Hey there~ I thought I'd pop in for a wee tutorial about my new BFF, The Lavender Eye Pillow.
A few months ago my eyes were really bothering me, so much so that I took my concerns to a doctor. What I learned was that my eyes were (duh) fatigued. Which no doubt has much to do with reading so many blogs and scrolling through pages, on top of daily computer use for photo-editing and designing. There is no magic cure for this except the obvious, spend less time in front of the computer, or make that work environment easier on the eyes, so to speak. After my vacation I bought a little home pedicure set and I have made a point to spend less time at night with my laptop and you know I feel much better.
In addition to these small changes I got myself one of those awesome gel freezer eye masks, sounds like heaven....but a little to cold and it doesn't rest easy on your face (but my kids find it hysterical). I browsed Etsy for a eye sachets and such realizing that I had everything I needed to make one right here, so I'm guessing you might too.
This is about as easy as it gets for diy projects, and although I have machines and sergers, a needle and thread works just fine too.
You will need::
1. need/ thread/ sewing machine
2. fabric, I used soft cotton jersey, but most fabrics work, just stay away from anything "scratchy" or stiff
3. 1-3 cups of raw rice, depending on the size of your pillow and how full you would like it.
4. lavender essential oil, or dried lavender, my mom has lavender in her garden and gave me a bunch to dry, simply leave it where it can dry naturally, it only takes a few days or so, or you can purchase it.
* tip you only need a small amount, a little goes a loooong way here.
To Begin, cut your rectangle of fabric, I made mine 9x4 to make some room for seam allowance, and because I preferred it a little larger. Sew right sides together leaving room for an opening to fill with rice and lavender mixture. After sewing turn right side out. Fill with your rice and lavender small amounts at a time to gauge how you like it. Stitch opening closed.
Done (wasn't that easy?)
You can use this a few ways, zap it in the microwave a few seconds for a soothing aromatherapy effect, for the eyes or neck or wrists. Or pop in the freezer for a bit depending on how cold you like the feel, the nice thing about the rice is it rests nicely and I haven't found the freezing to be "too cold".
*tip put it in a zip lock bag before freezing, or it might smell more like lasagna than lavender.
If you try this let me know in the comments section...i 'd love to know if there is anything I can add or change, good luck!
