Materials:

·        "Magic Crystals" - the watering crystals you put in the soil of your potted plants.  They swell (alot) with water and then give water off slowly to the plants, or to a hot neck in our case.   Can be found them at national chain: W-M in the garden department called "Moisture Plus".  One jar will make MANY neckcoolers...costs about $7-8 )

·        Material and matching thread - Troops in Iraq and Kuwait are wearing desert camo; troops in Afghanistan are wearing green camo.  44" wide material is a good length for around the neck.

Directions:

·        Wash the material before beginning the project

·        Slice up whatever amount of material you've got into 3 1/2" strips (by 44")

·        Fold lengthwise, good sides together, and sew together, leaving one end open and tapering the other end to a point.

·        Turn the sewed strip inside out so that you have the good side visible.  Now you will make pockets for the crystals. 

·        Sew a line widthwise about 14" from the tapered end.  Pour into the open end 1/4 tsp of crystals and make sure that they slide down to your sewed line.

·        Measure 4" and sew another line widthwise, making that first pocket about  4" long. 

·        Do this 3 more times until you have four pockets filled with crystals. 

·        Now just sew up the open end, and you've got a SUPER-DOOPER NECK-COOLER

   Caution: 

·         You may be tempted to add more crystals to each pocket, thinking that more is better.  However, these crystals swell alot, and packing them too tightly will leave your soldier with something that won't bend enough to go around his/her neck.  (1/8 tsp swelled to about 1/3 cup of gelatinous balls for me.) 

·        You might decide to make your neck-coolers a bit wider but remember that many of our soldiers are wearing kevlars and flak jackets.  This does not leave much room around the neck. Better perhaps to let them wear two than send one that is too big and makes them uncomfortable. 

·        All the soldiers have to do is soak the coolers in water for a few minutes until they swell and then tie them on...first soaking might take five minutes or more.

·        The crystals eventually wear out and will not absorb as much water.  However, they should last a month or two.

Beware: Escaped crystals are slippery when wet!!  Sweep up or don't spill