These days I’ve been looking for any means possible to stay warm. 🙂   Thank goodness our apartment building pumps out a lot of heat, but then it makes it even worse to go outside. So when I came across this idea for hand warmers on Pinterest I knew I had to make them!

The hand warmers were actually pretty easy to make and I already had everything in the apartment to make them so I thought I’d share them as a Try it Tuesday!

You’ll need:

• Flannel or Fleece Fabric – I had some left over from a Christmas project, but you can pick it up at Joann’s Fabric. You could also use an old flannel shirt or blanket. Also don’t use felt because it’s made out of polyester and will melt in a microwave.
• Needle & Thread – I also suggest a sewing machine, but if you don’t have one you can totally sew this by hand.
• Scissors – Actual sewing scissors are best to cut fabric.
• Paper – This is to make your pattern, I’ve attached the patterns I used: Hand Warmer Patterns
• Filling
  • There a lot of options:
    • Uncooked Rice
    • Wheat
    • Feed Corn
    • Buckwheat Hulls
    • Barley
    • Oatmeal
    • Flax Seed
    • Cherry Pits
  • You can also add scents (If you use scents make sure to mix them in with the filler and then let it sit in a sealed container for a few days and occasionally stir it. This will help set and distribute the fragrance):
    • Lavendar
    • Rose Petals
    • Ground Cloves, Nutmeg, Ginger, Rosemary or Cinnamon
    • Peppermint or Lavender Oils

Once you cut out the pattern on paper, trace it onto the fabric and cut it out. I would suggest folding the fabric in half with the good sides together so that you can cut both sides out at once.

Now you’ll want to sew the two sides together with the good sides still facing each other. Use a small, tight stitch so that your filling won’t come out later on. Make sure not to sew about a 1-2 inch part so that you have room to  flip the hand warmer inside out fill it later on.

Once it’s been sewn and flipped so the good side of the fabric is facing out (tip: use a chopstick to really make sure the corners look crisp.), you’ll want to fill your hand warmer. It’s so much easier to fill the hand warmers with a funnel, which I don’t have, so I made one out of a half a sheet of paper and some tape. Don’t fill the hand warmer completely full, you’ll want to leave some room for the filler to move around and expand when heating up. Then just sew up the hole you left open to fill the hand warmer. Pretty simple if you ask me!

Aren’t they cute! You’ll obviously need to make two so you have one for each hand. Then just heat them up in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and they’ll keep your hands and pockets warm for 20-30 minutes. The perfect amount of time if you’re waiting for the train or for your car to warm up!

These hand warmers would also make great little Valentine’s Day gifts. I’ve created a pdf with the instructions in little hearts that you can print and cut out to attach like below: Heart Hand Warmer Directions.

Stay warm!