Lavender Sensations: Fragrant Herbs For Home & Bath by Gloria Hander Lyons

The fragrant flowers, soothing aroma and distinctive flavor of lavender make it the perfect herb for crafting products for personal, culinary and household use.

Lavender Sensations: Fragrant Herbs for Home & Bath includes more than 40 fun and easy to make projects for relaxing bath mixtures, stimulating beauty scrubs, stress reducing eye pillows, lavender soap, fragrant mug mats, closet fresheners, pomanders, and sachets, plus delectable treats and mixes to give as gifts, including Lavender Chocolate Fudge, Lavender Potato Soup Mix and Lavender Apple Muffin Mix.

Try some of the projects and mixes on this blog, which are excerpts from the book.  Book Size: 5.5” X 8.5”, Paperback, 60 pages, ISBN: 978-0-9790618-8-2.   Price: $6.95

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Relaxing Lavender Eye Pillow (An excerpt from Lavender Sensations)

3/4 cup dried lavender buds

3/4 cup flaxseed for filler

To make an eye pillow, cut two rectangles approximately 4-1/2” X 9-1/2” from fabric. Sew the two pieces together around two long sides and one short side, with the right sides of the fabric facing each other and using a 1/4” seam allowance. Turn the pillow case right sides out.

Mix the lavender and flaxseed together. Fill the pillow case with the mixture. Turn under the raw edges of the open end of the pillow case 1/4” and sew the opening closed.

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Lavender-Filled Handkerchief Sachet (An excerpt from Lavender Sensations)

Pretty embroidered or lace-edged handkerchiefs make attractive sachets for lingerie drawers. Make several to give as gifts.

Place about 1 tablespoon of dried lavender buds in the center of a handkerchief. Gather the corners together and tie a narrow satin ribbon just above the bundle of lavender to secure.

For a stronger scent and a larger sachet, add several drops of lavender fragrance oil to a cotton ball and place it in the center of the handkerchief with the dried lavender buds. Draw up the corners of the handkerchief and secure with a narrow satin ribbon.

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Lavender & Herb-Filled Mug Mat (An excerpt from Lavender Sensations)

Keep this mug mat on your desk to rest your warm coffee or tea mug. The energizing scent from this herbal blend will help keep you alert. Make several to give to friends and co-workers.

2 (5”) squares of cotton print or homespun fabric

3 tablespoons dried lavender buds

2 tablespoons dried peppermint leaves

2 tablespoons dried sage leaves

2 teaspoons dried, grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons flaxseed for filler

Using a 1/4” seam allowance, sew the two cotton fabric squares together, right sides facing each other, around three sides of the square. Turn the bag right side out.

In a small bowl, blend the herbs and filler together. Pour the mixture into the fabric bag. Turn under the raw edges of the open end of the bag 1/4” and stitch the opening closed.

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Wedding Potpourri (An excerpt from Lavender Sensations)

 

During the early 1700’s, “floriography” (the language of flowers) was introduced in England, which started the popular Victorian trend of sending messages by flowers and herbs. You can use floriography to make wedding potpourri. Simply mix the herbs or flowers that express your wishes for the bridal couple and their future together. Give each guest a small bag of the potpourri to toss over the bride and groom as they leave the celebration.

To make the potpourri, blend together the following ingredients:

1 cup dried lavender buds (devotion)
1-1/2 cups dried rose petals (love)
1 cup dried chamomile flowers (patience)
1/2 cup dried rosemary leaves (remembrance)
1/2 cup dried marjoram leaves (joy)
1/2 cup dried sage leaves (wisdom)

Fill 3” X 4” organza drawstring bags with a rounded tablespoon of the mixture. Or place a rounded tablespoon of the potpourri into the center of a 9” tulle circle and tie closed with satin ribbon. Recipe makes about 50 guest bags.

Arrange the bags in a pretty basket with a sign that says: This wedding potpourri contains lavender for devotion, rosemary for remembrance, marjoram for joy, sage for wisdom, roses for love and chamomile for patience.

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Lavender-Filled Christmas Ornament (An excerpt from Lavender Sensations)

These ornaments will not only decorate your tree, but scent the room as well. Purchase clear glass Christmas ball ornaments. Remove the hanger and fill the glass ball ornaments about half full with dried lavender. Reattach the hanger. Slip a length of 1” wide purple organza ribbon through the hanging wire and tie a bow. These ornaments make nice Christmas gifts.

They also make great party favors. Write your guests’ names on the glass balls using a gold metallic paint pen and they can do double duty as place cards when nestled into a pretty candle wreath and placed beside each guest’s place setting.

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Lavender Potato Soup Mix (An excerpt from Lavender Sensations)

Note: Make sure the dried lavender you are using in this mix has not been sprayed with insecticides. It should be labeled "for culinary use". Women who are pregnant or nursing should not eat lavender.

Creamy Lavender Potato Soup Mix

1-1/4 cups instant mashed potato flakes

3/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk

1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1 teaspoon ground dried culinary lavender buds

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 cups of mix.

To prepare: Place 1/2 cup soup mix in a bowl or mug. Add one cup of boiling water. Stir until smooth. Makes one serving.

To give as a gift, place mix in a plastic zipper-type bag and tuck inside a fabric gift bag (see instructions for making gift bags on page 51). Tie bag closed with jute or raffia and attach cooking instructions.

Or place individual servings of soup mix (1/2 cup) into small plastic zipper-type bags. Place one bag in the center of a 12” square of fabric. Gather the fabric around the mix and tie with jute or raffia. Attach cooking instructions. Place inside an attractive mug.

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