds get a stale, oily smell after a few weeks of frequent heating. I didn't test exotic grains such as quinoa, because they were too expensive.

Herbs or no herbs?
I've seem some recipes that call for lavender, rosemary or other fragrant herbs. These lose their odor quickly with heavy use. If you want to give herbal sachets, make sachets.

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