Creating a Lavender & Flaxseed Therapeutic Pillow

Jenny Perez, Garden Supervisor, Bastyr University

Lavender is a lovely and versatile plant that has many therapeutic and uplifting properties. Since ancient times, this plant has been used to calm the nervous system, acting as a sleep aid. Lavender is relatively easy to grow in our climate making this an exceptionally simple and low-cost project.

Flax seed used in this craft provides a cooling effect and also molds to the contours of the part of the body the pillow is being used on, for example, eyes, shoulders or lower back.

For a pillow large enough to use on shoulders or back, stitch together 2 rectangular pieces of material 24-inches by 16-inches and use enough flax seed and lavender flowers to achieve desired scent and fullness.

What You'll Need:

Silk fabric

Needle

Thread

4 oz. of flax seed

1 oz. of lavender

Getting Started:

Cut two pieces of silk fabric, about 6 to 8 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. Make sure both pieces match up perfectly when laid on top of each other. If they do not, trim one accordingly.

1. Lay the fabric pieces on top of each other, right sides together. Sew the two fabric pieces together, along two long sides and one short side. Leave the remaining short side free of stitches. Turn the pillow right side out.
   
   
2. Fill the pillow about half-full with flax seeds. Keep it on a flat surface so the seeds don't spill out before you sew the remaining side. Do not stuff the bag. There should be lots of room around the seeds.
   
   
3. Add the lavender to the interior of the pillow. It will mix with the flax seed and emit a gentle fragrance over time.
   
   
4. Fold in the edges on the remaining open side of the pillow, hand stitch the side shut using small stitches. Make sure to stitch thoroughly to avoid seeds spilling out of the pillow. Enjoy!