How to Make Homemade Herbal Packs

A homemade herbal pack can make a personalized gift, infuse fresh scents into linen drawers or serve as a reservoir for fragrances you enjoy. Aromatherapy herbal packs concentrate the healing effects of certain aromas on specific parts of the body with cold and heat therapy, achieved by freezing or microwaving the pack. The most common types are eye pillows, shoulder wraps, lumbar packs for your lower back and simple pillow packs for decorative use.

• 1

  Prepare the herbal filling. Gather the herbs you want for the pack. If they aren't dry already, dry the herbs by tying a handful of stems together into a bunch with a ribbon and allowing them to hang upside down until dry. Herbs with natural therapeutic properties known to relax muscles or reduce inflammation include chamomile, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon and flaxseed. Rosemary contributes to overall health.

• 2

  Sprinkle essential oils on your herbs and/or rice (dry rice added to larger packs will help the aroma distribute evenly throughout). Gently mix the oils, rice and herbs together in a bowl with a large spoon or your hands. Experimenting with different herbal mixes and oils will allow you to determine the strength, amount and type of herbs and essential oils to your personal preference. Yucca oil, for example, is a popular choice that may help alleviate sinus conditions.

• 3

  Draw the pattern you want for your herbal pouch on paper with a pencil, allotting an extra 5/8-inch seam allowance. Patterns may include eye, face, neck, back or general pillow packs. Cut out the pattern with scissors.

• 4

  Choose a porous fabric such as tulle, chiffon or a fine cotton, which allows the herbs' aroma to dispel. The intensity of the aroma depends on the concentration of the herbal filling, amount of essential oil and thickness of the fabric.

• 5

  Pin the paper pattern on a double layer of fabric before cutting the fabric along the pattern's edge. Align the fabric pieces so the shape of the pieces line up, and machine sew or use needle and thread to hand-stitch with a basic stitch along three edges.

• 6

  Turn the pack, now with one end open, right side out. Fill the fabric pouch with the prepared herbal filling to the desired firmness. Sew the fourth edge by folding in the cut edges along the 5/8-inch seam allowance.

• 7

  Sew an additional outer pouch to cover the herbal pack by repeating Steps 4 and 5 if you want your pack to be reusable, occasionally refilling with a pack of fresh herbs and essential oils. This step applies more to herbal packs for heat or cold therapy because they are more prone to internal and external mold and mildew growth. Use a zipper, buttons or snaps on the fourth edge for closure of the outer pouch.