I left it late to cut my lavender to make these scented bags, but I just couldn’t bear to cut it down when it was swarming with bees and butterflies! This meant that the lavender had dulled slightly and I was worried that the fragrance wouldn’t be very strong, but I needn’t have worried because the whole house smelt incredible once I started picking the flowers.
Even though the lavender was still busy with bees when I picked it a couple of weeks ago, I decided to leave some of the flowers and took some cutting of rosemary, which I have an abundance of and thought this would smell gorgeous with the lavender.
Even if you’ve not picked it yet, you could definitely pick it now and make some scented bags, maybe with another fragrance to compliment the lavender? I think mint would go really nicely here.
All I did was pick a basket full of lavender and rosemary, not knowing how much I would get out of it, but I was extremely well prepared as I’d bought 30 cotton drawstring bags! I was really conscious of what to buy as I wanted some bags that were eco-friendly, something that I could re-use and that weren’t organza bags as I don’t like them. I found some cotton bags on Amazon and paid £9 for 30, which I thought was a great price. This is also all I had to buy to make these scented bags, although I did recently purchase my gorgeous, vintage, French basket but that doesn’t count…
Method
– Pick a basket worth of lavender and rosemary (yes, this is slightly ambiguous and amounts will vary, but I got 11 bags from what’s in the basket above)
– Dry the lavender and rosemary in a dark cupboard for at least a week (it needs to be totally dried, otherwise it will go mouldy – eurgh…)
– Choose a day where you’ve got a bit of time, settle down with a cuppa (or glass of wine), give yourself plenty of space, grab a couple of big plates / bowls- one for the flowers and leaves, the other for the stalks and anything else you don’t want – and start picking the flowers and leaves. Also, be prepared for the mess that’s about to ensue, but on the plus side, it’s a beautiful smelling mess!
– Finally, fill your bags with the beautiful mixed flowers and leaves. And that’s it!
These will make beautiful gifts – I’ve hung a few of my lavender and rosemary bags in the wardrobes and I’m planning on sending a couple to my friends and family in the post. Ideally, I would be able to pop some round, but in the world we’re living in, that may not be possible.
Have fun!
A x
Abi in the Garden 