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Here’s a quick and easy little sewing project that is useful and can be made with your scrap fabric. These easy sew hand warmers make great little gifts for any occasion as well.

What is a Hand Warmer?

Hand warmers are little packets that you can microwave to retain heat. Put them into your pocket to keep your hands warm. Sometimes gloves just aren’t enough.

These are great for:

• standing outside during your kids’ sports practices or games
• inside ice rinks, while watching your kids play hockey or skate
• walking the dog
• going for walks or taking your kids to the park (including recess supervision)

These are just a few examples – there are many applications for these easy sew hand warmers. As mentioned, sometimes you just need that extra bit of added warmth.

What Do You Put Inside?

There are several options of what goes inside these hand warmer. Typically the hand warmers are microwaved and so the contents have to be something that retains heat.

Some options include raw rice, dried corn, lentils and flaxseed. However, the unanimous favourite seems to be flax seed. The concern with the rice, corn and lentils is that if it were to get wet (and who hasn’t dropped stuff on the wet ground before?), there is a chance that it could become mouldy inside.

Since flax seeds are seeds (and not a grain), they contain more oil which makes it easier to not only heat up in the microwave, but also retain their heat longer.

Flaxseed can also be put in the freezer to make these cooling pads. They are not a substitute for an ice pack, but still, offer a bit of cooling relief.

Supplies Needed to Make Hand Warmers

What’s easy about this project is that it takes very little to make these.

• Fabric scraps – I prefer thicker fabrics so that they stand up better, so fabrics like home decor cottons which are heavier in weight or cotton flannels.
• Sewing machine and sewing supplies like thread, scissors, etc
• Whole flax seeds (brown or gold) – I buy in bulk and use the extra to add to oatmeal or chia pudding (makes a great breakfast!).
• Wide mouth funnel (optional) – makes putting the flax seeds in, easier.
• Essential oils or dried flowers (optional) – I know that some people add these to their hand warmers. Other than a nice smell, I don’t know how important that would be considering these are going to be in your pockets, but if you have it, why not?

How to Make Easy Sew Hand Warmers

• Cut a piece of your fabric, measuring 9 by 4 inches
• Right sides together, fold in half and press
• Sew the 2 sides with a half-inch seam allowance
• Trim corners
• Turn right side out
• Press or iron.
• Fill the hand warmer, half full with flax seeds using the funnel. I put 1/3 cup in mine.
• Fold over the open seam and sew closed.

These are so quick and easy to make that you can make a few pairs as gifts. Plus, I find that are like gloves – I’m always missing one.

How to Use the Hand Warmers

Just before going out, microwave the hand warmers for anywhere from 45 seconds to 1 minute, depending on the strength/power of your microwave.

Slip them into your pockets and you are good to go!

At home, we use them to walk Barry during cold weather. I’ve given some to friends who are soccer moms and we all say that they work great.

These make great stocking stuffers as they always come in handy. I like to include instructions with mine. I use my Cricut Maker to make these tags. It’s easy to do – check out my blog post here on how to make a tag with your Cricut.

Want to remember how to make these easy sew hand warmers? Be sure to save this to your favourite Pinterest page.