Desktop Hand Warmers
Each year I try to find something quick that I can stitch together as a great gift for friends and family. This year, I’m making sets of hand warmers to keep fingers toasty while typing or mousing away at your desktop computer. Follow along with this quick Desktop Hand Warmers tutorial and make a set for yourself!
Materials to make Desktop Hand Warmers
- Two or more fat quarters, 1/4 yard of fabric, or a few small pieces of main fabric (I used two different fabrics, it can be matching or contrasting, it’s up to you!)
- 1/2 yard fusible webbing
- 1/4 yard lining fabric such as muslin or plain white cotton
How to sew Desktop Hand Warmers
Cut 4-six inch squares each of the fusible webbing, lining fabric, and main fabric. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, use the fusible web to fuse the lining fabric to the back (wrong side) of the main fabric. This adds strength to the fabric, making sure that none of the rice filling will poke through after repeated use.
Take two fused fabric squares, and pin them right sides together.
Stitch around the edges with a 1/4″ seam, leaving a 2-3 inch opening on one edge. Trim off corners. Use the opening to turn the hand warmers right side out, and press well, pressing opening under 1/4″.
Fill the hand warmers with plain rice. Leave just enough space in the hand warmer to easily close the opening for stitching shut.
Use clips or pins to hold the opening closed, secure with a hand stitch (I used a very small whip stitch).
Now pop them in the microwave and enjoy! Since microwave ovens vary, here’s a tip to find the perfect setting to heat up your Desktop Hand Warmers. Place both hand warmers on a microwave safe dish, and heat on high for 20 seconds at a time. Test after each 20 second session to see if they are toasty warm, and remember which total time works best!
Our December 5 Gift For You
Today’s gift is a fun black and silver slap watch with measuring tape style wrist band and scissor hands to one awesome WeAllSew fan. All you have to do is post a comment below answering the following question:
Out of which fabric will your hand warmers be created of?
A winner will be chosen at random on December 6, 2015 and announced the following week!
Good luck!
Congratulations to our WeAllSew reader “ammy4”, the winner of the December 5 gift. Enjoy!
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97 comments on “Desktop Hand Warmers”
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Would be a great gift to make for some of my chilly friends here in North Dakota.
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I don’t understand. Do you hear them up and just place your hand over them?
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Love this idea. I think I might try some t shirt fabric. Upcycled.
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Toasty flannel
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This is a cute but useful little project! My daughter is a Star Wars fan and this is the month for the big movie release, so Star Wars fabric it is!
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This is a good use for your scraps of fabric. We make them for the bits that we put in the horses mouth. They appreciate the extra gesture.
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warm flannel scraps would be my first choice
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flannel horses fabric
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I have some fabric I inherited from a friend who passed away almost a year ago. I think it would most appropriate to make these great hand warmers with some of her fabric to give to my sewing buddies who knew this GREAT lady. We sure do miss her.
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Nice idea especially for my cold den!! I have been making baby doll clothes for the Guild’s community project. My scraps will be perfect for these warmers!!
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This is a great scrap buster project. I recently made some infinity scarves so the scraps left over will be perfect for use in these matching handwarmers to keep in your coat pocket when you wear the scarf.
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Thank you for another great idea. I thought I would machine embroider the recipient’s name on holiday Christmas fabric for the hand warmer project. That may add a personal and festive touch.
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I would use a flannel.
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I think I would use fabric scraps to meet the likes of the recipient, so nature themes for some, modern for others.
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What a great idea! Will work just like wrapping ones hands around a mug of hot chocolate! Thanks!
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I would depend on what I have in my remnant stash, maybe even embroider a snowflake or something like that on it.
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I am thinking I might use fleece . Need to check if safe in microwave. Thank you.
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I always look for small projects to use my sample embroidery stitch outs. Hand warmers would foot the bill!
Peggy -
What a quick an easy gift! A great way to use up your leftover fabrics. Because I like to embroider everything that isn’t moving, I’d probably embroider something wintery on them. I have a lot of flannels left over from projects so I might use them as well as holiday fabrics.
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I think I would like to try them in a fleece fabric. They would feel good as well as toasty.
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Great idea just in time for my last minute gift making marathon! I have lots of Cotton + Steel FQs that will be perfect for these.
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flowers
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Well…I will go to my stash and select the most cheerful fabric for my hand warmers. This is a great idea as we do keep the heat lower than we used to do this time of the year.
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I have some cute chicken fabric I will use.
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I don’t think this is a fair question. The hand warmer is SUCH a good idea it’s more about how many fabrics do I get to use! My office is always cold and I bet lots of my coworkers will want one of these beauties ?
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I think faux suede would make it feel even warmer. Need it right now!
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Lots of stash. Good stocking stuffers.
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I am going to make these today! I am going to use some “zombie” fabric and red coordinating fabric. I may even make another a little bigger for a “rice bag” for my husbands back in Star Wars themed materials. Thanks for the great ideas.
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I will use florals…..pink and lilac!
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I have some scraps of Star Wars fabric that would be perfect for this!
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I’ve got quite a stash of leftover quilting cotton. Perfect for these!
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Plaid flannel – how cozy is that?
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I have some really cute fabric sprinkled with sewing notions that would be perfect for these hand warmers!
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I have some lovely flannel fat quarters that would be perfect for the hand warmers. Thanks for sharing this fun projects.
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Fun idea to use all my extra scraps for. I like the idea of having a lining, never done it that way before.
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I would use fun and bright novelty fabrics. This would be a great project to use my scraps.
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Excellent idea! I’m going to be making several of these!
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Flannel! For the extra coziness.
