What do you put inside an eye pillow?

Flax seed or rice for the weight, plus 1-2 tbsp of dried lavender or chamomile for scent. Flax is small and heavy, so it drapes nicely over the face and stays cool. Keep the inner bag about two-thirds full.

Can you wash a sewn eye pillow?

Wash the cover only, gentle and cold. Never wash or wet the filled inner bag, because water spoils the seeds and herbs. A removable cover is why the inner bag can stay dry.

Can you heat or chill an eye pillow?

A flax or rice inner bag can be chilled in the freezer for a cool pack, or warmed gently in short bursts, stopping if you smell anything scorched. Always check the temperature against your wrist first, and use a cotton inner bag, never polyester.

How long does an eye pillow take to make?

About 30 minutes. It is a beginner project: a simple inner bag, a bit of filling and an envelope cover. One fat quarter of each fabric makes two pillows.

How to Sew a Lavender Eye Pillow in 30 Minutes

To sew an eye pillow, make a cotton inner bag, fill it about two-thirds full with flax seed and a little dried lavender, stitch the gap closed twice, then slip it into a washable envelope cover. The Eye Pillow is in the Sewzy app in three sizes and takes about 30 minutes. One fat quarter of each fabric makes two.

TL;DR

An eye pillow is a small weighted bag inside a removable envelope cover.
Fill the inner bag with flax seed (cool and heavy) or rice, plus 1-2 tbsp dried lavender or chamomile.
The Eye Pillow is in the Sewzy app in three sizes: 3½ x 8 in, 4 x 9 in and 4½ x 10 in.
It is a beginner sew of about 30 minutes with a ⅜ in (1 cm) seam allowance, and one fat quarter of each fabric makes two.
Wash the cover only. Never wash or wet the inner bag, because the fill will spoil.

The eye pillow this Sewzy pattern makes, view 2 — The Eye Pillow from the Sewzy pattern. Photos are renders of the finished item, made from the pattern's shapes.

The eye pillow this Sewzy pattern makes, view 3 — The Eye Pillow from the Sewzy pattern. Photos are renders of the finished item, made from the pattern's shapes.

What is an eye pillow for?

An eye pillow rests over closed eyes to block light and add a gentle, even weight that many people find calming at bedtime, during yoga or with a headache. The weight comes from the fill, and the scent from dried lavender or chamomile. Because the cover slips off, you can wash it and keep the filled inner bag dry. It is one of the quickest handmade gifts, which is why it shows up in cozy self-care gifts to sew and gifts to sew for nurses.

What do you fill an eye pillow with?

Flax seed is the usual choice: the seeds are small and heavy, so the pillow drapes over the face and holds a cool temperature. Rice works too and is easy to find, though it is a little lighter and the grains are larger. Add 1-2 tbsp of dried lavender or chamomile for scent. Keep the inner bag about two-thirds full so it molds to your face instead of sitting as a firm block. Use 100% cotton or muslin for the inner bag so it breathes and does not melt if you ever warm the pillow.

What size eye pillow should I make?

Size	Finished	Fits
Small	3½ x 8 in	A narrower face, or a travel pillow
Standard	4 x 9 in	Most adults, the everyday size
Large	4½ x 10 in	Full coverage across the brow and temples

One fat quarter (18 x 22 in) of each fabric makes two pillows in any size, so a single purchase of a cotton inner fabric and a soft cover fabric such as silk, cotton, linen or velvet yields a pair.

How to sew an eye pillow, step by step

Cut. Cut two inner bag pieces from 100% cotton or muslin, and one cover front and two cover backs from your cover fabric.
Inner bag. Place the two inner pieces right sides together and stitch around ⅜ in, leaving the marked gap at the top. Clip the corners, turn and press.
Fill. With a paper funnel, pour in the flax seed or rice and the dried lavender, keeping it about two-thirds full. Shake the fill to the far end, fold the gap edges in ⅜ in, pin, and edge-stitch the gap closed twice.
Back hems. On each cover back, fold the short inner edge ¼ in, then again on the hem line, and topstitch.
Cover. Lay the cover front right side up. Place the two backs right side down on top, raw ends to the ends, with the hemmed edges overlapping in the middle. Stitch all around ⅜ in, clip the corners and turn through the overlap. Press.
Finish. Slip the inner bag into the cover through the envelope opening.

Common mistakes

Overfilling. A packed pillow sits up off the face. Two-thirds full lets it drape and settle over the eyes.
Stitching the gap once. Flax seed is tiny and works through a single seam. Edge-stitch the inner bag closed twice.
Washing the inner bag. Water spoils the seeds and herbs. Wash only the cover, gentle and cold, and spot-clean the inner bag if needed.
Polyester inner fabric. If you ever warm the pillow, cotton is safe and breathes. Keep the inner bag to cotton or muslin.

More cozy makes

If you like small comfort sews, the Sleep Mask and the hot water bottle cover are close cousins, and the Envelope Cushion uses the same envelope back on a larger scale. For a list of quick gift ideas with times, see stocking stuffers to sew.