10 Aug How to Make Herbal Pillows

by Emily LoTurco

Herbal Pillows are useful, easy and fun to make, and require very few materials. The ones described here are 6 inches long and 3 inches wide, but feel free to make them all different sizes, just make sure that you adjust the amount of filling to the size of the pillow.

Be creative in how you use them!

• They can be great air fresheners: put them in your gym bag, the trunk of your car, or your dresser drawer to keep things smelling fresh.
• They can be heating pads: place them in the microwave for 30 second intervals at a time until they are the temperature that you like. Use them on your back, your neck, or wherever you are feeling sore.
• They can be for relaxation: choose a relaxing scent, such as lavender, and place them on your forehead or temples when you are winding down after a long day, or when you need to take a moment for yourself.
• They can be gifts: they are handmade and unique. Put special care and thought into the herbs that you choose for the person you make them for. Just make sure to check for allergies.
• They can be for inspiration: choose a plain fabric and embroider your favorite inspirational quote into it. Fabric marker works too. Choose a scent, such as orange, that has a warming and invigorating quality.

Materials

• Fabric, 6 by 6 inch squares
• Filler: your choice of rice, buckwheat, flax, quinoa
• Dried herbs, crushed into flakes
• Needle and thread
• Few drops of essential oil (optional)

Directions

1.  Take your square piece of fabric and fold it in half with the inside of the fabric facing out.
2.  Sew the two long sides and one short side together, leaving one short side open so that you can put in your herbs and your filler.
3.  Turn your pillow right-side out, so that the nice side of your fabric is on the outside and the seam is on the inside of the pillow
4.  Fill your pillow ½ to ¾ of the way full with your choice of filler, then add your herbs. For a stronger pillow, add more herbs and less filler. To make the herbs that you have go farther, add more filler, less herbs.
5.  (Optional) Add a few drops of essential oil. A few drops can go a long way.
6.  Fold down the unsewn edges of your pillow and stitch together the opening.

Other considerations/ideas

• Make a pillowcase to go around your pillow.
• Add a bit of fixative to your pillow. Examples would be: musk, ambergris, or civet.

Herb Ideas

For more herb ideas, check out: http://bristen.com/teasChart.htm. Remember to always check for allergies!