Crafting - Dream Pillows

[Alura Noel]

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Crafting - Dream Pillows
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Dream Pillow, Not Filled Yet. Picture Source



Dream pillows have been used for centuries. By using a blend of specific herbs and flowers one is said to be able to experience vivid and meaningful dreams as well as receive relief from nightmares. Today we acknowledge the research that proves the smell of herbs, flowers and essential oils can have a positive effect on our ability to relax, mental health, and our dreams.

The practice of placing herbs under one’s pillow dates back centuries, and was originally done to protect against evil, calm bad dreams, foresee the future, bring good dreams, or conjure a lover into one’s life. Babies were often given small pillows filled with herbs to help calm them or to ease crying during the bedtime hours. They have also been called sleep or comfort pillows, and they were filled with relaxing herbs. No matter the reason, herbal pillows are beneficial for adults, children, and pets.

The scent of the herbs in these dream pillows will not be as strong as a potpourri, it will definitely be more subtle. The hope is that they will promote a more restful sleep and ward off bad dreams. If you, or someone you know, has trouble sleeping when traveling, bring a dream pillow with you to as a sleep aid.



To Prepare an Herbal Pillow:


1. Select a piece of fabric, preferably cotton or another natural fiber (perhaps muslin) * A mesh bag can be used as an insert for a dream pillow which the blend goes into so the pillow can be washed or the herbs switched out easier.

This is the perfect opportunity to use leftover fabric scraps, vintage pillowcases, bandanas, or scarves.



2. Wash and dry the fabric, and cut it into whatever shape you wish.

Squares (5”x 5”) and rectangles are simplest, but you can also sew whimsical animal pillows for children and other fun, inspired forms.



3. Create a blend of sleep or dream inducing botanicals from the lists below or craft your own mixture with fragrant herbs that you find especially calming, relaxing, or that evoke nostalgic, pleasant memories.



4. With the right sides of the fabric together, stitch along the edges, making sure to leave an unsewn space along one side. Once finished stitching, flip the pillow out through the unsewn space, and fill with your herbal blend.

Note: Be sure not to overfill. The sachet should go unnoticed slipped inside the pillow case.



5. Finish the pillow by sewing the open area shut.

For a sewing-free option, use cotton muslin bags or scraps of fabric tied tight with twine or yarn. * If using a mesh insert, you could sew really small buttons onto the dream pillow to close the bag or use Velcro.



To use: Sleep and dream pillows can be tucked inside, under, or next to pillows where they will emit their fragrance throughout the night.

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Herbs and Flowers






Sleep pillows are great for all ages and for those who have a difficult time falling asleep. For a blend that encourages deep sleep, blend any of the following herbs:

Catnip: Relaxing, helps bring deep sleep.
Chamomile: Calming, relaxing, and said to keep bad dreams away. * People prone to allergies may want to test this out first before mixing it wth other herbs to see if there is a reaction.
Hops: Relaxing and brings peacefulness.
Lavender: Soothing, relaxing and eases headaches.
Lemon Balm: Relieves stress, anxious and nervous feelings, insomnia, stress, and headaches.
Rose petals: Brings warmth and love.
Rosemary: Traditionally used to bring deep sleep and keep away bad dreams.
Sweet Marjoram: Calms restlessness and nervousness.
Passionflower: Used as a mild sedative in herbal medicines, passionflower adds a quieting effect to the dream pillow. Flowers and leaves are both used, but flowers are preferred.
Calendula: Used to induce restful sleep.
Lilac: Use lilac for sweet, safe, and peaceful dream mixes, in small amounts. It's also good in mixes for the sickroom, and for travelers' blends. In larger amounts, lilac adds sensuality.




Dream pillows are for those who want to enhance their dreaming or wish to remember their dreams. To create a blend that encourages dreaming, blend any of the following organic herbs:

Catnip: Relaxing, helps bring deep sleep.
Chamomile: Calming, relaxing, and said to keep bad dreams away.
Cloves: Brings warmth and an exotic feeling to dreams, add only 2-4 per pillow.
Hops: Relaxing and brings peacefulness.
Lavender: Soothing, relaxing and eases headaches.
Lemon Verbena: Uplifting, used to add “lightness” to dream blends.
Mugwort: Greatly enhances lucid dreaming and helps with remembering of dreams.
Peppermint or Spearmint: Enhances clarity and vividness in dreams.
Rose petals: Brings warmth and love, may be used to evoke romantic dreams.
Rosemary: Traditionally used to bring deep sleep and keep away bad dreams.
Mint: Just a small amount of mint works like a tuning knob on a television. It adds clarity, vividness, and color to dreams.


