How To-87" "How to Make a Herbal Pillow"

How to Make a Herbal Pillow

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Herbal pillows are a great use of alternative medicine and can be used for many uses from helping to put a baby to sleep to the relief of headaches.

Steps

1. Cut your fabric into two square pieces. Each piece should be the same size as your finished pillow plus half an inch seam allowance. A six-inch square is good, but you can make it any size you choose.
   
2. Place the right sides of the fabric pillow facing each other. Sew them together along three sides, leaving the fourth open for stuffing. Turn the sewn fabric the right side out and press with an iron.
   
3. Place your choice of herbs in a bowl and add your fixative. Different mixtures of herbs are used for different things:
   
• Restful herbs - Chamomile, hops, lavender, rose petals, lemon verbana and mint
  
• Herbs for a crying baby - Lavender, catnip and mugwort
  
• Herbs to induce dreams - Balsam needles, lavender, rosemary, sweet marjoram
  
• Herbs to relieve headaches - Chamomile, lavender, rosemary
  
• Herbs for romantic slumber - Sweet marjoram, lavender, rose petals, lemon grass
  
4. Leave your pillow in an air-proof bag for at least a day before you use it. This allows the scent to strengthen and enhances its therapeutic effects.
   
5. At bedtime or naptime, tuck your herbal pillow inside your regular pillowcase, or just lay it beside you.

Tips

• A fixative will help your dried herbs retain their fragrance much longer. Fixatives include: musk, ambergris and civet
  
• Your cotton balls help add soft fullness to your herbal pillow
  
• Many of the herbs that are used in making potpourri can be used to make your herbal pillow.
  
• Make a pillowcase for your finished herbal pillow from luxurious fabric.
  
• Make a quick herbal pillow by placing half a cup of herbs in a 3/5-inch drawstring bag. Draw it closed and tie the strings.

Warnings

• If you intend to give the herbal pillow as a gift, make sure its recipient does not have any allergies to the herbs you use.

Things You'll Need

• Linen or muslin fabric
  
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
  
• An Iron
  
• Herbs of your choice
  
• Fixative
  
• Cotton balls
  
• Decorative fabric trim

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