When my boys were little, I often repeated the adage, “The days are long, but the years are short.” For Mother’s Day, I wanted share a tutorial for making a soothing neck pillow, perfect for relaxing after a day of chasing those adorable little ones or trying to keep up with teenagers on the go.
I prefer to use 100% cotton for the pillow because polyester could melt if the microwave gets too hot. However, it’s nice to have something snuggly next to the skin, so I use soft Minky for the removable cover. This also means the cover can be washed. For the fabric design, I selected Flower Pattern by kostolom3000. A handful of dried lavender adds a soothing scent. To prevent the flax seed from drying out with repeated use, spritz the pillow with a bit of water before heating in the microwave.
Materials
- Fat quarter of 100% cotton fabric
- Fat quarter of Minky
- Flax seed – approximately 4 cups
- Handful of dried lavender
- Thread
- Ribbon
How-To:
1. Cut the 100% cotton fabric to 12” x 26”. Fold in half, lengthwise so it measures 6” x 26”.
2. Sew one short side and the long side, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. I recommend two parallel rows of stitching to prevent those tiny flaxseeds from escaping. Turn it right side out.
3. Fill the pillow with flax seed and lavender. It’s important for the filling to have some wiggle room. If the pillow is too firm, it won’t snuggle nicely around your neck.
4. Fold in the raw edge of the opening and stitch closed with two rows of stitching.
Now it’s time to break out the pretty fabric! I chose Minky because it feels so cozy and cuddly.
5. Cut the Minky to 13” x 27”. Just like the plain cotton, fold in half lengthwise, with right sides together, and sew one short side, then the long side.
6. Turn right side out. Take a moment to pet the soft Minky.
7. Turn in 1/2″ inch hem and stitch.
8. Cut two 8 inch pieces of ribbon. Sew one ribbon on each side of the opening. I like to create a little box with my stitching to secure the ribbon.
Warm the 100% cotton pillow in the microwave. Since all microwaves heat at different levels, experiment with your microwave to determine the proper heating time. Once the pillow is pleasantly warm, slip it into the Minky cover, tie up the pretty bow, and let the relaxation begin.
P.S. Father’s Day is right around the corner and dads love these neck pillows too.
wow!!! this is so cool))))) thanks for choosing my design)))
Hi Serena,
Sure! You can certainly use rice.
Best,
Allie
I have a neck ‘pillow’ (although I use it more as a heat source when my neck’s tight) which is filled with rice. It’s not a pretty one like this (it’s actually a lovely tall volleyball sock!) but it DOES answer your question, Serena, about whether rice works or not: it does. I’ve heated this thing a million times and the rice just keeps on keepin’ on!
Is it important to use flax seed instead of something else like rice? Thanks for sharing I hope to make one for mom!