How to Make a Lavender Eye Pillow

Have some flannel in your fabric stash? Use it to make lavender eye pillows. When placed over the eyes or forehead, they can be used to relieve headaches, soothe tired, puffy eyes, reduce stress and help you fall asleep faster.

I’ve designed these so they can be heated in the microwave, chilled in the freezer or used at room temperature. I prefer to use them heated because it enhances the scent of the lavender.

Make one for yourself, or make a bunch to give as gifts. Here are the super easy instructions.

What You Need:

(2) 6″ x 11″ pieces of 100% cotton flannel
100% cotton thread
A ruler
Scissors
Sewing pins
A sewing machine (This is the machine that I have)
2 cups white rice
Dried lavender

Optional (but nice to have)

An air or water-soluble marker
A self-healing cutting mat
A rotary cutter (I use an Olfa 45mm Deluxe Handle Rotary Cutter)

Warning: Only 100% cotton, non-metallic fabric and thread, should be used if you intend to put these in the microwave. Other materials could catch fire.

What You Do:

Cut out the pieces for your eye pillow; and pin them together, good sides facing in.

Then, sew a one-inch seam around three sides, leaving one of the short sides open for turning and filling.

You want the seams to be sturdy, so I recommend double-stitching them. You can do this by sewing around your eye pillow a second time, or sewing with a twin stitch needle (that’s what I did).

Trim the excess fabric around your seam. Then, turn the fabric right-side out.

Now, measure two cups of white rice into a bowl, and add a handful of dried lavender. Stir until well combined.

Use a funnel to pour the rice mixture into your eye pillow. This will only fill your eye pillow about two-thirds of the way. The extra space is to give the rice room to move around, so it conforms to the shape of your face.

Finish your eye pillow by folding the unfinished seam under, and stitching it closed. I recommend double-stitching this seam, too.

To Heat:

Simply microwave your eye pillow for 30 seconds. Then, test the temperature before applying it to your face. To reheat, microwave for 10-second intervals until you reach the desired temperature. Do not overheat. Overheating could cause burns, or burn the heating pad.

To Chill

Stick your eye pillow in a freezer bag, and place in the freezer.

Gift Idea

Pair your eye pillow with a matching microwaveable heating pad for a truly stand out gift. This one doesn’t match, but you get the idea.

Want Me to Make an Eye Pillow for You?

I just added eye pillows to the shop.

More Hand-Sewn Gift Ideas

These microwaveable hand warmers make excellent stocking stuffers, friend gifts and co-worker gifts, and they take hardly any time to make. You can even cut them out of an old flannel shirt.

These reusable food wraps, made from fabric and beeswax, also go over well.

So do these microwaveable soup bowl cozies.