A Guide To Making Home Made Lavender Neck Wraps

By Krystal Branch


Overworked muscles can build stress and develop a lot of pain leaving you feeling very uncomfortable. There are various ways to relief sore muscles and one effective method is use of lavender neck wraps. These products are common in local and online stores but one can make in their homes too. The ingredients are readily available and this gives you a good reason to try preparing yours any time you are in need. Below are simple steps to help with the process.

Choose a proper fabric for use to prepare this product. You can buy some materials from the shop but fabrics like old socks, towels, shirts and others could be recycled. Of importance is to make sure the chosen fabric does not have any metals that could catch fire when heating the wrap. A good choice would be a large sock that is thick as it is already sewn on the sides and one end thus reducing labour.

Use a fabric tape measure to get measurements of your neck. In order to account for the seams, it may be necessary to add 0.5 inches to the measurements. For those not willing to measure, work with a width of 5 inches and length of 20 inches. This is a standard size for most necks.

Choose a proper filling for this wrap. Oatmeal, barley, flax seeds and long-grain white rice are among common choices for home-made heat wrap. When using rice, avoid instant type as it may cook when put in the microwave. The choice of scent plays a major role in aiding relaxation. In this case, essential oils containing lavender could be mixed in a large bowl with other spices where necessary. Keep this for one to two days and make sure to stir regularly so that the scent could distribute evenly.

Use the measurements taken earlier to cut your fabric into the desired size. Make allowance for the seams. Those using a sock or towel need not go through this step. In case of a fabric with both inner and outer sides, cut into rectangles both the cover and lining material. Make the lining about 0.5-inch smaller.

Fold the material lengthwise, with the inside facing out. Secure it in place with a pin across the open length and both ends so the seams will hold together while you sew. Use a needle and thread or a machine to sew the length and one end. Keep your stitches tight so that small grains of rice will not poke through. Sew the other end and leave a one-inch (2.54 cm) opening at the end of the remaining seam.

If you choose to sew an inner and outer bag, leave an open end on the latter. Besides, the outer bag requires regular opening when heating the inner. Through the 1-inch opening left when sewing the second end, turn the material right-side-out. Fill your sack with the scented grains to three-fourths or half full using a funnel. This makes the wrap to take the shape of your neck once in use. You can close up the rest of the seam using a zipper.

The inner bag is heated using a microwave for 90 seconds or till it is warm enough. You can warm at intervals of 30 seconds. The warm bag is then wrapped around the sore muscles on your neck or shoulders for about 20 minutes. Repeat the process until you feel relieved. The fabric on lavender neck wraps ought to be washed and the grains replaced after every three to six months depending on your frequency of use.




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