Our family is going to see the lights at the Toledo Zoo tomorrow night! We can’t wait to begin this new tradition! Full disclosure: I’m probably way more excited about this than my kids. The lights are breathtakingly beautiful, and it just so happens to be the location of my husband and I’s first date! The only thing that could make it better would be snow, and that wish is coming true — the first snow storm of the season is underway as we speak. While I love the cold and snow, I have to make sure my little ones are toasty warm outside. So, I gave their muddy little coats and snow pants a good wash, along with their Elmer Fudd hats, and I realized I didn’t have a way to make sure they didn’t lose their mittens on our grand adventure.
Two pairs of mitten keepers!
So, I whipped these little “mitten keepers” up! I already had everything I needed in my sewing basket; all I had to do was take some measurements… ha! In case you didn’t know, trying to measure a toddler’s wingspan is pretty near impossible. I held arms out; my husband measured.
We got close enough. And they are absolutely perfect!
Materials
Project Time: 5 minutes
What you will need:
• Twill tape or ribbon, cut to the desired length (for my two year old’s, I used 34 inches. To measure, hold arms out and measure wrist to wrist, this will give you the appropriate length.)
• A two-pack of suspender clips. (These run around $3 a pair. I purchased a bulk lot from Amazon.com)
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
Clips pinned on
Begin by cutting the twill tape or ribbon to your desired length. Then, run the tape through the loop on the suspender clip and pin it in place. Give yourself about an inch of overlap to sew.
Sewing on the clips
Sew a straight line, and then back-stitch it. Move over about a 1/4 inch and sew another straight line and back-stitch once more. Repeat on the other side. Trim your strings.
Mittens safe and sound
Now, run them through your little one’s coat sleeves and clip their mittens on! I think I might even make myself some, because nothing is worse than having to take off your glove when working outside, thinking you stuck it in your pocket, but finding instead that it fell into the mud or, even worse, the manure! Next time I make these for my boys, I plan to make the length adjustable so that they can grow with them. These ones will last quite a long time, though; it wont be long until our youngest can use them, and I have a new niece or nephew on the way, too!
Enjoy!
Rachel is a gardener, beekeeper, wife & mother of three wild and crazy boys, and lover of all things homesteading. Visit greenpromisegrows.com to see more!
