Cheap Hacks for Keeping Cool This Summer

DIY Air Cooler

We found several homemade air cooler designs that take fanning yourself to the next level. The 5 Gallon Bucket Air Cooler delivers ice-cooled air anywhere you want it. Sometimes referred to as a "swamp cooler," the 5 Gallon Bucket Evaporative Cooler lets you harness the cooling power of water evaporation to help keep the summer heat at bay.

Soda Bottle Sprinkler

Blackout Curtains

UV light coming through your windows contributes to the heat in your house, so block those rays with blackout curtains. Imperfectly Polished shows you how to sew up your own sun-defeating window treatments featuring a classy color-block stripe.

Cooling Neck Wrap

For long-lasting wearable relief from the heat, Sew4Home offers this tutorial on sewing cooling neck wraps for you and your family — even the dog! You'll need water-absorbing crystals and the coolest fabric you can find.

Cooling Necklace

If you'd prefer a design with a little more whimsy, Snotty Dog Creations can help you whip up your own fun and funky, reusable cooling necklace. This design uses the same water-absorbing crystals, but require less sewing.