In the heat of summer, wouldn't we all love a portable way to stay cool? If you find yourself in a situation where you need to be moving or outdoors, and can't just sit in an air conditioned room or in front of a fan, here's a solution. Cooling neck bands!
My sister is a talented seamstress and works in the garden department at Lowe's, so she made these for herself, and a number of years ago she gave me one to wear when I needed to stay cool. In retirement, I decided to spend time using up my fabric scraps on projects that could help other people, and given the summer was in full swing, decided to start making these. So far I have shared them with my landscapers and farmers in the area.
The instructions follow:
First of all, you need three pieces of fabric, six inches wide. Two should be about 12" long, these will be the ties. The other should be 18" long. I wouldn't be too particular about these lengths, and I have made one from 5" wide fabric. After all, I am trying to use up scraps!
After cutting the fabric, iron it in half lengthwise, with right sides together. Sew the long band along one long edge, leaving both ends open. The "tie" pieces should be sewn on the long edge and at an angle to close one end.
Turn each piece right side out and iron them. For the long straight piece, iron under about 1/2" on each end.
Slip the raw edge of one tie inside the ironed edge of the long piece, and sew it securely.
Sew a seam lengthwise down the middle of the long piece. I end about 1/2" from the end so I have room to slip the last tie piece end. Now for the fun part!
There is a product called "Soil Moist" that is sold in garden stores. It's typically added to dirt so it holds moisture better. This is what we'll use to make this neck band hold water, then we'll freeze it to make it cold.
Add about 1 teaspoon of Soil Moist into each side of the long piece. You may need to experiment a bit with the amount to use. I ended up adding about 1/2 tsp additional to each side to make my neck wrap fully expand.
Next, sew the other tie on the other end of the long piece, sealing the end so the Soil Moist doesn't come out. Use the same approach as the first tie above. Ta-da, you're done!
The sewing is the hardest part. Now, here's the fun part. You'll soak the whole band in water for several hours or overnight. I learned to distribute the Soil Moist first, because it expands while soaking. You should end up with a neck band that is "full" but still bendable. You may need to adjust the amount of Soil Moist used next time.
I bend it into a "U" shape and freeze it. Then it's ready for use! You wrap it around your neck and use the ties to keep it in place. It cools your "pulse points" and keeps your whole body cool, magically!
To re-use, simply refreeze it. If your Soil Moist loses its expanded state, simply resoak it. Mine does this when I leave it in the freezer for a long period, such as over winter.
Enjoy!
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