Crafting Projects with Lavender from Your Garden's Bounty
In the serene beauty of your garden, a humble plant blooms—lavender. Known for its calming scent and numerous health benefits, lavender is more than just a pretty flower. This guide will walk you through the process of harvesting, drying, and crafting with lavender, transforming it into a versatile tool for your home and well-being.
Harvesting
To capture the essence of lavender at its best, pick the stems when the flower buds are just beginning to open. This ensures a rich fragrance and vibrant colour for your craft projects.
Drying
Drying lavender is a crucial step in preserving its aromatic properties. The ideal location for drying lavender is a warm, dry, and dark place with low humidity, away from direct sunlight. This helps retain the scent and prevents color fading.
There are several methods to dry lavender:
- Hang the lavender bunches upside down. This prevents the flower heads from dropping and helps preserve their shape.
- For quicker drying or if you want only the flower heads, strip them from the stems and lay them thinly on netting in a dry environment.
- If you're short on time, you can speed up the drying process by placing lavender in an oven at a low temperature (about 80–100°C or 175–210°F), checking frequently to avoid burning.
Once dry, store your lavender in a sealed container in a cool, dark place to preserve its scent and quality for crafts, sachets, culinary herbs, or therapeutic uses.
Crafting with Lavender
Lavender's calming aroma and soothing properties make it perfect for various craft projects. Here are a few ideas:
- Lavender Bath Salts: Mix Epsom salts, sea salts, dried lavender flowers, and lavender essential oil, then pour into an airtight container.
- Lavender Tea: Dried lavender flowers make a wonderful bedtime drink that aids peaceful sleep, calms nerves, and eases headaches.
- Lavender Sachets: Combine dried lavender and dried rice in a breathable fabric, sew the edges, and fill with the mixture. Warm them in the microwave to make a therapeutic heating pad.
- Lavender Oil: Put fresh lavender flowers into a jar, fill with carrier oil, and let it sit for at least 48 hours. This oil can be used in the bath, in cosmetics, or in oil diffusers.
- Lavender Syrup: Boil a mixture of water and lavender flowers, add sugar, and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow it to cool before straining and storing in the refrigerator.
- Lavender Wreath: Attach bundles of freshly harvested lavender stems to a metal wreath form and arrange them in a circular shape.
- Hand-woven Lavender Wand: Weave fresh lavender stems together with ribbon, enclosing the flowers inside.
- Linen Water: Make linen water using lavender oil and use it when ironing or as a refreshing face and hair mist.
With these tips, you can harness the power of lavender in your daily life, creating a calming and soothing atmosphere in your home. Happy crafting!
[1] Lavender Fields. (n.d.). Drying Lavender. Retrieved from https://www.lavenderfields.co.uk/drying-lavender
[2] The Lavender Lady. (n.d.). Crafting with Lavender. Retrieved from https://www.thelavenderlady.co.uk/crafting-with-lavender
[3] The Lavender Farm. (n.d.). How to Dry Lavender. Retrieved from https://www.thelavenderfarm.co.uk/how-to-dry-lavender
[4] The English Lavender Company. (n.d.). Storing Dried Lavender. Retrieved from https://www.englishlavendercompany.co.uk/storing-dried-lavender
[5] Lavender’s Blue. (n.d.). Harvesting Lavender. Retrieved from https://www.lavendersblue.co.uk/harvesting-lavender.html
- Display your crafted lavender projects as a beautiful addition to your home-and-garden lifestyle, enhancing the serenity of your outdoor space.
- To uplift the ambiance of your home even further, consider utilizing lavender in gardening projects, such as creating a lavender border or herb garden, promoting a calming environment throughout your home-and-garden.
