How to Make a Flaxseed Pillow

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I am not a seamstress by any means, but one thing I can do fairly well is sew a straight line. Finally. I’m not sure my middle school Home Ec lessons stuck, because I feel like it took a long time. What do I do with my limited sewing skills? Mostly, it seems, I sew flaxseed pillows! I don’t pull my sewing machine out all that often, but I recently fell in love with some fabric I saw online, and I ended up ordering the two-yard minimum to get it. It had been years since I last sewed a flaxseed pillow, and I hadn’t ever had one that I didn’t have to share, so this became my excuse to make my very own pillow. Since I have so much fabric left, I plan to make some different sizes for different purposes.

What I love most about these is their versatility. We have some flaxseed pillows that we keep in the freezer to soothe boo-boos, and we can take those same pillows and warm them up in the microwave if we need the soothing power of heat instead. Flaxseeds are small, so the pillows conform to you really well, and they have a very soothing weight to them.

How much flaxseed you need depends on how big your pillow is going to be and how full you want it. For the bigger pillow I just made, which turned out to be about 7”x17”, I used three full pounds. For the smaller pillow, which is about 5”x5”, I used about half a pound. So if I were making a 5”x20” pillow, I’d plan on using two pounds.

Supplies:

heavyweight 100% cotton fabric

whole flaxseeds

sewing supplies

Optional:

lavender or other herb for scent

funnel

Why flaxseeds? Rice or some other grains might be cheaper options, but flaxseeds have a lot of qualities that make them an excellent choice. Because of their oil content, they can be heated and reheated over and over again without drying out. We have some we’ve used for years. Another advantage of flaxseeds is that they do not smell cooked like other grains do after they come out of the microwave.

I have considered ordering flaxseed online, but so far I have bought it in-store. Before I discovered Aldi, I bought them in the bulk food section of the grocery store. Once we started doing most of our grocery shopping at Aldi, I discovered that they sell whole flaxseeds in one-pound bags, so I’ve been buying them that way. 

When I made a couple of pillows with lavender early on, I did buy that online. I have one kid who loves the scent and two who don’t, so I’d like to find something else to try. I’ve heard that chamomile is nice, so maybe I’ll try that next. 

For the fabric, think home decor vs. quilting weight. I can actually tell you from experience that heavyweight fabrics hold up better and hold heat better than thinner ones. After making some out of a home decor remnant I had, I made some out of quilting fabrics for my kids, and they were just not nearly as nice. I buy most of my fabrics from the remnant bins at the fabric store, and I’ve found some pretty ones that way. Just make sure that your fabric is 100% cotton so you don’t risk melting it in the microwave.

The fabric I’m using today is cotton flannel. It’s very soft and makes me dream of cooler days ahead (it’s been a really hot summer), when I might use my pillow to warm myself up in addition to soothing my sore muscles.

I sew by hand much more frequently than I use my machine, but for something like this I want to make sure the stitches are small and even enough that no flaxseeds can escape.

The first step is to cut your fabric to size. I prefer to cut out one piece and fold it in half so that there’s less to sew. For my big pillow this time, the pattern dictated the size more than anything else. But you should cut yours according to what you intend to use the pillow for. For example…

Eye pillow? 4”x8” might be a good size.

Neck pillow? Consider 6”x18” or 5”x20”.

Cold pack? 4”x4” or 5”x5” maybe.

Once you have your fabric cut (don’t forget to include your seam allowance—I have to remind myself), fold it so that the right sides are together, and sew two sides together, leaving one of the short ends open. 

Next clip the corners and turn the fabric right side out.

Now you can start filling the pillow with the flaxseeds—and herbs if you choose. A funnel is definitely helpful for this, but it’s not a must. I almost grabbed a piece of paper and rolled it up to make one. Fill up the pillow somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4 full depending on your own preferences. If you’re using lavender, it will also take up some space, but you really only need a handful for even a bigger pillow.

Pin the the open end, sew it up, and you’re done! Note: Though I knew better, I did not pin this one. I had everything lined up perfectly, and then it got a little messed up because there weren’t pins holding it in place. Don’t be like me. 

Here’s the pillow I made a few days ago, which I intend to use for my back and to warm my feet under the covers this winter. Oh how I love this fabric.

Here’s the first one I ever made, which we primarily keep in the freezer these days. It has definitely become a comfort thing for the whole family, and it holds the cold for a long time. I’ve also heated it up to help with neck and shoulder pain though.

To heat up your pillow, put it in the microwave—folding it in half if necessary. Microwave it for 45-60 seconds. Take it out of the microwave and shake it a bit to move the seeds around. Then microwave it for 30 second increments until you’re happy with the temperature. I like to go slow so that I don’t overheat it, especially when I’m heating it up for the kids. For myself, I usually do 60 seconds and then an additional 30. I wouldn’t go longer than 2 minutes though.

Remember to keep your pillow dry at all times. If you’d like it to be washable, you could always make an inner pillow out of plain fabric and then make a pretty cover for it. Otherwise you can spot clean it. If it absolutely has to be washed, you can always take out the last stitches you sewed. Then you can dump out the seeds, wash the cover, and refill it.

Okay, I’m off to sew some more pillows while I have my machine out. Happy sewing!