Tutorial: Cashmere Hand Warmers

I was totally inspired by these gorgeous mini hand warmers by Restoration Hardware this past Christmas:



The thought of toting around those adorable little cashmere gems in my pockets, keeping my fingers toasty on a blustery day really appealed to me for obvious reasons. What did not appeal to me however, was the $35 price tag...no matter how cute they were. I resolved to make them myself using the same principles as making a heat pack.

This easy little project can be completed in under thirty minutes with things you have around your house. I used remnants of the felted cashmere sweater I used on this cashmere water bottle cover.

You will need:

- Four pieces of felted wool 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches (cashmere is obviously what I used, but you could use any type of wool or fabric you have around)
- Flax or rice to fill your warmers (approx 1/2 cup per warmer)
- Sewing machine
- Needle and coordinating thread
- Straight pins.



Directions:

1. Pin two of the pieces of wool together on three sides leaving one of the short sides open. Be sure right sides are facing:



2. Stitch all the way around three sides of the bag, leaving the one unpinned short end completely open.

3. Turn the bag right- side out and fill it 3/4 full with the flax or rice. Be sure not to overfill the bag. I used a paper funnel for this.

4. Tuck both raw seams in and pin. Be sure both warmers are the same size.



5. Using a needle and thread blind stitch the seams together. I am out of practice so please forgive my horrendous technique.



6. They should turn out something like this:



and if you're more careful with your blind stitching, they will look even better...

To use them, put them in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, then simply pop them in your pocket. They'll keep warm for at least an hour. These would be great for hockey games, outdoor sports and sporting events, yard duty (for us teachers) and after dinner winter walks.They'd make a cute gift, too!



**I sincerely apologize for the terrible pictures in this post. The lighting is horrendous, but as it gets dark around 4pm and I'm a procrastinator, it'll have to do.**