DIY Lavender Eye Pillows

I went to a yoga studio last week that ended the practice by having you lay down with a flax seed eye pillow scented with lavender.  It was so relaxing, I really had a hard time staying awake!  The yoga instructor said that the weight of the flax seed in the pillow stops your eyes from moving while your eyelids are closed, which helps to relax you.  Plus the fragrance of the lavender makes you breathe deeper, furthering the relaxation even more.  I thought, I really want one of these at home!  I went to Amazon to buy one, and the pretty ones were as high as $18 each.  So, I knew that I could whip one up quickly for a fraction of that price!

First, I mixed up my filling.  I used flax seed and real lavender buds that I had purchased from a lavender farm earlier this summer.  I used about 1/4 cup of lavender buds and 10 ounces of flax seed for one pillow. I just used some packaged flax seed that I had in my pantry from the grocery store. 

Next, I cut a 5" x 21" piece of fabric.   If you have a 42" wide fabric, you will have enough for two eye pillows.

Fold this in half along the short side and then double stitch the long edges in a 1/4" wide seam, leaving an opening at the short side.  I recommend double stitching because the flax seeds are tiny, and you don't want to risk them pouring out through a broken stitch!

 

Then you can turn this right side out, and press.  Press under the seam allowances on the open end.  

Take a funnel and pour in the flax seed/ lavender bud mix in the open end.

Carefully take the filled pillow to the sewing machine, and double stitch the end closed.  I say "carefully", as on my first one, I was not so careful, and now I have seeds all over my sewing table!

And that's it!  If you don't have lavender buds, you could use some lavender oil.  You can adjust the amount of lavender to your preference.  The fragrance is pretty strong with 1/4 cup, so 1/8 cup might be better.  I do anticipate that the fragrance will dissipate after a while though.  Next time I make these, I think I will use a muslin for the main pillow, and make a removable cover so that it can be washed, in case any mascara or eye make up rubs off on it. 

I think that these are going to make great gifts! It takes so little fabric, so you can splurge on some really pretty prints.  If someone is sensitive to fragrance, you could make it without the lavender, just the flax seed and it would still be quite relaxing.

Happy Sewing!

Ann