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Pets


You can make pillows for your favorite furry friends too! Not only will the aroma appeal to your pet, but these herbs are also known as natural flea deterrents.


*Something to try before making a pillow for your pet is to let them sniff the different herbs to see which they like the most and then include larger portions of those herbs in your blend.


Cats:

Chamomile, valerian, catnip (for sleep pillows)- These herbs have a fragrance that cats enjoy, plus they help deter fleas.

Also other herbs cats love:

Cat Grass (dactylis glomerata)- Great not only for cats to help with digestions, but for dogs, guinea pigs and bunnies, too. You can buy seeds at Sprout People.
Lemongrass (cymbopagon) - Kitties love the smell of lemongrass, so if you're growing some for yourself, grow some extra for them to gnaw on.
Catmint (nepeta x faassenii) - Gorgeous plant with purple blooms, attracts not only cats, but butterflies and bees, as well!
Mint family - Cats can be attracted to mint, while mice are deterred by peppermint. So, if you want to make your furry friends happy and lessen your chance of having a mousy gift left on your front doorstep, peppermint might be just the ticket.
Valerian (valeriana officinalis, valerianaceae) - Has a similar effect as catnip and is a mild stimulant. Commonly has white or pink flowers.



Dogs:

Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme– Dogs like the aroma of these herbs and they help keep fleas away.



*Why I didn’t include wormwood and pennyroyal from the original source of this post?




Tips and Warnings:

-Dream pillows help you drift off to sleep naturally. Simply insert a dream pillow inside of your pillow case.

-If using dream pillow with babies, you should place the pillow under the crib sheet to avoid a choking hazard.

-The herbs in the pillow will maintain their scent for years. You may want to store them in plastic bags when you are not using them to maintain the scent longer.

-Organically grown flowers and herbs are preferred for dream pillows.

-A few herbs you may want to avoid, secondary to their ability to cause frightening dreams and/or headaches, include: Artemisia (except for mugwort) should be avoided, as many kinds of artemisia can cause frightening dreams and, after waking, headaches
Bay laurel leaves sometimes causes headaches upon waking
Russian tarragon frightening nightmares.
Sage leaves Sage can create a haunting feeling in dreams. However, garden sage and clary sage blossoms can be used in small amounts in dream blends.
Tansy can cause violent and terrifying nightmares, can also produce headaches upon waking.)
Vetiver root.



-Oils are not usually recommended. Oils are highly concentrated and can overpower other herbs if you add too much.

-Fixatives are not recommended for use in dream blends. These include cellulose (processed corncobs) and orrisroot. Since they contain some fragrance they may change the texture of the dream blend, making the results unpredictable. Orrisroot can also cause headaches upon waking.

- You can use crystals in your dream pillow if you want to (but remember, you gotta sleep on this…)



*Also, a few other things to try are positive affirmations ("I will remember my dream tonight"), Teas or any drinks that are soothing and promote sleep, Dream-y Sleep salve and Sleepy Time lotion.

Just a few examples:












- http://mountainroseblog.com/herbal-slee ... FRiU9.dpuf\
-http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/7-plant ... e-w-148323
-http://frugallysustainable.com/2011/11/ ... am-pillow/
-http://www.anniesremedy.com/chart_remedy.php?tag=pet
-http://opossumsal.homestead.com/Pillows ... Avoid.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81205570/fr ... xp_listing (picture shown on bottom)
http://www.etsy.com/listing/102884836/l ... =related-3 (picture shown on bottom)
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68718317/dr ... ref=market (picture shown on bottom)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Rs0PP7Md_bs/S ... illow3.jpg (picture shown on bottom)

[Vervain]

Are those dream pillows that you made? In the first picture?

[Alura Noel]

No they aren't. I didn't think to put a link to where I saw the image but I now edited the post to include where. The post doesn't include what materials they made it from but it looks like a natural fiber, perhaps a linen medium weight or Linen heavy weight (I wonder if it could be wool also because the source was pretty sheep focused)from what I can see... It's hard to say from the picture.

