DIY: T-Shirt Hand Warmers

So when it takes me fifteen minutes to prep them for playing outside, I want them to play longer than I spent preparing them for the cold. Most often their gloves fall off or get wet, sending their freezing hands inside within five minutes of stepping out.

A handful of hand warmers seem to hold the kids over for a while longer, and are inexpensive and easy to make when using items on hand.

Materials:

• Scrap t-shirt material
• Needle and thread
• Rice or beans

1. Cut scrap t-shirts into any shape. Lay two identical pieces on top of each other and sew around the edges, leaving a one inch opening. Clip the corners.
2. Turn right side out.
3. Pour rice or dry beans (whichever is in your pantry) into the warmer. Fill between two-thirds to three-fourths full.
4. Hand stitch the opening closed.

Heat the warmers in the microwave. I microwave for 15 seconds. Different microwaves have different heating capacities, so I recommend starting with 10 seconds and working your way to a longer time to find what is comfortable for you and your kids.