If you live somewhere prone to colder winters, rice hand warmers make a great, practical gift.
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Last Edited: September 9, 2024
I hate winter. I have the misfortune of living in a place where the winter temperature can reach -40 degrees. (Did you know that -40 is the same in both Celsius and Fahrenheit?)
If you live somewhere prone to colder winters, like me, rice hand warmers can be a lifesaver when you have to leave the warmth of your home and venture out, whether it’s to school, the office, or the store. Just pop these reusable hand warmers in the microwave to heat up, and then keep them in your pocket or your gloves when you go for a walk, go out to shovel snow, or just need to warm up a little. When the heat is gone, throw them in the microwave again and they’re ready to use again!
How do rice hand warmers work?
These lovely little hand warmers are so easy to use! You simply pop them in the microwave for half a minute or so, and then carry them around in your pockets or your mittens.
Because every microwave is different, I’d recommend doing some heating tests. Start with 30 seconds, and if they aren’t warm enough, add more heat in 10-15 second intervals until you know what works for your microwave and your hand warmers. Heating time varies depending both on the microwave as well as the size and fullness of your hand warmers.
How long do they stay warm?
In my experience, about 20-30 minutes. Of course, this will vary depending on how you carry them – just in your hand, vs. tucked into your pocket – and what the weather is like outside.
Can I extend the amount of time they stay warm?
You could potentially make your warmers out of insular cotton batting. Something like this Pellon Wrap-N-Zap. I haven’t tried this, so I can’t speak to how well it works. But if you do, let me know in the comments!
How to Make Quick & Easy Rice Hand Warmers
Supplies you’ll need to make a pair of rice hand warmers:
- Cotton Fabric: One fat quarter of quilting cotton will be enough to make one pair, possibly two, of hand warmers. You can make them whatever size you want, although I wouldn’t recommend anything bigger than 5″ x 5″. The hand warmers in this tutorial are 5″ by 3.75″. It is very, very important that your fabric is 100% cotton. Nothing else is microwave-safe. You can get your cotton at your local fabric store, but you can also find lots of options on Amazon like this Christmas fat quarter pack.
- Cotton Thread: I generally choose a color that matches my fabric. MAKE SURE that your thread is 100% COTTON. Nothing else is microwave-safe! This package is great as it has multiple colors and they’re all 100% cotton.
- Rice: Any rice will do. I picked up the package I used in this tutorial at Dollar Tree and used 1/2 of a cup of rice for each hand warmer, so a total of 1 cup.
- Funnel: You need something to help you guide the rice into the hand warmer. I recommend a metal or plastic funnel, which you may already have in your kitchen. If not, you can pick them up at pretty much any dollar store. You can also construct a basic funnel by rolling some paper and taping it, it just won’t be as sturdy as a proper funnel and you may spill rice everywhere. (Learn from my mistakes!)
- Other Sewing Essentials: A sewing machine, sewing clips, scissors or rotary blade and cutting mat, and a ruler.
Safety Note: As mentioned above, your fabric and thread must be both 100% cotton. Not a blend. This is super important. If your thread says “100% Mero Cot” or “100% Mercerized Cotton”, that is fine.
Directions
Step 1
Gather your materials! I have some cotton fabric that I picked up at a local fabric store, my cutting mat and rotary cutter, and some long-grain rice I got at Dollar Tree.
I also have the gray cotton thread. Normally I would use red thread to match the fabric (you’ll see why later…) however, while I had red thread, I had red POLYESTER thread. Not Cotton. Your fabric, and your thread, must be 100% cotton for this project.
Instead of going out to buy red cotton thread, I opted to use what I had. (I regretted that, later, though.) Not shown is the funnel that I used, or the pins/clips.
Step 2
I’m making two hand warmers here, so I need four pieces of fabric. I cut four pieces of this red Christmas tree fabric. My pieces are 5″ x 3.75″ each. You can make your rice hand warmers larger or smaller, but I find this is a great size for adult hands.
Step 3
Time to start assembling your hand warmers!
Grab two of the pieces you’ve cut out and lay one on top of the other, pretty (patterned) sides facing.
Step 4
Next, you’re going to sew the pieces together, 0.25″ away from the edge of the fabric. Make sure to leave a gap (about 1″) at the top for turning and filling. Then turn it right side out.
Step 5
Use something pointed to push out the corners. I generally use plastic chopsticks for this purpose. I found some at the dollar store ages ago and they’ve been a must-have in my sewing supplies box ever since.
I’d recommend using a small iron or heat press to get them nice and flat, and those corners super crisp.
Step 6
Next, slide your funnel into that spot you left open to turn the fabric right side out. Pour rice into the hand warmer. The amount you’ll need depends on how full you want it. You want to leave some room for the rice to be able to move around/shift inside. You also need to leave about an inch of space at the top.
Step 7
As I mentioned in step 6, I left about an inch of space at the top. Then I clipped the tops closed before adding a line of pins to help hold the rice away from the top of the pouch. You don’t want to accidentally sew over some rice. These extra pins kept them contained and away from the opening.
Step 8
Now sew the little fabric pouch you’ve made closed. At a minimum, you need to close the spot you left open for turning. For that extra bit of security, to make sure I didn’t leave any room through which bits of rice could escape, I chose to sew all along the top.
Step 9
You’ve now made one rice hand warmer! Repeat steps 3-8 to make the second hand warmer so you have a lovely little pair of them.
Step 10
And that’s it! You have a super cute set of microwavable rice hand warmers. Toss them in the microwave to heat them, and then carry them in your pockets to keep your fingers warm!
Who will you make a pair of rice hand warmers for?
These hand warmers make excellent gifts, particularly in regions where the weather can get quite cold. Anyone who has to spend time outside would appreciate these. For example, safety patrols, crossing guards, and teachers who have to supervise recess. They’re also great for people who love to walk or hike, and they make great classroom gifts or stocking stuffers.
Of course, they’d also be a great gift to make for yourself! I have a few pairs of my own, but have given many as gifts. They’re always well-received, particularly as I live somewhere that gets brutally cold in the winter.
I’d love to know if you gave this tutorial a try. Let me know in the comments.
And for more fun DIY gifts, check out my post, 6 Simple DIY Gifts That You Can Make on a Budget. I also have tons of other free patterns and tutorials in my Free Resources Archive so don’t forget to check that out too!
