Cherry Pits for Heating and Cooling Pads

Cherry pits are a superb choice for creating your own earth-friendly heating and cooling pads. It takes a minimal amount of effort for a maximum pay-back...both environmentally and physically.

Clean, dry cherry pits are free of chemicals and additives. They have up to three times both the heating and heat retention capacity of other less-desireable chemical products. When frozen, compresses filled with cherry pits often retain their cooling sensation longer than commercially-filled "gel" products.

When creating your heating/cooling pad, be sure to use heat-resistant materials like denim or canvas when sewing a pillow or pouch for your heating or cooling pad. And, for best results, keep that pad loosely packed.

Here's Martha Stewart's take on creating your own cherry pit heating/cooling pad:

Martha's tips on how to create your own cherry pit pad:

Materials:

Sewing machine

Iron

Fabric  (about 1/2 yard will make at least one)

Machine-sewing thread in coordinating color

Scissors

Dried cherry pits

Lavender oil (optional)

Steps:

Step 1: Fold a 20-by-14-inch piece of fabric in half lengthwise, right sides facing.

Step 2: Sew one short side and one long side with a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

Step 3: Fold the open end out 1/4 inch and press it.

Step 4: Clip the corners, being careful not to cut into the seams. Turn the fabric right side out.

Step 5: Fill the bag a little less than halfway with dried cherry pits. If desired, the pits can be mixed with a few drops of lavender oil before filling.

Step 6: Close the open end of the bag with a top stitch.

How to heat (or cool) your cherry pit pad:

Once your cherry pit pad is created you can use it in two ways: as a cooling or heating pad. To keep it cool, place your pad in a zip-lock type bag and place in the freezer. For a warm pad, heat it in your microwave for 2-3 minutes. Please remember that the amount of time you warm your pad depends on your particular microwave and tolerance for heat. DO NOT OVER HEAT!