DIY Cooling Neck Wrap

Beat the heat and cool off with an attractive neck cooler scarf.

Since the weather has been extremely hot, it was time to beat the summer heat with an easy-to-sew cooling neck wrap. This is a very simple sewing project that even a beginner sewist can handle.

This DIY cooling neck scarf is lightweight, affordable, easy to use, has an adjustable tie closure and is comfortable to wear. 

All that is needed to make our neck cooling wrap is to cut one piece of fabric and tiny water beads that when soaked will plump up with water, expand and then release the moisture slowly.  No pattern to print!  No pattern to pin on the fabric.  

When can you use these cooling neck wraps?

• Working outside when it is hot
• Lounging in the summer sun
• Cooling down after sports activities
• Yard work
• Indoors in a home without an air conditioner
• Outdoor cookouts and picnics
• Outdoor concerts and sporting events

If you want to learn how to sew a cooling neck wrap; simply click on the link below to go to a YouTube video tutorial.  In addition, you will find a full written photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions below.

INSTRUCTIONS for the cooling neck wrap:

STEP 1: choose and cut fabric

This project is a wonderful scrap buster because you just need a single long strip of fabric for the cooling scarf. 

When choosing the cotton fabric make sure it is colorfast fabric so the dyes won't bleed onto clothing or skin.

Most bolts of cotton fabric are 42-44 inches wide, so with a rotary cutter, ruler and mat or scissor just cut a strip of fabric 5 inches wide across the width of the fabric from selvage to selvage. Then from the folded edge measure across 21” and cut.  The fabric strip should measure 5" x 42".

My favorite tool when cutting strips is the Quilter's Slidelock.  The Quilter's Slidelock with its small bumpers holds the fabric securely ( no slipping or sliding of fabric), protects fingers from the rotary cutters blade, and most importantly, is easy to use.  On this page learn more about the Quilter's Slidelock.

STEP 2: cut cooling scarf ends diagonally

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise with the right sides touching so it is 2 ½” x 42”  Do not press; simply fold.

Measure 1” from the right bottom corner and place a chalk or pencil mark. Then line up a ruler at an angle from the one-inch mark to the top corner.

Cut the fabric diagonally.

This will make a nice pointed end on the finished neck wrap. 

Repeat on the left side of the neck wrap.

STEP 3: Sewing neck wrap

With the strip still folded in half lengthwise with right sides together, fold or measure to find the center of the strip and place a pin.

Measure 3″ to the right of the center pin and 3” to the left of the center pin and place two pins close together at these spots. These pins indicate where you will leave an opening for turning the strip right side out.

Pin or clip the rest of the edges and ends together.

Using a straight stitch and a ½” seam allowance, start sewing by backtacking at the folded corner.

Stitch until you are ½” from the long bottom edge. With the needle down, pivot the fabric and continue stitching with a ½” seam allowance until you reach the first set of pins for the opening.  Stop sewing forward, sew a few stitches backward to backtack and remove the fabric from the sewing machine.

Skip over to the next set of opening pins, backtack and then continue sewing stopping when you get ½” from the edge, with the needle in the fabric pivot, and continue sewing to the folded edge, backtacking to finish.

Trim all four corners making sure not to cut the stitching.

STEP 4: Press strip

With an iron, press open the end seams.  Also, press open the seams a few inches on the long side.

Separate the fabric and press the long seam open with the point of your iron.  Don’t press down on the folded sides; just the seam.

While pressing the long seam, make sure to fold the edges of the opening over ½” and press.  This will make sewing the turning opening closed easier after filling the cooling neck wrap with the water beads.

Step 5: Turn the cooling wrap right side out

Next, turn the neck wrap so it is right side out.  An easy way to do this is to push in one of the ends using a long, blunt tool, such as a knitting needle, chopstick or point turner to push the fabric out through the opening.

Use the pointy end to push out the corners before pulling the rest of the fabric through the opening.

Repeat with the other end so the whole strip is right side out.

With an iron, press the entire band flat making sure the opening seam allowances are pressed inward.

STEP 6: Mark pockets

Now it's time to mark and sew the pockets that will hold the water beads.  Once again, fold or measure to find the exact center of the strip and place a pin. With marking chalk, mark a line across the strip widthwise at this center point. From the center mark, measure and make a line 4” and 8” across the band to the right with chalk. (see above photo)

Repeat on the left side of the center pin.  Measure and mark a 4” and 8” line.

Next, stitch across the width of the strip from top to bottom on the center chalk line and the two outermost chalk lines (the 8-inch lines).

For extra strength, double-stitch the seams by turning the fabric and stitching over the previous stitching. Remember to back tack at the beginning and end.

Right now you are only double stitching three chalk lines (the center one and the two 8-inch lines).

Step 7: Insert micro water bead

For this project, I used tiny micro round water beads which are the size of a pinhead. At the end of this article is a link to the product used. 

The fabric strip opening is now divided into two pockets but will be divided into four pockets after all water beads are inserted.

Let's start with the right-hand side outermost pocket, insert a 1/4 teaspoon of water beads into the opening and make sure that they slide down to the 8" sewn line.

Take the strip to the sewing machine and double-stitch a seam on the 4" chalk mark.

Now insert another 1/4 teaspoon of water bead into the left-hand opening and make sure that they slide down to the 8" sewn line on the left side.  Again go to the sewing machine and double stitch a seam on the 4" chalk line.

Finally, insert 1/4 teaspoon of water beads in each opening pocket and make sure the beads are along the fold. Edgestitch the opening closed with your machine.

The cooling neck wrap is finished except for activating. The above picture is the finished neck wrap before activating the beads.  Look how flat it is.

STEP 8: directions for using neck cooler

To activate the cooling neck wrap, soak the neck cooler in a bowl of cold water until the water beads in the four pockets expand and the pockets bulge.  The first soaking may take as long as two to four hours.

After soaking for two hours, below is a picture of the neck cooler.  The beads have soaked up a lot of water and the sections of the neck cooler are very plump.

When the pockets are plump, it's ready to use. Remove the scarf from the water, allow to drip and then lay it on a hand towel to absorb any excess water.

Wrap the cooling neck wrap around your neck and tie it loosely in place.  Enjoy the cool slow release of moisture for hours.

The neck cooler can be re-soaked and used again and again.

Just one is not enough!!!  Make a few so you can wear one while one is soaking.

How do you store the cooling neck wrap?

When not in use, dehydrate to store.  Simply allow the beads to shrivel up to almost nothing.  This allows you to store the wrap flat until the next time you need it.

How to care for neck wrap?

Hand wash only with mild soap.

How to make cooler neck wrap for a child?

If making this project for a smaller adult or child, create a strip 5" x 32” long. Make the turning opening only 5" wide and create 3-inch pockets instead of 4-inch.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make cooling neck wraps.  Be sure to pin, bookmark and share.  Make sure to check out some of Needlepointers.com's other videos on our YouTube channel. While you're there, please subscribe to our channel so you don't miss future craft projects.

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Before you go, check out some of our other beginner sewing projects:

• Cord Wrap
• Denim Jeans Bag
• Simple Tote Bag
• Fabric Pocket Tissue Holder