1. The Simple Pack

The simplest way to make an icepack at home is to make a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water. You need to combine 3 parts water and 1 part rubbing alcohol in a zip-lock freezer bag. Make sure the bag is ¾ full and contains no air. Leave it in your freezer for about 8 hours to make it usable.

2. The Dish Soap Pack

This idea comes from a blogger who calls herself The Krazy Coupon Lady. Take a 1-quart size Ziploc freezer bag and add a 9 oz bottle of dish soap and ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol. Mix the liquids together and then squeeze out the air and zip the bag. Make sure the bag is no more than ¾ full. Lay it flat in your freezer overnight and use when needed. As the mix never freezes absolutely solid, it’s good for molding around curvy body parts.

3. The Hand Gel Pack

This icepack uses regular antibacterial hand gel. Simply combine three parts water and one part hand gel. Pour it into a zip-lock freezer bag, zip it up and put it in your freezer. Like in the first example, thanks to the alcohol present in the gel, the mixture will never freeze and stays pliable.

4. The Stylish Pack

This DIY ice pack works great and it looks cool as well. Get a pretty fabric and cut two strips measuring 6x18 inches. Pin the right sides of the fabric together and sew the other sides to make a sleeve closed at one end. Add a pile of lentils or rice. Add some dried lavender if you want to make it smell nice. Now sew across the sleeve, creating a pocket. Repeat until you have 3-4 pockets and sew off the end. Toss the pack into the freezer and use when ready.

5. The Attention-Seeking Pack

This pack is highly functional and is sure to gain everyone's attention. Take a small bag and add a couple of tablespoons of glitter to it. Fill it with Karo Syrup, leaving some space at the top. Seal it and pop it in the freezer. That's it – your highly stylish yet functional DIY ice pack is ready.

6. The Spongy Pack

Using dish soap in your freezer bag is one great way of making a DIY icepack, but it's obvious to worry about breaking it accidently. To avoid the possible mess, all you have to do is soak a large sponge in water and put it in zip-top bag. Pop it into your freezer and it should be ready to use in a few hours. The best thing is that the sponge will absorb the liquid as it melts.

7. The Ketchup Pack

What do you do when you only want a small ice pack? Well the next time you’re at the drive through or diner, pick up a few extra ketchup sachets and throw them into your freezer. Problem of tiny ice pack solved!

These DIY ice packs work for when you need to soothe an injury, calm a headache or simply want to cool down on a hot day. As I am writing this, the UK is experiencing its hottest day since 2006. Pass me an ice pack , someone, please!