Reusable Hand Warmers: How They Work, and Which Ones we use.
Sometimes my hands are cold.It was really cold.I need a hand warmer that will last a long time.I don't like buying silly plastic ones that are too hot and fun for the kids.After just one use, I have had one stop working for me.I had a broken flannel shirt and needed a hand warmer, so I came up with an idea to make my own.
I had a brilliant idea when my son's flannel shirt got a hole.What if I could make a flannel shirt hand warmer?Wouldn't that rock?Yes, it rocks.The best part is that these hand warmers are more than up to the task of being used and reused hundreds of times, until the flannel just wears out completely.
3 flannel shirts that had seen better days were found by me.One had a hole near the pocket, another had an oil stain, and the last one was a hideous orange that no one would wear.You can make 1-2 hand warmers from each shirt sleeve, but I went with just one because I wanted each person in the family to have their own color.
If you want to make your own hand warmers, you will need 2 cups of dry rice or dry beans.I have used both of these in the past for neck warmers and they work great, retaining a lot of heat and keeping me warm.
What about the tools?You will want a pair of scissors, a funnel, needle and thread, and a wide-enough spigot to let out the rice or beans through easily.I used a sewing machine because I already had one.You could easily sew this by hand.
If you want to close the button, you have to cut off the end of the sleeve.
You will need to cut an additional section from the first one.You should have a piece of fabric in the shape of a short open-ended tube.
If some rice snuck out through a hole in the corner, it would be awful to sew that pinned end up, being sure to go all the way from one end to the other.
Attach the other end of the tube to the opening.If you are using a sewing machine, be sure to remind yourself not to keep going past the halfway point so that you still have an opening to fill the hand warmers with rice or beans.
Use a funnel to pour your rice or beans into the hand warmer.I know I said 1-2 cups, but if you want your hand warmer to be bulkier, go for it.They are your hand warmers and you do what you want.I was going for a bean bag that was light enough for the kids to carry in their pockets, but not so light that the rice wouldn't fill my hand.I want my hand warmers to have enough rice for warmth.
To keep the rice from falling out, you will want to sew a hem along this pinned opening that intersects with your original hem.If you use a sewing machine, you need to be very careful that your rice and needle don't come into contact as it could potentially break your needle.The Ladder Stitch could be used to seal it up.
Now is the time to warm up those hands with your hand warmers.The easy flannel hand warmers can be heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or the oven for 5 minutes.The hand warmers are great for anyone living in an RV or who spends a lot of time outdoors in the winter, like hunters or fishermen.
If your kids stand out in the cold waiting for the school bus, these could be really handy.They have nothing weird in them, so having them in their backpack shouldn't be a problem.I think you need to know that I recommend making adult hand warmers by using adult flannel shirts.For kid hand warmers, use children's shirts.It makes sense that the adult shirts have bigger arms than the kids shirts.
The fact that the kids can get involved is something I like best about this project.While pouring rice into a beanbag is messy with little kids, how else are they going to learn?They will learn how the hand warmers were made.Even a 4-year-old can help pull pins from a hem if they are not ready to use the sewing machine.This is a great project for kids and parents to work on.
One can never have too many hand warmers, so I am going to make a few of these to give as gifts.Pin this to your sewing or crafts board so you can find it quickly if you love this project.
If you want to make adult hand warmers, you should use adult flannel shirts.Children's shirts are good for hand warmers.
I bought 25 pounds of rice a few weeks ago.I wondered what I was going to do with so much.I know now.Hand warmers are in my future.Thanks for sharing a useful idea.Wishing you a Merry Christmas.