A DIY Valentines Gift Heating Pad

A Heart Warming DIY Valentines Gift Idea

Are you looking for a really easy and quick DIY Valentines gift for someone you love. How about giving them the gift of warmth? Even if you have to purchase all the supplies you can make this quick and easy heart warming homemade Valentine’s gift for about $10 including the rice. Sewing this simple DIY Valentine takes takes about an hour start to finish. This heartshaped heating pad is certain to make someones Valentine’s day special.

Today I am excited to join in with a new group of DIY Bloggers, for a Valentine’s themed blog hop. All the posts are lovely DIY Valentine Craft and Decor Ideas. You will find all their posts after mine. Have a great time checking them out.

You don’t need much fabric to make this Valentine heating pad, I used some left over drop cloth (my fav) to give it a farmhouse look, but you can use a flannel shirt, worn tablecloth or even dollar tree tea towels or bath towels to make one. I purchased some pretty farmhouse ribbon, but you could replace that with left over wool or bakery twine.

Two pieces of drop cloth or other 100% cotton fabric you like. If using leftovers you need one piece of fabric 14″ by 10″ and another. 14″ by 9″.

How to Make this Homemade Valentine Gift

Begin by printing out the free downloadable pattern. The free pattern prints out on two pages, line the page up and tape them together.

To prepare you fabric, make sure it is washed and ironed first. Fold one piece of fabric in half.

Cutting the Valentine Front

The front of the Valentine heating pad has a large crease, it dresses up the simple gift with a little extra love. In order to have the pleat we need an extra central section of fabric between the two half heart pieces. The next image shows you what I mean.

Fold your fabric in half, and then pin the Valentine pattern to the top fabric only.

Once you have it as shown above, move the heart pattern and the top piece of fabric back 2 inches. Then pin the heart through both of fabric. Cut around the heart shape and make a straight line across the 2 inch section

Cutting the Valentine Back

Fold a second small piece of fabric line the center of the heart pattern along the edge. Cut out one piece for the back of the heating bag and put aside.

Designing the Front of the Homemade Valentine

Lay and iron out your fabric flat, then check out the next image. Your going to take the point along the top of the heart and the bottom of the heart as shown and fold them into the center. Do one side and then the other.

Iron flat and pin along the fold. Your Valentine front should look similar to this. Trim off the two little extra piece on the bottom of the heart.

Sewing the Homemade Valentine Gift Heating Bag

The pleat requires four little seams if you want it to be open.

Sewing the Front Pleat On the Valentine

For an open pleat, fold half the heart over and sew a thin seam along the edge. Repeat on the other side.

Lay the front flat again then pin the ribbon to the underside of pleat.

Lay the back good side down, cover it with the front piece good side up. Pin it all the way around. Pin the ribbon ends so they stay out of the way when sewing the outside.

Sew two seams around the outside of the heating pad the first seam 1/4″ from the edge, the second seam 1/2 inch from the edge. Make sure to leave a 1″ gap in both seams, for adding the rice.

Filling the DIY Valentine Gift Heating Pad

As this is a Valentine’s gift I did some research on the best natural fillers for microwaveable heating pads and chose jasmine rice. Jasmine rice has a nice natural scent. I chose to add some Jasmine essential oils. If you don’t want to purchase Jasmine rice I suggest using regular rice.

To fill the heating pad with rice either use a small funnel or make a simple paper cone. Place inside the gap in the seam and add your rice, a little bit at a time. Sprinkling the in works much more smoothly. If you try to place in a handful all at once the rice bunches up and its a total pain.

Warming the Valentine Heating Pad

As the Valentine is made with light coloured drop cloth I suggest placing it on a clean plate before popping it in the microwave.

Microwave for 60 seconds and see if its warm enough, it not give it another 30 seconds.

DIY Valentines Gift Cards

If you want a card to attach to your heating pad, there are two different Valentine cards to chose from a larger pink one and a small soft blue card that can be printed out on card stock. They add a simple additions to your gift.

Once you have the card printed I suggest ripping the edges with a ruler to give it a soft scruffy look to match the edging of the Valentine heating bag.

Some Other Valentines Gift Ideas from my Blogging Friends

Other DIY Valentines Gift Ideas