Cozy Flannel Hand Warmers

• You will use 2 pieces of flannel for each hand warmer.
• Place 2 pieces of flannel together, right sides facing out. If you have pins you can pin the pieces together, or hold them together while you sew. Flannel tends to stick together well so pinning may not be necessary.
• Thread your needle with about 2 yards of thread. Make sure to leave a generous tail of thread out of the eye of the needle to prevent your thread from slipping out of the needle. Knot the end of the thread.
• Begin to stitch the fabric. To hide the end of the thread, start your stitch between the two pieces of fabric so that the knot ends up in- between the flannel pieces.
• Stitch around the edges of the rectangles, leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance (your seam will be 1/2" from the edge of the fabric).
• You can use any kind of hand stitch to sew the flannel together. A backstitch works well as it tends to be a stronger stitch, but a basic running stitch will work fine. The most important thing is to keep your stitches close together so the rice doesn’t fall out.
  • Dor simple instructions on sewing a backstitch and running stitch, check out this video from Kidspot - How to sew using two simple stitches.
• Stitch all the way around three sides, and about half-way on the fourth side. This will leave an opening of about 2 inches. Leave your needle and thread attached so that you can finish sewing the seam later.
• Pour half of the rice (1/2 cup) into the hand warmer through the opening. To make filling easier, you can use the paper funnel.
• Continue stitching along the fourth side, closing up the opening. To finish off your seam, make a few stiches in one spot to secure the thread or knot the end of the thread. To hide the end of the thread, bring your needle out between the flannel pieces at the seam allowance and clip off the extra thread.
• You now have one hand warmer! Repeat this process with the other two pieces of flannel.

Using Your Hand Warmers

• Microwave each handwarmer for 30-40 seconds, depending on the strength of your microwave. Be very careful removing it from
  the microwave. Make sure the hand warmer is not too hot to hold.
• Hold one in your hands to take the chill off cold hands. When outside, put one hand warmer in each pocket to keep your hands warm. The warmth will last longer in your pockets.

Tip: You will notice your handwarmers smell like rice when heated. If you would like a different scent, you can add 1 or two drops of
essential oil to each hand warmer.