If your little ones are afraid of Things that go Bump in the Night, put together this Sweet Dreams pillow. It will help keep away the scary stuff, and it's a great magical project you can work on with your child.
You will need:
- Felt or flannel
- Polyfil or other stuffing
- Lavender
- Thyme
- Allspice berries
- Yarn or thread for stitching
- Decorative trim or ribbons (optional)
Cut out two pieces of felt, the same size, to make your pillow. It can be any shape you like. Place the pieces right side together, and begin stitching around the edges. As you stitch, envision wonderful and happy things to dream about. If this is for a young child, have her sit with you as you sew, and ask her to tell you things that qualify as “good dreams” (with my youngest daughter, it’s usually butterflies and candy). Stop before you have sewn all the way around so that you can leave a spot for stuffing the pillow.
Turn the pillow right side out. Fill it with polyfil, to the desired firmness. Add the lavender, thyme and allspice berries. As you are adding the herbs, have the child say something to let the intentions be known, such as “In this pillow, sweet dreams take flight, and come to me in my sleep at night.”
Stitch the opening shut. Cut out pieces of felt in the shapes of things that make your child happy (ice cream cones, turtles, hearts, whatever) and stitch those to the front of the pillow. You may also want to decorate with trim or ribbons, perhaps with something blue for peace and happiness. Each night at bedtime, have the child make sure her sweet dreams pillow is beside her.
Note: This same technique can be used to make a Sweet Dreams Dolly, simply make a poppet out of felt instead of a pillow.
