Aromatherapy has long been used for relaxation. You can harness this power by making your own herbal neck pillow. You can heat the pillow in a microwave for an added muscle-relaxing boost or you can just chill out and let the herbs do all the work.
Things You'll Need
Scissors
Muslin
Sewing needle
Thread
Filler
Dried herbs
Fabric
1-inch Velcro strip
Instructions
1
Cut a piece of muslin to 24 inches by 18 inches. Fold the fabric in half to 12 inches by 18 inches; the pillow will have a double layer of fabric to ensure that it stays strong.
2
Fold the muslin in half again to give you a piece of fabric that is 6 inches by 18 inches. Sew three of the edges together. Leave one end open so you can fill the pillow.
3
Turn the pillow inside out to hide the stitches. Fill it about halfway with your choice of filler. This can be buckwheat, flax seeds, rice or even dried beans. Smaller filler works best.
4
Add your choice of herbs to the pillow, filling about half of the space that's left. Herbs for relaxation include lavender, chamomile, rose and lemongrass. Sinus-clearing herbs include peppermint, clove, spearmint and cinnamon. Sew up the last edge of the bag.
5
Create a cover for the pillow by cutting a piece of fabric to 14 by 19 inches. Fold it in half to make it 7 by 19 inches and sew together the two long edges and one short edge. Turn the pillowcase inside out to hide the stitches.
6
Cut a piece of Velcro to six and a half inches and sew the pieces into the open short end of the pillow case. Insert the muslin herbal neck pillow and seal up the Velcro. Heat in the microwave at 30-second intervals until it reaches the desired temperature.
