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  • Writer's pictureSew Retro

DIY Hand Warmers

These sew simple hand warmers are so much fun to make. Grab a hand full of 100% cotton fabric scraps and getting cutting out. If you are a new to sewing this is a fantastic project to get to know your sewing machine.

Experienced sewers and new sewers alike, sit back and enjoy the compliments as friends and family, thank you for a useful gift. They will not make scraping the ice of the windscreen any easier, BUT, after wards you can warm your hands in seconds. The hand warmers can be used time and time again, stored over summer, and used from one year to the next. They are a great stash buster and you can use out of date rice to fill the bags.



You will need:


Left over pieces of 100% cotton fabric 2 x 12.75 cm x 12.75 cm per bag

Matching thread, pins, tape measure and scissors

Dried Rice

Quick tips for beginners


Pinning the fabric for sewing; Place the two pieces of fabric together, with right sides facing (the correct side of the fabric) and pin the raw edges together.


1 cm seam allowance; This is the distance between the edge of the fabric and the stitch line. You will find a series of parallel lines engraved on the needle plate of your sewing machine pick the one marked with the measurement you need and keep the edge of the fabric to this guide;


1. Cut out 2 x 12.75 cm x 12.75 cm squares.


2.Pin the RS (right side) of the bags, together leaving a gap to turn the bag to the RS.


3. Using a 1 cm seam allowance stitch the bag together, when you come to the end of a seam, leaving the needle in your work, lift up the foot, and swing your work around. Continue stitching until you have sewn around the bag leaving a gap.


4. Clip your corners as shown and turn the bag to the RS. Press. Use a chop stick to gently press out the corners.


5. Make a funnel from some scrap paper if you do not have a funnel to use.


6. Insert the funnel into the gap you left.



7. Pour the rice into the funnel and fill the bag, three quarters of the way to the top.

I filled each bag with 120 grams of dried rice.


8. Thread a hand sewing needle with matching thread and slip stitch the gap.


Bring the needle from the inside the bag and exit through the gap, leaving the knot tucked inside the fold. Take a tiny stitch directly across from the spot where the needle exited the fold.

Pick up another tiny stitch right across from the last exit point, then travel back through the fold, inserting the needle directly across from the tiny stitch. Like a snake weaving its way backwards then forwards from one side of the fabric to the other.


Continue back and forth in this manner along the entire length until the gap is closed, Tie a knot at the end.


9. You may prefer to close the gap with a decorative stitch, like the one shown.

Select the stitch on your sewing machine, thread you sewing machine with contrast or matching thread.

Push then pin, the rice to one side as shown, and work on one edge at a time stitch around the bag with the decorative stitch and closing the gap at the same time.


10. Pop the bag into the microwave for 45 seconds, be careful it will be hot. I suggest for the first time to heat the bag for 30 seconds, test, then add or subtract the time as required.


11. Slip the hand warmer into your pocket and enjoy toasty warm hands.







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