Give Warmth This Valentine's Day

Heat things up this Valentine's Day with a microwaveable, heart-shaped pillow.



Tired of chocolate? Okay, maybe not. In addition to the standard sweet treat, a homemade gift is a wonderful Valentine's Day surprise. Perfect for covering the eyes while you sleep, coddling a sore muscle or as a prelude to a massage, a heat therapy pillow can come in any shape and color, including the symbolic shape of love: The heart. Here's how to make your own heart-shaped warmer:


Materials:
- 2 - 10 x 12 pieces of a favorite fabric
- Ribbon or pom-pom trim
- Fabric glue
- Needle and matching thread
- Pins
- Scissors
- Flax seed
- Lavender seed
- Chamomile seed
- Scrap paper
- Pencil



Directions:
1. Draw a heart-shape onto scrap paper. If you want it to be symmetrical, fold the paper in half lengthwise and draw half a heart shape, then cut through both thicknesses of paper. (Personally, I like a more asymmetrical shape, so I drew each side separately.)

2. Lie your two pieces of fabric on a flat surface with the right-sides facing one another. Trace the heart-shape onto wrong side of the top fabric. Pin the two pieces of fabric together and cut out the shape through both fabrics.

3. Sew around heart-shape with a 3/8" seam allowance, leaving an approximately 4-inch opening on one side for turning. Snip around rounded edges, tip and crutch of heart-shape, being sure not to cut your seam. Turn the heart right side out.

4. Use fabric glue to adhere a length of trim to edge of the heart. Allow to dry. (If you are an adept sewer, you can sew the trim into the seam in Step 3, by sandwiching it between the two right sides and abutting the raw edges.)

5. Fill heart with a mixture of flax, lavender and chamomile seeds. Do not overfill.

6. Pin opening closed and hand-sew shut with needle and thread. Embellish as desired.

To warm the pillow, simply place it in the microwave (do not put any metal embellishments, including any pins, in the microwave) for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, depending upon your model. Check temperature to make sure its not too hot before placing it against your skin.

For more Valentine's Day ideas, check out these posts:
- Decorating for Cupid's day
- An easy V-Day centerpiece
- A quick, DIY Valentine