Zakka Hand Warmers (Sort of...)

So I had planned to make a pair of the hand warmers for this week's Zakka Style project. I even worked on a detailed embroidery idea for the front and started sewing. Then I suddenly thought, what am I doing? This is Southern California -- I live on the edge of a desert. Hand warmers just aren't going to get much use in this household. However... if you take one of these little rice pouches and place them in the freezer, you have an instant cold compress for bumps and bruises. And with three little girls in the house, we have constant high demand for that sort of product.

Since they're going to be used primarily by my daughters, I decided to use prints from Michelle Brummer Everett's adorable Monsterz collection for Cloud 9. The girls are quite enamored of these little critters, and they'll make a good distraction when someone is crying over a new injury. To make certain that the rice will not somehow escape the fabric, even when handled by kids, I went ahead and sealed up both the inner and outer pouches. My edges are not the neatest -- I was in a bit of a hurry at the time and didn't take as much care as I should have with those curves -- but these are sturdy little packs. I think they're going to hold up well over time.

I pulled them out of the freezer tonight after dinner, and they were an instant hit with the family. Everyone amused themselves with the "let's name that project" game. The top choices were "boo-boo buddies" and "ouchie pouchies." Call them what you like. I'm just glad to have them done and ready for the next minor emergency.

Linking up to the Zakka Along.