The holiday season is approaching and we’re all scrambling to find good and meaningful (!) gifts for our loved ones. Marlowe’s christmas list is pretty specific with things she wants— lucky for this mama, I’m happy with her easy and simple choices πŸ™‚ I have a few gifts in mind for my little niece— two hand made ones that I am honestly quite excited about. I teamed up with the amazingly awesome Aura Cacia to create this aroma therapy DIY. This gift was inspired by both my niece and my SIL and well, their new mom/baby lack of sleep relationship πŸ™‚  New moms are tired, new babies are tired, and even older babies, and crazy toddlers… well, we could all use more restful nights.. ya know? So I thought: a lavender sleepy bear! An old take on lavender sleep pillow— turned cuter and maybe a tiny touch safer for newer babies… since you can tie this bear up and away from little hands reach πŸ™‚ Also, if you choose to (I’d maybe recommend it), you could add a whole package of different essential oils, making this gift extra useful for an array of different moods and occasions πŸ™‚
Not the best at sewing? Or no sewing machine? No worries, this requires basic sewing skills. You can make the bear a bit bigger, this will make the project a whole lot easier. Alternately, you could buy a simple, non allergenic washable bear and package it up with the essential oils! But the option of tying the bear out of reach is really an added bonus to the whole project. Also, it’s a handmade gift of love, not a store bought bear, so the imperfections of your sleepy bear are of course welcomed and loved!


You’ll need:
-cotton (organic is preferably) fabric. You could even use an old t-shirt or bedsheet πŸ™‚
-fiber stuffing. There’s a million varieties out there, if you can find an organic cotton or bamboo, that would be best. (one online HERE)
-pins
-thread
-sharp needle
-satin ribbon (about 8 inches long, 1.5 centimeters wide)
essential oils! (see the list below of my favorite sleepy time ones)

For optional face:
small embroidery hoop
embroidery thread

Want an outline of the bear?
CLICK HERE for a basic printable.

If you’re choosing to embroidery on his face, do this step first, with an embroidery hoop. It’s much, much harder to do this on the completed bear. You could even use a non-toxic fabric paint or marker, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re planning on letting little ones play with it at all. Just do a tight backstitch and secure ends tightly. 





How to:
-Pin bear pattern to fabric. Cut two bear panels out. *If you’ve chosen to embroider his face, place be sure to line it up to the pattern, when pinning and cutting!
-Pin both panels together, with face side on the inside.
-Place ribbon across top of bear, over his back, under his arms, and pin. Wrap the ribbon around, and tuck all strands deep into the inside of the bear, where you wont be sewing.
-Sew bear with machine or (tightly) by hand 1/2- 1 centimeter away from edge, leaving a one inch opening on leg.
-Turn bear inside out (the right way out!) through leg. A pencil or chopstick will help! Make sure ribbons have pulled through.
-Stuff bear (a pencil helps here too)
-Close off bear, with a tight ladder stitch.
-You’ve made a bear, give him a hug.

Once you’ve finished sewing your bear, he’s ready to be packaged up, dabbed with your favorite essential oil, tied up to your favorite baby or kiddos crib or bed, and loved endlessly πŸ™‚

So onto the oils… like I mentioned, you could just package one oil, a few, or a whole bunch in the gift package. While a bear might be a more kiddo friendly gift, I assure you all moms will love an assortment of essential oils— for the bear, for bath time, for lotions, for everything.

Any of all of these would be wonderful:
Lavender
Roman Chamomile
Sweet Marjoram
Sweet Orange

Also, there’s the option of Aura Cacia pre-made blends:
Tranquility
Pillow Potion

Both would be perfect for a “here, being a new mom is tough, this will ease your days and nights” gift πŸ™‚

Happy Holiday gift making!

9 Comments

  1. i will be trying this soon!! mt 2.7 yr old never had a problem going to bed but she's entered the terrible twos now and we're exhausted from fighting her till 12am every night! lovely xx

  2. I love the smell of lavender… I use it at home everyday, by boiling water, filling a cup or bowl, adding 3-5 drops of lavender oil and place it in whatever room I want.

    Also when my daughter was younger, I used to have these small "bags" with lavender hidden between her clothes πŸ˜‰

    lol. I'm a real leavender o'holic.

  3. This is so sweet. I might have to make one for my friend's little girl.

    Thank you for the detailed instructions! Especially the oil recs- I wasn't sure where to start with those.