How to Make a Durable Cold Pack to Ease Sore Muscles

With a sewing machine (no fancy stitches required) or the determination to sew by hand, you can make your own durable and reusable cold pack to ease sore muscles.

The size you choose is up to you, you can make this as large or as small as you need or simply make several of different sizes for all occasions.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• raw rice or beans
• pillow case or scrap fabric
• sewing machine
• thread
• needle for hand sewing

1. First you need to determine how large or small you want to make your durable cold packs. The size you choose is totally up to you. Personally I have several of various sizes for whatever ache I need to cool.

2. 
    
   Consider the size you want your finished durable cold pack to be before cutting your fabric.

   Next you will cut your fabric to be aproximatly 1-2 inches larger than you want the finished product to be in both length and width.

3. Using your sewing machine or hand sew (if you are so inclined) the two pieces of fabric together leaving a small opening on one end.

4. Once it has been sewn most of the way around you will not turn it inside out so that the seams you just made are on the inside.

5. 
    

   Fill the pocket you just made with rice or beans. Not too full, you want it to have some give once you sew the opening closed so that your durable cold pack can mold around whatever body part hurts that you wish to cool.

6. Next you will hand sew the pocket closed, by first turning the seams inward and then closing the opening in your durable cold pad. Once it is closed you will want to squish it around to insure that you did not fill it too full.

7. 
    

   Now you can place the durable cold pack you just made into the freezer. It will be ready for use in 1-2 hours. If you made more than one you can switch them as needed during use.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider making several durable cold packs of different sizes.
• You can place them into ziploc bags to keep them clean and fresh.
• If there is any chance your durable cold packs could get wet or soiled you can place them inside of a ziploc baggie and then wrap with a towel or cloth.
• I was just reminded by a friend that you can use crushed walnut shell instead rice or beans in your cold pack. I bought a 50# bag at the local bird store for $15
• Never use a cold pack (or heat pack for that matter) for longer than 20 minutes. After that time the body can no longer tell if it is too cold and can cause thermal injury

Resources

• Code 3 offers discounts to police and fire personell
• What is Aquaponics???

[jfjones]

on 4/25/2009 Who knew? Simple and quick. Good info.

[fossilhunter]

on 4/24/2009 Awesome tips on making cold packs! 5*

[grove]

on 4/9/2009 I use cold packs for sore muscles all the time and it's so useful to know how to make one myself. Thanks!

[goldiec]

on 4/9/2009 Thanks for sharing this article on making a cold pack for easing sore muscles. Every now and then I need this. 5*

[athome]

on 4/9/2009 How to Make a Durable Cold Pack to Ease Sore Musclesthanks for this I just got a workout injury and need to do this. 5