This would probably be easy to recreate if you wanted to try.

[Echo_of_shadows]

I've read about dream pillows, but the picture you posted is the first I've actually seen them. I think I was expecting something a little fluffier. I like the shovel picture. It makes me think of antique stores, or even a Victorian style greeting card. I'm glad you posted this, Alura, because I've been thinking of adding a dream pillow or sleep sachet to the afghan that I'm making.

[Alura Noel]

Bahumbug haha I edited the post again to include more examples of only a few ways to make a dream pillow. A dream pillow can look like anything you want it to be. As long as it's comfortable to sleep on, it's a-ok.

The first picture is just the dream pillow, not stuffed yet. I thought it was so pretty so posted it as the first picture.

I will say this, resist the urge to over stuff them because ya know, its something you gotta sleep on (slipped into your pillow case). I know some people like to add crystals or even make a potion/elixir and then spray it onto the pillow for added "oomph." I'd probably be more opt to spraying the pillow with an odorless brew than sleeping on crystals since any little thing off makes it hard for me to fall asleep.

That's a great idea of adding a sleep sachet/pillow to your afghan! Are you going to make a little pocket for it? I wonder what else you could sew into the blanket... lol I'd probably have so many "hidden" pockets on a blanket if I made one for crystals and god knows what.

You should post up a picture when you're done with it!

[Echo_of_shadows]

What I'd like to do with it is make sort of a sachet out of tulle or netting, then place it in a little pocket that I'm going to attach to the back of my afghan. I seen cute little buttons at Walmart that I plan to pick up and incorporate into the blanket, including as a way to keep the secret pocket closed.

[Jonjonsalinas_]

This is so nice! I've seen some dream pillows but to finally have the information here is perfect! Thank you so much for sharing

[Alura Noel]

That's really cool Echo. I love your idea for your afgan.

Jonjonsalinas, I'm glad you're getting some use out of this.

[Falcon_Heart27]

Ah, I am totally psyched to make a dream pillow now. Or more like, a dozen of them! I'm a very crafty person.
Now if only I had some herbs to put in them....hmm....
*idea face*
Do you know if essential oils are an okay substitute for the actual plants? My grandmother sells them, and I could probably use some of her personal stash...

[Alura Noel]

Falcon_Heart27: Do you know if essential oils are an okay substitute for the actual plants? My grandmother sells them, and I could probably use some of her personal stash...

Hmm, I think it would be okay to substitute the plants for essential oils.

Really, the main difference to me is that just plain plant based dream pillows have more of a subtle fragrance whereas essential oils can be a lot stronger. For some people, stronger smells can keep them up at night, Sniffing away instead of sleeping. Maybe do a drop or two at a time and see how strong it is for you?

Although, I'm not sure about this so you will have to experiment. I wonder if plant or essential oil will keep its fragrance better and longer.


I suppose you would have to do some things a little bit differently though.

Plants give it that fluffy, pillow look, so I suppose you could either be real simple about it and simply slip a cloth that you put a few drops of essential oils onto into your pillow case (but that could stain your pillow case and pillow). Or perhaps use a cloth with a few drops of EO then fold that into another cloth, to prevent the staining hopefully.

Or if you want it more pillow like instead of a flat insert, stuff the pillow with some stuffing and then slip a cloth that has had some EO added to it and sew it up (or make a resealable pillow).



Another option too, it's not dream pillow related though. So may take out some of the fun, craftiness to it (would be just as effective) but have you tried those Light bulb Diffusers for your essential oils? Brass ones don't break but Terra cotta one's absorb some of the oil, so you can heat it up multiple time's without adding more EO.

Add some oil an hour or so before bedtime and when its time to turn the lights off, your room will be scented.


If you try it you should post back with how it worked out for you. I'm curious to see how your experiment turns out.

[Falcon_Heart27]

Thanks! I'll try it out. I'll post back when I've got some results...

I've used essential oils in cloth projects once before, when I made a quiet-book for my new baby cousin. I put a few drops of assorted citrus oils (to stimulate the mind and bring joy) on the quilt batting that I put inside each page. I only did this for the cover, though, so it wasn't so overpowering. It smells lovely, and hopefully the smell will stick around for a while.