3-in-1 Winter Warming Accessory (Hat/Mittens/Neck Warmer)

Do you live somewhere where the weather is so unpredictable that it's impossible to pack all the winter accessories necessary to keep warm?

Or, do you have a small child who needs a hat and mittens one minute, and another combination of head and hand warmers the next?

Then this new 3-in-1 Winter Warming Accessory is a snowy season MUST HAVE!

It's a hat with mittens; neck warmer with mittens; or a hat with ear warmers all in one convenient winter accessory!

All you will need is:
- 1 piece of fleece 25"x20"
- Scissors
- Needle
- Matching (or contrasting if you're getting creative!) Thread
- Pins of some sort (not safety, they will be more hassel than they are worth)
- 1 piece of paper
- Pen with a pocket clip on it (clicker type pens work the best)

This project shown is a "hand sewn" project, but could easily be whipped up on a machine with very minimal machine skills necessary!

I hope that you enjoy this fantastic frost fighting invention!

Step 1: Neck Warmer

We start with the neck warmer...

Take your 25"x20" piece of fleece and fold it in half "hot dog" style (you should be folding the 20" side in half)

Cut your fabric in half at the fold.

You should now have two 10inch pieces of fleece (10"x25")

Take one half for the neck warmer, and set the other half aside.

With the neck warmer piece, fold one long edge to create a 1 inch hem. Pin your 1 inch hem down so that it makes stitching easier.

Begin to hand stitch the edge of the hem to the base of the fabric. Be sure to keep to the very edge of the hem because this hem will be used for a drawstring.

After finishing the 1" hem, move to the bottom of the piece of fabirc where you will do a simple rolled hem no larger than 1/2" to finish off the edge of the fabric.

After both hems are finished, fold your piece "hamburger" style so that both 10" edges are back to back.

Stitch these two edges together, leaving the 1" hems open (rememeber, we need to install a drawstring!)

Step 2: The Hat (installing the Drawstring)

With the hems of your neck warmer done and the edges stitched together to form a fleece "tube" of sorts.

Your 1" hems should still be open at this point.

With your unstitched 10"x25" fleece piece, cut a 1" strip (1"x25")

Grab your "click pen", loosely tie one end of the strip to the pen's pocket clip.

Gently feed the pen (un-clicked) through the 1" hem to create the "drawstring".

Once you have the strip fed through the hem, tie a knot in each end so that the drawstring does not slip back into the hem.

You have now completed the neck warmer & basic hat formations!!! Congratulations :)

Only a few more steps and we will be ready for snowmen!

Step 3: Mittens!! (get the Kids Involved)

Mittens are a hands on project!

Get a piece of paper (notebook, printer, whatever will fit an outline of yours or your child's hand)

Place the hand on the paper in a closed finger "mitten" formation with the thumb outstretched from the other fingers.

Trace this hand  & wrist deliberately.

After you have traced the hand, you now can make a mitten template by using a straight edge and your pen/pencil.

Position the straight edge aprox 1/2" from each side of the hand (not including the thumb).

Gently round the top of the "mitten" from straight line to straight line making sure to leave at least 1/2" between each finger and the edge of the template.

Similarly, trace around the thumb ensuring to leave the 1/2" inch for mobility and hem room.

Cut the template and pin it onto your now 9"x25" piece of fleece (you are cutting 4 of these, so it will be best to fold the piece in half and cut two pieces at a time.)

**TIP: try to cut your mitten pieces as close together as your are able to. You will need the excess fabric for the next step!!!**

After you have cut 4 pieces total (or made 2 cuts with the fabric folded in half), place on cut mitten side "face side down" ontop of a corresponding mitten side "face side up" (you should have two pieces with the "faces" together)...do this to the other 2 pieces as well. **it's a good idea to lightly pin each "mitten" together so that they don't shift while stitching them**

Stitch each mitten (DO NOT stitch the bottoms!!!). Stitch with no more than 1/4" hem.

You have now completed the neck warmer, basic hat formation aaaannnnnd the basic mitten formation!!!

Embelishments/Fasteners are left on the list before you can head out to the snow!

Step 4: Tie Knot Fasteners

We need to make a way for the mittens to attached to the hat!

With your remaining fabric scraps, cut 10 pieces of 1"x2.5" fabric

Tie each of these pieces into a knot (it should look like a little bow tie!)

Put the hat on your model to figure out placement of ear flaps. Pin the mittens to the hat (mitten edge 1" above the bottom of the hat)

Mark (with a pin) 1" inside the edges of the mitten (you would have 2 pin marks on the mitten, but also make sure to mark these spots on the hat with pins as well)...do this for both mittens.

Detatch the mittens from the hat (you should have 4 pins on your hat, 2 for each mitten)

Tack a knot in the location of each pin.

Make verticle "slits" on the mittens where each of the pin marks are (the slit must go through both sides of the mitten)

Attach your mittens to the hat by slipping the knots through the slits in the mittens

Tuck the thumbs into the mitten so they don't stick out

Tada! You now have a hat with ear warmers!!!

Additional embelishments and "conveniences" optional on the next step.

Step 5: Emelishments

If you would like for your mittens to fasten together under the chin, use two of the remaining knots made from the previous step.

Cut two thin strips of fabric (quarter inch is good) 3" long.

Fold the strips in half to make "loops" and fasten them to the back side of the knots.

Now fasten the knots to the finger ends of the mittens. I placed it 1" back from the tip of the mitten on the top side.

Additionally, you can take the remaining knots and tack them to the bottom of the hat (spaced the same width as the mitten knots) for a complete look.

You can also try to use ribbon for the drawstring and buttons for the fasteners!! If you want to get creative and fancy :) Your kids and get involved and pick out things that they like too!!!

I hope that you enjoyed this instructable!! Now go out and make some snow angels!