How to Make an Herb Pillow for Sweet Dreams

Wouldn't it be nice to have a magical pillow that smells like a lush field in the mountains or a bouquet full of flowers? As simple as they sound, herb pillows are just as easy to make. All you need are a bundle of dried herbs, thread, a sewing needle, and cloth. However, putting a pillow together can be tricky. You need to sew the stitches tight enough so that the herbs don't leak through. Other than that, making an herb pillow is pretty easy and they make great homemade gifts. Herb pillows are useful for relaxing you and relieving mild symptoms of a cold and headaches. You can literally change your mind with different aromas. Mint clears your sinuses. Cinnamon is warming and stimulating. You can customize the scent of the pillow by carefully choosing the blend of herbs you want to use. Remember that each herb has its own unique properties. For example, lavender induces relaxation while lemongrass invigorates the senses. Just like a good meal, you need to choose your spices carefully in order to make the meal come out right. Now let's make an herb pillow!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• cloth that you want to sew
• nylon or cotton thread
• dried herbs (lavender, rosemary, sage, etc.)
• scissors
• masking tape (to hold two cloth pieces together)
• pencil or marker
• ruler

1. Lay the cloth out flat on a table or the floor. Use your ruler and pencil to sketch out the dimensions of your pillow (for example, 6 inches by 4 inches makes a nice small eye pillow). Make two congruent rectangles.

2. Cut out your designs. Lay them on top of each other. Take the corners together. Now make a few stitches about a half inch from the edges on two sides that join at one corner.

3. Remove the tape. Start filling the pillow up with herbs (not all the way, you will add more later). Go over the stitches you made and go ahead and stitch a total of three sides well. Add some more herbs. Now you may sew up the last side. Cut off any excess cloth and there you have it; a sweet dreams herb pillow!

4. How to use your new herb pillow: Heat it up in the microwave with a little sprinkle of water on it. This will bring out the intensity of the aromas. This especially potent with mint. Breathing in the mint vapor through your nose is a soothing and effective method of clearing the sinuses and reducing headaches.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't wash your pillow. It's mostly a decorative/aromatic device.