Does sleep always come easily for you? Both Mike and I go through periods of insomnia for one reason or another. Mike almost always falls asleep quickly, but he’ll wake in the middle of the night and stay awake for an hour or two. For me, it sometimes takes hours to fall asleep. Other times, I wake up several hours before I need to rise and can’t get back to sleep. Lots of herbs are calming and help to induce sleep, so I thought I would make us each an herb pillow to help us sleep when needed. I had a few old tea towels around, and thought they’d do the job just nicely. Because of the size of the tea towels, the finished pillows are around 10″ x 11″. But a much smaller pillow would be just as effective. They could easily be made from scraps of muslin or cotton you have around, or you could purchase an herb bag (like these) to use. I stitched around the edges of my tea towels, leaving several inches open to add herbs - around 2 cups each of hops and lavender. Other herbs that promote relaxation are lemon balm, chamomile, valerian, catnip, and sweet marjoram. Just a cup total of herbs is all that’s needed. My 4 cups were a bit overkill. When you find yourself having one of those difficult nights, just take a few whiffs of your herbs, and hopefully you’ll soon be sound asleep. Mike is on a weeklong fishing trip with ‘da guys, and yes, he took his flowery herb pillow with him. I think he likes it! Be sure to also visit my post Natural Home Remedies for Your Medicine Cabinet. What tips do you have for getting a good night’s sleep? Let me know in the comments.
Ever outgrow a pair of pants, but just don't have the heart to give them away? Or maybe there's a pair that's been hanging out in the back of your closet for so long that current trends have left them behind, even though you can't seem to do that just yet. It's an inevitable aspect of life that many items of clothes are meant to spend only a few short years in your closet. Luckily, there are ways to hold on to those treasured trousers and use them for other means in your life. Recycled pants crafts have been a common trend for arts and crafts lovers for a while now, Derila Pillow but the need to recycle a favored piece of clothing is now becoming a more common occurrence for the average person. In the recent boom in sustainability and recycling, using old clothes to make unique items has hit the market and spawned numerous advocacy groups. Though you might find your time limited, in a struggling economy, finding new uses for recycled clothes can be very worthwhile.
Who needs a fancy pillow that costs $100? And why spend double that amount on a Gucci purse? With simple and quick steps, you can turn your favorite old pants into a new pillow or purse that will fit your personal style. Take off those slacks and get ready to craft -- read on to learn how to make a recycled pants Ergonomic Neck Pillow. Either way, you have a spare pair of pants that you bought because you loved the feel of the fabric or its bold design. Instead of trashing those cherished chinos, try this. A common craft that can be created from recycled pants is pillows, and depending on the style of pillow you are looking for, pants can be the perfect material. All you need are the pants, some matching thread, scissors, a sewing machine and some polyester fiber filling or chopped foam. To make a square pants pillow, first decide how big you want your pillows to be.
Cut two even squares from the fabric, leaving a half-inch (1.3 cm) margin around the size of the Ergonomic Neck Pillow for the seams. Align the fabric squares on top of each other. Make sure that the sides of each square of fabric you actually want to see when the pillow is finished are facing each other. Think of it like an inside-out pillowcase. Sew around three edges of the squares. Be sure to use a half-inch (1.3 cm) seam allowance, which is the space between the seam and the edge of the fabric. Next, sew only half of the fourth side of the squares -- you need this "hole" to turn the pillow right side out and stuff it. Once you've turned your pillow right side sleeper relief out, start stuffing. Don't try to cram a large wad in all at once, instead insert small clumps and try to blend those clumps together inside the pillow form as you go.
The more stuffing you insert, the thicker and harder it will be. Once you have square pillows under your pillow-making belt, you can branch out to shapes that are more creative by using patterns. The process of actually making the pillow will be basically the same. You can also try dressing up your pillows by embroidering designs on the pants fabric or embellishing the fabric with beads or fabric paints. Now that you have enough throw pillows, you might need something more utilitarian. Continue reading to discover a multi-room use for your pants. Knit fabrics and slippery materials can be tricky for inexperienced sewers, so beginners should start with simple, cotton fabrics. So what is one to do with those surplus slacks? Turn your riches into rags -- recycled pants rags, that is. While some people may go the old, ordinary route of cutting up a pair of pants to make irregular-shaped cleaning towels, there are new means to get the house clean and to do it in style.