I am one of those people who doesn’t like buying or owning things with limited use. Why buy corn on the cob holders if I can just use my hands? Sure my hands might get greasy with butter, but that is what napkins are for! While shoehorns are great for people who cannot or should not bend down, I can get to my shoes fine…plus I tend to just mash my foot in. And why buy those terry cloth robes? A towel works fine and has so many other uses too (cleaning, sitting on at the beach, etc.).
Needless to say, I prefer to find items that I can use for more than one purpose. With that in mind I wanted to tackle a common craft: hand warmers.
Hand warmers are an item I have never bought, and rarely used. They are definitely useful for those winter months like this past February here in Ottawa where it was -25C almost every day! But after the cold has passed, these little items get stored away for months at a time.
While there is no need for hand warmers in the heat of the summer, I have created a new style of hand warmer that can be brought out in the springtime as well: an egg shaped hand warmer that fits into the palm of your hand.
What is so novel about an egg shaped hand warmer? Not much if you keep thinking of it as JUST a hand warmer. I plan to use these little guys for some springtime décor! In April I will be sharing exactly what that décor is, but just think of a bird’s nest and you will be well on your way to imagining what I will create! In fact, that springtime craft will be the April installment of the Craft Challenge.
By using the hand warmers as a springtime décor piece I am making them multifunctional and have use outside of the winter months. If you want to create your own versions, use the template below and follow the instructions in this post.
Egg Shaped Hand Warmers – Template
What you need:
Fabric (cotton only)
Thread and Needle
Pins
Scissors
Rice, uncooked
First, cut out three pieces of fabric using the template provided. Be sure to place the flat line on a fold so that you end up with a leaf shape for each piece.
Next, place two of the pieces right side together and pin along one side with a seam allowance of 1/2 cm (1/5”). Sew along the pinned area being sure that you have only sewn one half of the “leaf”.
Fold down one edge of one piece of the two you sewed together. Place the third piece with right side facing the right sides of the other two piece as shown in the picture below.
Pin and sew along both sides leaving some room at the top. Invert the egg by pushing the bottom bit through the hole you left. One the right side of the fabric is out, fill the egg with rice through the hole (a funnel would be useful here).
Sew the hole shut using an invisible stitch. And you are done!
To heat the hand warmers:
Place in a microwave for 15 seconds. NO LONGER! It does not take long to heat up!
Then slip into your gloves or pockets. The size of the template allows for the eggs to fit easily in the palm even while your gloves are on (or at least for all the gloves I tried).
What item in your home seem to have one purpose, or get less use than you would like? Share in the comments and who knows, maybe I can come up with another idea!
