Sweater Heart Hand Warmer Tutorial

heart hand warmer

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, YEA!  I love this holiday!  I always like to make some kind of valentine’s gift each year and I think this year I am going to give these fun heart-shaped hand warmers.  They are WAY easy to make and will be easy to mail to my family and friends.

I am terrible at sending out Christmas cards, but I do enjoy making and sending out valentine’s cards with a personalized note (of course).  That is one of my pet peeves, getting a generic card or letter in the mail.  Very rarely do you get something in the mail besides bills and advertisements? 

Don’t you think it is fun to get a card in the mail with your name HANDWRITTEN and maybe even a cute sticker on the back of the envelope?  My mother-in-law and I still send notes back and forth every once in a while in the mail, and I just love it.  We do converse with email, but there is just something about a written note that really lifts your spirits.  Even with her arthritic hands, she still sends beautiful handwritten letters.

This little rice bags really do work quite well.  Just pop them in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and place them in your coat pockets.  They are a great thing to send your kids off to school with or take in the car on the way to work.

So……go to your felted sweater, fleece, or flannel stash and pick out some cute, bright colors and get to work, and with your handwritten valentine’s note, send a set of cozy heart-shaped hand warmers.

heart hand warmer

cut out 4 hearts

heart hand warmer

Sew around the edge using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam. Leave about a 2 inch opening

heart hand warmer

Using a funnel, fill with 1/2 – 3/4 cup flax seeds or rice.

Flax seeds don’t put off as much aroma as the rice and tend to stay warmer a little longer, but rice still works quite well.
Go back to the sewing machine and sew the opening closed.

Ta-dah!  There you have it.
Finish them off with a ribbon and a note attached explaining how to heat and use the rice bags.

Click HERE to download the heart pattern.

Check out my therapeutic rice bag pattern set in my shop.  Includes the heart and rectangle hand warmers, neck bag, eye pillow, back soother, and foot warmer patterns.

heart hand warmer

My husband and I have become wimps.  We heat up the foot warmer every night and throw it in the bottom of our bed.  It works like a charm, keeps our feet nice and toasty!  This puppy stays warm for a good 3 hours or more.  All of these bags are really easy and fun to sew up.

Here is a link for the foot warmer tutorial.

heart hand warmer

If you have any questions, send me a note.
Have fun sewing!

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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Upcycled Sweater Scarf Tutorial

Here is ANOTHER way to use up your felted sweaters.  This is such a fun, easy project to make.  I get comments on this scarf every time I wear it.

Upcycled sweater scarf tutorial:

The most time consuming part is cutting out the squares.

upcycled sweater scarf

1- Cut out 16 – 18 squares that measure 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches.  Use sweaters that have been felted.  (shrunk down by washing in very hot water and dried in the dryer)

upcycled sweater scarf

2- Arrange the squares in a pattern that suites you.  Mix and match colors, textures and patterns that feel good to your eye.  Then stack them up in that order.  Starting with the piece on top, place two pieces together and pin in place.

upcycled sweater scarf

3- Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, simply sew along pinned edge. Back stitch at the beginning and end of seam.  No need to worry about the edges fraying if the sweater has been felted.

4- Open those pieces up and place the next square on top, right sides together.  Pin in place and sew the seam.  Repeat this process until all pieces are sewn together and the scarf is the length that you desire.  Ta dah!  Now wasn’t that fun and easy!

upcycled sweater scarf

Now you have a stylin, whimsical, one of a kind scarf

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More