An Oklahoma City bus driver is warming her school community by making handmade hats for the students she sees every day as the winter season approaches.
For Tina Hutcherson of Putnam City Schools, creating these hats is her way of making sure the children on her bus stay warm and cared for.
Tina has worked with students for many years. She first served as a school bus monitor before becoming a driver in 2013.
Today, she guides more than 100 students daily, ranging from elementary school children to high school teenagers.
She believes a driver is one of the first people students meet each morning, so she makes sure to greet them with a smile.
In her view, starting the day with kindness is essential, and giving them handmade hats adds another layer of care as winter approaches.
Handmade hats started with one simple, caring idea
The project began with a heartfelt wish. Tina wanted to ensure that none of her students were without something warm during the winter.
She felt the children on her bus deserved comfort on cold mornings, and handmade hats were the perfect way to help.
Her daughter gave her a new knitting machine for her birthday earlier this month, and that gift became the spark she needed.
Tina, a 63-year-old mother of four, has been knitting and crocheting since she was 12. However, the new machine enabled her to work much faster, making a large project possible.
When she tried the machine for the first time, everything became clear.
“I knitted one, and it took about 30 minutes to 45 [minutes], and I was like, ‘Oh Lord, I gotta make all my babies some hats on the bus now,'” Tina told ABC News.
That moment inspired her to start creating handmade hats in her evenings, despite her busy schedule as a bus driver.
Each hat became a small act of love toward the young riders she sees every day.
Knitting helps the driver relax after a long day
For Tina, knitting is more than a task. It helps her slow down after driving the bus all day.
She has always felt calm when her hands are moving, and making something for her students makes it even more meaningful.
“My hands have to be moving when I’m at home all the time. So, when I get home and change clothes, I’m crocheting, I’m knitting. It just kind of relaxes me,” Tina said.
This quiet time at home gives her a chance to unwind while preparing handmade hats for the students she cares about.
Each piece is carefully crafted with warmth and a desire to bring comfort during the winter.
Students respond with joy as handmade hats brighten their winter days
So far, Tina has completed 25 handmade hats for the younger students on her route.
These elementary children reacted with excitement, and many created thank-you cards to express their happiness with the winter gifts. Their small notes meant a great deal to her.
To make the hats even more personal, Tina lets the youngest students choose their colors. Many of the hats are reversible, giving kids two bright choices in one warm item.
This slight touch shows how well she knows her students and how much she wants them to enjoy their winter hats.
Her bus has become a place full of smiles and gratitude. The handmade hats have strengthened the bond between the driver and the students, showing how kindness can brighten even the coldest winter days.
More handmade hats coming as winter continues
Tina made more handmade hats for her middle school riders; she didn’t stop knitting, even during Thanksgiving week.
She said she is happy to continue, even though the work takes time, because she wants every child on her bus to feel prepared for the winter season.
For Tina, being a bus driver is about more than getting students to school safely. It is also about showing them care, comfort, and kindness.
Through her handmade hats, she is reminding them that they matter—and that someone is thinking of them long before the bus doors open each morning.
Watch the full KOCO 5 News feature to see how these handmade hats and one caring bus driver are making winter a little warmer for her students.
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