Two Questions

[shmi85.livejournal.com]

First of all, I was interested in making my own deodorants. I found the recipes in the memories, but I was wondering what kind of containers to use for a solid deodorants. Obviously I'd prefer to reuse one of the commercial containers, but I'm not entirely sure how to clean it out. Would hot water and soap work just fine?

Secondly, and totally unrelatedly, I was thinking about making a punching bag for my boyfriend so he has something substantial to hit when he's pissed =P Now, I was planning on using the heaviest grade of cotton duck I can find, and stuff it with sand. But I'm a little unsure if my regular sewing machine would stitch several layers of heavy cotton duck, and what kind of thread to use to keep the entire thing together, considering it's going to be getting some heavy wear and tear. Should I line the inside with plastic? Anyone have any ideas?