Hot Hot Hot... That's what's going on this week in this part of the country. At least my Cotton Cellar stays a little cooler than the rest of the house, so I'll be spending as much time as possible down there the next few days.
In an attempt to stay cool, I made this Neck Cooling Wrap for my husband. The store-bought one he's been using for the last few years sprung a leak, and while looking for a replacement on-line, I discovered this "make-your-own" tuturial. Turns out I had all the materials on hand, so I didn't have to buy a thing. And it only took a few minutes to make! Much cheaper than buying on-line and paying shipping on top of that!
If you've never seen these before, it's simply a cotton tube with divisions sewn in, and Moisture Crystals in each division. You soak it in a bowl of cool water for an hour or two so the crystals can absorb the water, then wring it out (gently) and wear it around your neck like a bandana. It cools by evaporation and works great! My husband always wears his while mowing the lawn in hot weather.
I only put 1/4 teaspoon of crystals in each section, and this is what it looks like after soaking overnight. Good thing I didn't use more crystals - it might have burst! The tutorial calls for 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, so if you use 1/2 teaspoon don't soak it for more than an hour or two.
Update: Since readers are asking, here's a link to the Moisture Crystals that I used.
Update: Since readers are asking, here's a link to the Moisture Crystals that I used.
After finishing this one, I made another pair of them for friends who were working in their garden in this heat yesterday. Now they can stay cool too!
Cheers!
