How to Make a Neck Relief Pillow
Thousands of us suffer from stress every day, and we often carry that stress in our neck and shoulders. The pain caused by this stress can range from uncomfortable to debilitating. Pain medications like aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen are helpful, but often take as long as 40 minutes to bring relief. However, a neck relief pillow can immediately alleviate pain and help you relax. Neck relief pillows are easy to make with a few simple materials and some basic sewing skills.
Things You'll Need
- For Easiest Neck Relief Pillow:
- 1 pair large men's tube socks
- Needle and thread or sewing machine
- Dry, uncooked rice
- For Dog Bone Neck Relief Pillow:
- 1/4 yard cotton fabric
- Matching thread
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Polyfill
- Needle
- For Snake Neck Relief Pillow:
- 1/8 yard 36-inch fabric
- Thread
- Polyfill or dry, uncooked rice
Instructions
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Easiest Neck Relief Pillow:
You will make two neck relief pillows with these instructions: one that can be heated and another that can be chilled. Take a pair of men's tube or sport socks. Fill with dry, uncooked rice. It will take approximately 1 to 2 pounds of rice to fill each sock. Sew across the top with a needle and thread, or use a sewing machine's running stitch. Sew across a few times to prevent rice from leaking.
To heat your neck pillow, place it in the microwave on high for about 2 minutes. To use as a cool compress, place neck pillow in a plastic bag (a zip-lock bag works best) for at least 1 ½ hours. Place either warm or cool neck pillow on the back of your neck for relief.
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Dog Bone Neck Relief Pillow:
Cut four tapered side pieces and 2 round end pieces from your material. With right sides together, stitch two of the tapered pieces together. Add another side, right sides facing, and stitch. Finish by adding the fourth side, then stitch the whole strip together. You will have four seams. With right sides together, pin one of the round ends around the edge of the "dog bone" shape and stitch. Pin the second side and stitch, leaving a 3-inch gap. Turn right side out and stuff with polyfill. Make sure the stuffing is quite firm to offer maximum support to your neck and head. The more polyfill you add, the firmer your pillow will be. After filling, use a needle and thread to stitch the opening closed.
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Snake Neck Relief Pillow:
Cut a strip of fabric 7 inches wide from a piece of 36-inch-wide fabric. Fold in half and stitch along one short side and the long side of the fabric, leaving the end open. Turn right side out. With this style of pillow you have the choice of filling with dry, uncooked rice to use hot or cold, or filling with polyfill. As in the dog bone pillow, when using polyfill, make sure the stuffing is dense. After filling, stitch up the end. The snake pillow is versatile--it can be wrapped around the neck or bent in half to offer varying degrees of support and relief.
If you fill this style pillow with dry, uncooked rice, heat or cool as you would the tube sock style.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep a rice-filled relief pillow in the freezer to be ready for use at all times. Dog bone style pillows are great for long car or plane trips to relieve stiff, sore neck and shoulder muscles. The snake style is also great for travel--hold an end at the base of the head so it falls along the spine to the base of the tailbone. Lean against it. This pushes the shoulder blades back and gives relief to stiff shoulders.
