. . . mother's day love: simple lavender eye pillow

Whether it's a sweet note in a lunch box, an encouraging hug when we're feeling down, or opening our eyes to the wonder of worms in the dirt and clouds in the sky, there is no one like Mom.  So, Moms, look away now and go get your kids or your partners. This post is for them.

With Mother's Day right around the corner, we wanted to make something simple and special for the amazing moms in our lives. . .

. . . a little handmade goodness filled with lavender scents. . .

. . . and perhaps a few everlasting flowers. . .

. . . perfect for taking a much deserved afternoon nap!

 

Simple DIY Lavender Eye Pillow

Materials:

• Scrap fabric
• Needle and thread
• dried lavender
• sewing machine (optional)

 

Sometimes the simplest gifts are the ones that last forever. When my grandmother passed away years and years ago, my father found a petrified orange covered in cloves in her top dresser drawer. A gift he had given her when he was a small boy, still held dear so many decades later. With this in mind, we designed this project to be as simple or complicated as you would like. If your kids are older they could add a little applique like the printed bird above, or if they are young, they could draw on the fabric with a sharpie. Since the eye pillow itself is just a simple rectangle, even the most basic sewing skills will get the job done.

To begin, cut two pieces of fabric 4.5" x 9.5".  If you're going to add any special applique or stitching, do that before you sew the two sides together. On my eye pillow I used a simple back stitch adaptation where I poked the needle between the two threads of the previous stitch instead of going in directly in front of it.

Once you've finished your decorations (stitches or drawings) put the good sides of the fabric together and sew along three edges leaving one short end open.

Fold the pillow right side out and fill with lavender. You don't want it to be completely full though because you need it to move and bend over your mama's eyes.

When you have the lavender in the pillow, fold in the open end so that the raw edges are inside the pillow and stitch it closed.

If you'd like to add some fabric flowers too, you can find the tutorial for those right here.

 

 

With the Kids: Ask the kids to tell you their favorite things about their mamas. Invite them to pick out the one they like best and write, draw or stitch that onto one side of the fabric for the eye pillow. Plan a sweet breakfast for her and talk about what you would like to do for the day. Perhaps a hike, or some time in the garden? If you'd like to add a few more handmade goodies to the mix these May Day Garden Poppers are great for Mother's Day too!

 

Happy Mother's Day!

xox

~i.c.