How to Make a Dream Pillow to Fit Your Decor

Dream pillows have been used for hundreds of years to help people sleep. The pillows are filled with herbs that help a person relax and ones that mask the unpleasant aroma omitted from the helping or healing herbs. Although these can now be purchased from herbal stores, those tend to have a combination of herbs a person does not like or are very dull in appearance. Making your own ensures you get the herbs you feel are the most pleasing to your senses, fabric that feels good to you, and you can make them to accent your bedroom, living or any room in your house.

To make your dream pillow you will need:

-12 inch by 24-inch piece of fabric (this will be the outer cover) (your choice of print and type of fabric-be sure to match it with your room decor)
-12 inch by 24-inch piece of muslin fabric (this will be the inner pouch that holds the herbs)
-1 yard of 1-inch wide lace trim (optional)
-Scissors
-Sewing machine or needle and thread
-Iron
-Quart jar
-Pencil
-12 inch ruler
-Funnel

Press the 24-inch printed fabric to remove all wrinkles. Next, lay it out, wrong side up. To make a 10-inch circle, use the ruler and measure 10 inches from the left edge to the right and mark with a small dot on both sides. Measure 10 inches from the top edge to the bottom and mark with a small dot on both sides. Draw an even circle to connect the dots and cut out the circle. This is the top of the pillow cover.

Fold the remaining fabric in half and draw a 10-inch half circle (you can use the first circle as a pattern-just fold it in half), with a one and one-half extension on the straight edge and cut out. These two pieces make up the bottom part of the pillow cover.

On the bottom pieces, turn the straight edge under one-fourth inch and press with the iron. With the sewing machine or hand sewing, stitch a one-eighth seam along the folded edge. If you are adding lace, you can baste it to the folded edge. Make sure the finished edge of the last is pointing outward or toward the pillow center.

Pin the pillow cover top and bottom sections right sides together, evening up the round edges. Overlap the straight edges (opening) of the bottom section, and stitch a one-half inch seam all the way around the pillow. Trim and clip seam and turn right side out. Press the seam flat with the iron and set pillow cover aside.

Using the same technique above, cut two, nine-inch round circles out of the muslin fabric. Sew the two sides together, leaving a three-inch opening.

In the quart jar, thoroughly mix your herbs of choice. Dried hops flowers are the ones that help you relax and sleep better, so be sure to add one cup to your herb mixture. Hops is also the one that does not have a pleasing aroma, so you may want to add more pleasing herbs such as one-fourth cup of dried rose petals, chamomile flowers, rosemary, and lavender (be sure to add several different ones). Essential oils such as lavender and rose can also be used (approximately 14 drops).

Insert the funnel into the opening of the muslin inner section and fill with herbs. Stitch the opening closed, and insert the herb bag into the pillow cover.

Your dream pillow is now ready to use. Because these tend to be lumpy, put them under your main pillow or beside it. When the herbs lose their aroma, simply replace the inner herb bag with a new one. The inner herb bag can be removed for easier cleaning.

Sources: Personal Experience, Gifts for Herb Lovers