Sachets

These sachets make wonderful gifts to give to family and friends, or you can make a batch of them to sell at Spring bazaars and craft sales to raise funds easily. The only three things needed are: String/ribbon, plants for the sachet and fabric. Many people like to make Lavender sachets. Hydicote Lavender is the variety that I have found to be the best for sachet projects. It has grown well in my yard for over six years. Lavender is easy to maintain, and this variety will come back from the root. It easily reseeds itself, and I have found it to be hardy during times of drought too. Placing leaf mulch around the base of the plants will help it over-winter well in very cold temperature ranges.

Make the first cut on each straight stem at the bottom where it meets the main part of the plant. Now, cut the purple blooms off of the harvested stems (just below the bloom) before the tiny petals have opened. Do this at about midday; because harvesting the plant with dew on it will cause mold to form and ruin it quickly. Don't cut Lavender until you have time to make the sachets. The fragrance will be much better if you use the plant for projects shortly after it is cut. You may also use the leaves of the plant, but discard the whole stem, as it will dry out and sometimes poke through the fabric even when cut into tiny pieces.

To make hanging sachets, use ribbon that is 1/8 inch wide, and about nine inches long. Cut a circle of fabric that is eight inches across. Using pinking shears will keep the fabric from fraying. Gingham or Calico print material looks great used for these sachets. Place about 1/4 cup of lavender in the center of the fabric. Gather the edges of the printed material upward with your fingers allowing the Lavender to stay in a ball at the bottom. Tie the nine inch length of ribbon around the fabric, allowing one inch of space to remain between the ribbon and the outer edges of the fabric. The tails of the ribbon should be equal lengths after tying around the sachet. Tie two knots very tightly to prevent the Lavender from falling out. You may place the sachet on a hanger in your closet, or tuck it in a drawer. The Lavender will deter silverfish and moths from getting around your clothes where they can do damage by chewing holes in them. The fragrance is pleasant when you hang one of these sachets above a room vent, or somewhere in the bathroom too.

If using a batch of the sachets for a fund raising project, place about eight of them at a time in one gallon zip-lock plastic bags to keep the fragrance strong. Take them out of the bag one batch at a time, to lay on your table for people to purchase.