I'm making heating pads for christmas gifts and I purchased whole kerne deer corn. However .... when I tried to microwave my creation, i sounded like the corn popped! Does this normally happen the first tim you heat these bags? Is there a way to treat the corn so it doesn' pop? What am I doing wrong? Also, is there a specific brand name cor that crafters use? Thanks
Craft Newbi
-- craftnewbie
I used rice when I made mine....never tried popcorn.
I put popcorn in mine, and it didn't pop. When I washed the cover, I found a couple of kernels that had expanded just a tiny bit, and picked them out. (Also tossed the corn in a strainer to make sure it wasn't dusty.)
Perhaps the deer corn was a bit damp. Whatever, being puffed shouldn't hurt it any as a heating pad. If it worries you, microwave a sample in a cup before making the bag. You can reject the batch, pick out kernels that pop, or allow for expansion when you measure your corn.
Any sort of seed will work. I'd avoid those that give off oil when heated.
The cheapest brand of white rice in your store is as good as any seed for making microwave bags, and would be less lumpy than corn. I used popcorn because I had some that wasn't fit to eat.
Joy Beeson
I use the least expensive rice I can find, most times less than $1.00 for 2 pounds, which is the amount I've always used in each bag. I gave some to two aunts for Christmas in 1999 and they are still in use. The little note I attached to each said they should microwave it for 2 minutes to use; and once a month or so, put a cup of water in the microwave with it for a couple minutes to keep the rice from becoming brittle. Emily
I use wheat for mine, I get it from the pet food section at the supermarket. It smells nice when microwaved! :)
Cheers, Katy
I never use any fragrance in ones I make, allergies, you know. However, I know people who add something to theirs, lavender seems to be popular. Emily
If you prefer to use corn (like most of the other respondents here, I use the cheapest rice I can find), you could use cracked corn, available in feed stores or pet shops. It's used as feed for some kind of farm animal and for large birds. Being cracked (very coarsly ground), it can't pop.
Very little of both, we could have used more of the rain predicted, but instead we got about 1/2 to 2/3 of one inch. The winds were strong sometimes, but we have seen worse in thunderstorms. We stocked up on necessities and planned from the beginning to ride out the storm. I suppose you saw the evacuation crowds and I didn't intend to be caught up in that. We didn't lose power, or cable, except the cable was off a couple hours Sunday. Besides, I am so excited because my family in SC will increase in late spring, but more about that later. Emily
I used the cheapest rice I could find as well. I got a 40lb bag at Costco for about $5 years ago and I'm still using it. I add a few dried fragrant herbs to my rice bags, usually lavender and mint, and it makes it very nice. I made 2 rice bags out of full sized pillowcases in 1993, after I had my legs and feet trashed in an accident, and I'm still using them. One trick I did learn, if you are living in a place that is prone to weevils and little critters in grains all you need to do is toss a few bay leaves in the container you store your rice in and they leave it alone. I use the 5 gallon plastic buckets with snap on lid. The constant nuking will take care of those that decide to get into a rice bag.
Val
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