DIY Patchwork Hand Warmers

I'm always looking for ways to create reusable versions of the things we throw away in daily life. Winter is here and my hands are cold! I've created these tiny, adorable hand warmers to help with the chill.

I purchase a fat quarter of these two fabrics, but for one hand warmer, you really only need a small square. Scraps would work perfectly for these.

You will also need rice, scissors, thread, a needle, pins, something to mark fabric with (I just used a pencil), and a ruler or straight edge. As you can see, I used a handheld sewing machine, but this project is so small, you could easily hand sew the whole thing.

Cut out a 3 inch square of each piece of fabric. I cut these at the same time.

Lay one square on top of the other, making sure that the right sides of the fabric (the side you want to be on the outside) are touching each other.

Pin together.

Mark a line down the center of the squares, from one corner to the opposite corner.

See the attached picture. You will sew a line on each of the purple dotted lines.

Then, cut along the green solid line. You should end up with two triangles.

These triangles should open up to look like the third picture.

Pin the two new squares together with right sides facing each other.

Sew around the edge, leaving a small sew allowance. Leave about 1 in on one of the sides open.

Turn the hand warmer right side out by pulling it through the hole you left. Use this hole to fill the warmer with rice.

Ladder stitch is a great way to close up the hole.

Start by threading a needle. Tie a knot in the end and put your needle up through the inside of the hole. Put your needle in the opposite side and up a little farther down. It should look something like the diagram. Tie off your thread and you're all done!

Pop the warmer in the microwave for about 15 seconds to heat it up. It should stay warm for a while. Keep one in each pocket for toasty hands.