Craft tutorials and free templates

DIY Ice Pack

My sons have broken up for the summer holidays (yay!) and have six weeks off school. They are 4 & 6 (and only 14 months apart) and are always fighting getting into scrapes. On the second day of the holidays my eldest son rode his bike into a tree – I really could have done with an ice pack but we had to make do with a soggy cloth instead! Next time I will be more prepared!

DIY Ice Pack // minieco.co.uk

RECIPE
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+ 2 x ziplock bags
+ Antibacterial hand gel
+ Water
+ Food colouring (optional)

HOW TO
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1. Mix one part hand gel to 3 parts water. Add food coloring to make it look a bit prettier (also helps to identify freezer leaks!).

2. Pour your mixture into a zip-lock bag. Squeeze air out and seal the edge. You can double-bag or triple-bag your ice pack to safeguard against leaks.

3. Pop your ice pack into your freezer. Because the hand gel has alcohol in it, it won’t freeze solid but will stay as a gel (or as a pliable solid).

4. When you need to use your ice pack just pop it in a sock or wrap in a tea towel and press it against the bump/bruise. You can even sew a little cover for it if you want.

OTHER RECIPES
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There are several other recipes across the web, I didn’t have the right ingredients to hand, but you may:

Recipe 1: Rubbing alcohol & washing up liquid
Recipe 2: A frozen saturated sponge inside a ziplock bag
Recipe 3: 1 part cheap hair gel, 1 part rubbing alcohol
Recipe 4: Vodka & water (I can think of better things to do with vodka though!)

Here’s wishing you all a fun and injury-free summer holiday!

Kate x

10 thoughts on “DIY Ice Pack

  1. Too true! I find it hard enough to waste frozen peas on an injury let alone vodka – ha!

  2. Thanks Emma…I tried to comment on your latest post but don’t have open ID credentials so couldn’t 🙁

    Sorry to hear about your blogging dilemmas. I completely empathize – I am very haphazard too. Blogging really seems to have turned into big business over the last few years……and I think there is too much pressure on bloggers to post more often (and to adhere to strict timetables and put themselves under enormous amounts of pressure).

    Like you, I really just do it for enjoyment…when it starts feeling like a job rather than hobby I’ll stop!

    Have a lovely trip to America (slightly jealous – haha!)

    Kate x

  3. Brilliant!
    And to make it more attractive for the boys (my girls never wanted me to put ANYTHING on bruises until we got it) put it into the pirate cover I made 😉
    Thanks a lot for sharing!!

  4. wooow this is a super cool smart handy idea. I have always laying inside the freezer a beanbag in plastic wrappings, My movements aren’t any more like an adult have, it’s because of the inside damaging inside my neck. So often i hurting my arts or legs and head by my own clumpsyness.
    But i think your idea is much smarter because after an hour the beansbags aren’t cool anymore.
    it don’t leak, but it will help less time, so i think your idea is much funnier and cooler to use.
    thank you for the great cooling idea, i hope your son is well again.
    You’re rock girl!!!!

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