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Being from Southern California, I don’t have much nee for hand warmers. I have made these out of an assortment of primary colors, simple stripes and basic polka dots to help my autistic grandson learn his colors and simple patterns. He loved choosing and tossing the one that was requested . A fun and educational game for any child! Heated up, you could play hot potato ??
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a good nursing home gift or hunters or sports enthusiast stocking stuffier.
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Love the idea of using these for horse bits. Thanks for sharing the idea.
Making from scraps is the way I would go.
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I would use Moda material for this fun project.
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I’ve got lots of cute prints in cuddle fabric and flannel. lisajcowell(at)cs(dot)com
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Embroidering and cotton
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I am using fabric that has fireman theme for this project as our son is a Captain in his area volunteer fire department.
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I would try and use up my scraps and personalize each hand warmer. For instance, one friend loves her cat, another friend has an obsession for shoes, another likes music and country & western; I think you get the idea. For the friends I couldn’t think of anything, that’s when the Christmas material comes in handy. Have a Merry Christmas!
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I would make them from some of my scrap cotton fabric.
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Flannel
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I’d use some flannel scraps I have leftover from a rag quilt. Soft, warm and cozy!
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I just bought a new embroidery machine…..so I would definitely do these in a plain fabric that’s been embroidered on my new machine. I’ve been embroidering EVERYTHING since I bought it :o) I think these would be adorable with snowflakes embroidered on them.
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I would want cotton since it goes in a microwave.
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Perfect for all those fabric scraps from fun quilts that I have made grandkids, kids and friends.
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This will be a great way to use up some of my left over fleece, then decorate with embroidery designs appropriate for the individual.
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I would probably use some fun guitar fabric and make a hand warmer for him to take to work. It might feel nice to heat it up to relax his hands during the day.
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Flannel would definitely feel good on a cold day. I will use some wintery flannel prints. Great tutorial.
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I would make these for my daughter who is a snowboarder and also when she walks her dog.
Will look in my stash and scrap bin. I’m sure there’s some colorful fabric there.
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I think I would try denim with embroidered snow flakes, or redwork snowman. Think the denim would retain the heat a bit longer.
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Well I just love the cute fabric in the example with the pins on it! I have some fabric scraps from aprons I made last year that have cute little handbags and high heels on it, I think it would be cute with that on one side and bright pink cotton on the other side! Thanks for the great idea!
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I would make them out of Polka dot material.
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Would be a great gift to make for some of my chilly friends here in North Dakota.
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Wish i would have known about this when i was working. I think my daughter’s will enjoy them.
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Cozy, warm flannel with a print suitable for the recipient – plaid for a guy, cute prints or stripes for kids and lovely floral for me!
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I have plenty of fleece and flannel “left overs”, and will make them for my daughters and grandchildren all who love being out doors in the cold winter air. (Me, not so much).
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Thanks for another opportunity to win and this great tutorial.
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Cute idea! Thanks.
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I am going to make them out of my Christmas Fabrics that I have been making mug rugs out of. They will go nice with my Hot Cup of Cocoa!
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I think flannel will be my first set of warmers.
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I have some cool sewing theme fabric I would use
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I will use some of my lovely christmassy fabrics as I love this time of the year! Or if all else fails, something with hearts to show that I love that person!
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Cotton and Steel Mustang Arrows in Navy… woodsy and warm
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Soft flannel with a little fire embroidered on top.
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I like using felt for making little projects like the hand warmers. Its easier to use
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Valerie Wells Urban Flannels
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I have some cute holiday fabric.
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Great idea for stocking stuffers. I know whats on my to-do list today!
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Firgot in the early morning hour- BATIKS for these babies!
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I would use some of my vintage fabric stash. I would also fill it with dried feed corn – I’ve found it holds the heat longer.
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My daughter’s favorite is the Grinch, so that is what I will make.
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I have flannel with a cookies print.
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I would try some fleece with sheep on – left overs from a quilt backing for a favourite grandson!
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Felted wool
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I would make them out of minkie. It is soft and fun to feel. Imagine a minkie handwarmer in the
pocket of your coat! -
A fun, lively print
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I think some fun winter fabric would be great!
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school colors of daughters college, and then will make for daughters roommates.
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I would embroider the first initial of each recipient onto one of the antique white lace napkins that I have been collecting to make their hand warmer gift.
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My mom is 89 and her hands are always cold. Making hers out of flannel, probably a pretty blue, as that is her favorite color. Love that lady!
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This is a great idea. I made hot packs like this after knee surgery & worked great. I would use fat quarters from my stash, flannel and cotton. I have some small amounts of material I haven’t used that was purchased for mask too. It will be fun to look through and select some beautiful fabric. Maybe a pattern I am not a fan of & I think I would warm up to them. They will be good to have while sewing in the winter but also because of arthritis to limber up as I sew. Can’t wait to make some. I think they may be on some friends Christmas list also.
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I would use some of my flannel scraps.
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Great idea chrisral! Flannel would make nice and cozy hand warmers! Cheers – Erika
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A flannel would perfect: soft and cozy itself, so an added plus to a hand warmer!
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Perfect suggestion! Cheers – Erika
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Thanks! great gift idea and will use up scrap fabric from flannel baby quilts! perfect 🙂
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I will be using some fleece leftover from pajama bottoms
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I’ve made these in different sizes and shapes for pain relief and foot warmers when I go to bed. I think the computer hand warmers are a nice addition. I’d only make them for Assisted Living friends or relatives but be sure to write heating instructions in big bold writing for heating instructions.
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I would make the hand warmers out of purple pring fabric. Love this idea
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Embroidered linen.