Creating a DIY neck cooling wrap is a quick and easy project that helps you stay cool on a hot summer day. Perfect for working in the garden, walking the dog or just sitting and doing some stitching!
All you need is a strip of fabric 4-1/2 inches x 44-45 inches and some water beads. I purchased my water beads from Amazon. You may be able to find them at garden centers. Water beads are polymer crystals that hydrate and hold water for quite a long time. As they slowly release the moisture it provides a cooling effect on your neck. These are sometimes referred to as water crystals.
How to Sew a Neck Cooling Wrap
Learn how to make a neck cooling wrap with our step-by-step directions. This is a quick and easy project to help you keep your cool.
Beat the summer heat with your own cooling neck wrap!
Materials
- 4-1/2 inches of cotton fabric that is 44-45 inches wide
- 1/2 teaspoon water beads; NOTE: Keep water beads safely stored away from children and pets.
- Scissors or rotary cutter to cut fabric
- Thread for sewing
Tools
- Sewing machine
- Iron
- Pressing surface
- Straight pins
Instructions
- Gather your supplies to make your neck cooling scarf.
- Fold your fabric in half lengthwise, with right sides together, and sew a straight line along the long edge with a 1/4-inch seam allowance.
- Press the seam open, centered on the back of the scarf. NOTE: I found that by pressing this open the water beads seem to flow easier into place.
- Turn the neck cooling wrap right side out.
- Press again, centering the seam on the back of the wrap.
- Fold the wrap in half and mark the center.
- Stitch across the wrap at the center point.
- Make sure to double stitch at the beginning and end of the stitching line. You don't want the water beads to move around too much.
- Carefully place 1/8 teaspoon into the fabric tube from one end. Lift up the open end and shake the beads down to the stitching line. Using your fingers, feel down the tube to make sure all are near the stitching line. It's easy to gently nudge any that are caught. NOTE: I used a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon and filled it half full.
- Mark 4-inches from the center seam.
- Sew across the neck wrap, securing the water beads in that first section. Repeat a second time on that side of the scarf, forming two pockets on one side of the center point of the wrap.
- Fold in the fabric on the end and topstitch closed to finish the end of the wrap.
- Go through the same process of adding 1/8 teaspoon of water beads to the other open end of the neck wrap. Form a 4-inch pocket, add another 1/8 teaspoon of water beads, stitch again at 4-inches and then finish the end. Now you have a neck cooling wrap that is ready to be soaked in water.
- Fill a sink or bowl with water and soak your new cooling scarf!
- And, using a bowl to hydrate four neck coolers.
Working with water beads
When working with water beads, make sure to keep them away from children and pets. The 1/8 teaspoon of water beads in a 4″ section of the neck cooling wrap fills the wrap when hydrated. Lean towards using FEWER water beads. If you use too much, you may get ‘gel ooze’ from your neck wrap.
I like to keep the water beads double-bagged in a ziplock bag. When measuring, be careful not to spill them. TIP: Place the fabric tube in a large bowl or tray when adding the water beads to make sure none get loose.
Hydrating your neck cooling wrap
To hydrate your neck cooling wrap for the first time, place it in a large bowl of water or a sink of cool water. Let it hydrate 4-8 hours (or overnight). I could use it at 2 hours, but it wasn’t fully hydrated.
To make it even cooler, you can hydrate and store your neck scarf in your refrigerator in a bowl of water, or a large ziplock bag with water. Also, you can use ice water if you are taking it on the road with you. You won’t need as much water to store a previously hydrated scarf.
When you no longer need your cooling scarf, let it dry at room temperature. Do not put it in a plastic bag to dry – it may mildew. Leave it open to dry. Once it is completely dry, store it flat in a dry location until you are ready to hydrate it again. Then, hydrate as outlined above.
How to wear a chilled neck scarf
Take your neck scarf out of the water. Gently squeeze the ends without the water beads to remove excess water.
Wrap the scarf around your neck so that the center seam is at the back of your neck. If you’d like, you can gently tie the ends in front of your neck.
Ideas and tips for making and using neck cooler wraps
These make great gifts for anyone who spends time outside on a hot day – from sports enthusiasts and athletes, to gardeners and people who work outside. It’s a great way to use up novelty prints you just had to buy! Or buy some specifically for someone’s hobby! They are great to have for a summer trip to amusement park on a hot day.
Can I wash the neck scarf? Yes! Hand wash and rinse it under cool water to remove any dirt or sweat. Don’t put it in a washing machine – it could make a mess. If it is stinky from sweat, use a mild soap and rinse well.
If you have a turning tool, it makes it easier to turn the tube right side out. It’s also easy to turn using your hands. A turning tool makes it easier for arthritic hands.
What fabrics are best for making my cooling neck wrap? Any cotton fabric with a tight weave works well. Quilting cottons and batiks are perfect! Cotton materials help wick the moisture from the water beads to your neck, keeping you cool.
If you’d like, you can add hook and loop tape, like Velcro, to the ends of your wrap to make it more secure when you are working or moving with your scarf.
Have a football player, weight lifter or wrestler in your life? Make them an extra-large neck wrap by adding a third pocket on each side of the center seam for their larger neck.
Browse through more sewing projects on Create Whimsy.
