Relaxing Lavender Eye Pillow
18-by-22-inch (46-by-56-cm) piece of batting
18-by-22-inch (46-by-56-cm) piece of soft fabric, such as silk or organic cotton
Scissors
Needle and thread
½ cup (100 g) uncooked white rice
¼ cup (10 g) dried lavender
15 drops lavender essential oil
Elastic
STEP 1 / To start, cut out two sleep mask shapes from the batting. When sewn together, they’ll form an interior pouch that will hold the rice and lavender. You can create a template for this mask shape by tracing your favorite pair of sunglasses and adding an extra 1 inch (2.5 cm) for seam allowance.
STEP 2 / Sew the two pieces of batting together around the outside edge, using a ¼-inch (6-mm) seam allowance and leaving a 1- to 2-inch (2.5–5-cm) opening.
STEP 3 / Combine the rice, dried lavender, and lavender essential oil in a bowl and stir.
STEP 4 / Use a funnel to fill the interior pouch with the rice-and-lavender mixture. (You can make a funnel by rolling a sheet of paper into a cone.) Sew the pouch closed.
STEP 5 / Use your template to cut two more sleep mask shapes from the fabric. (Since the mask will rest against your face, make sure to choose a nice, soft fabric—try silk or organic cotton.)
STEP 6 / Cut a length of elastic that fits snuggly around the back of your head from temple to temple. Then, with one fabric sleep mask facing right side up, baste (loosely sew together) the ends of the elastic to each side of the mask.
STEP 7 / Position the two fabric sleep masks with right sides facing each other. Sew the masks together with the elastic ends sandwiched between the two masks, leaving a 2-inch (5-cm) opening. Backstitch (reinforce the seam with overlapping stitches) to secure the opening.
STEP 8 / Turn the empty fabric right side out, then stuff the batting pouch inside. Sew the pouch closed.
STEP 9 / Your sleep mask is now ready to wear. To reap the relaxing benefits of the lavender, first warm the mask in the microwave for a few seconds. Always make sure it’s not too hot before placing it on your skin.