Sachets

Crafts

Create scented sachets from oddments of fabric, to keep your drawers smelling sweet. Or tie a few bags together for a pretty gift.

For each sachet, cut two 14cm 5 1/2 in. squares of fabric - we used printed cotton lawn from Liberty (020 7734 1234). With right sides together, pin and stitch squares around outer edge, taking 1cm seam allowances and leaving a gap for turning through.

Turn right side out and press. Make a funnel by rolling up a piece of paper and use to fill bags with lavender or scented petals from Solstuff (0121 243 6067). Sew gap in stitching.

The good news is - if you like this little bag, that is - that I have some instructions ready for you, so you can make one of your own.

What you need:

- red yarn enough for crocheting a drawstring, a big heart, and two tiny ones

- a crochet hook

- an embroidery needle

- embroidery floss

- an old white sheet or any other piece of fabric for the bag

- sewing machine

Instructions:

1. Cut a rectangular piece of fabric corresponding to the size you want the bag to be (don't forget to add seam allowances on the sides and at the top). Cut the fabric such that you'll have the fold of the fabric at the bottom of the bag - I used a 35cm by 90cm piece.

2. Position and pin the heart, for which you can find the instructions here, onto the front of the bag. Stitch into place either by hand or with the sewing machine.

3. Close the side seams using the French seam as explained here.

Note: close the side seams all the way up to the top.

3. Button holes for the drawstring: at the front of the bag, mark where the two button holes will come (you'll need two, 1cm high and about 1cm from either side of the center and 7cm from the top). Make the button holes with the sewing machine and cut open. Here's an "astuce" - a hint - for cutting open button holes. If you put a pin at the other inner end of the button hole that pin will keep you from cutting too far and hence cutting the stitches as well.

Fold the fabric over, on the wrong side, to make a tunnel of about 2.5 cm wide for the drawstring (the button holes nicely centered in the middle of the tunnel) and sew on the machine.

5. With the red yarn, crochet a drawstring in chain stitch. Put a safety pin through one end and pull the drawstring through the tunnel.

6. Crochet two tiny hearts (found through Whip Up here) and attach to each end of the drawstring.

7. Now you can further decorate the bag with some embroidery. You might prefer to do this before you start sewing, but I prefer to do this in the end because it's easier for me to visualize the end result.

And that's it!

You could use these bags for about anything, from wrapping presents to protecting the finest lingerie...

http://pm-betweenthelines.blogspot.com/search/label/Valentine's%20Day

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Pretty Drawstring Bags

http://aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com/2012/08/pretty-drawstring-pouch-tutorial/

If you are after a little drawstring pouch to hold a few essentials or to use as gift packaging, the Pretty Drawstring Pouch will fit the bill. Made from two fat 1/8′s of quilting cotton and a length of ribbon, it can be made in under an hour. The lining is folded over to the front to make a contrasting casing for the drawstring.

It is sized at 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm x 16.5 cm).

Materials:

•2 fat 1/8′s quilting cotton – floral and polka dot

•42 inches (107 cm narrow ribbon (1/4 inch wide)

Template can be found here.

Note: Seam allowance of 1/4 inch included.

1. Using the template, cut out two outer pieces (floral), and two lining pieces (polka dot).

2. Place the two outer pieces (floral) with the right sides facing. Stitch around from one side to the other, leaving the top open. Clip corners. Press.

3. Place the outer pouch on top of the lining panel (polka dot) and make a mark with a water soluble pen, just above the stitching line on both sides (as marked in Photo 3). Pin the two lining pieces together with the right sides facing. Stitch from the mark on one side around to the mark on the other side. Clip corners. Press.

4. Clip the seam of the lining at a 45 degree angle as shown in Photo 4. Repeat for each side. Press the seam allowance open. This will form part of the casing.

5. Stitch around the seam allowance on both sides of the casing as shown in Photo 5.

6. Turn the floral part of the pouch so that the print is facing outwards. Place the lining inside the pouch. There will be 3/4 inch (2 cm) of the lining showing at the top and this will form the casing. Press this part of the lining down so that it is level with the top of the pouch. Fold under 1/4 inch along the edge of the casing.

7. Pin the casing in place.

8. Stitch along the top and bottom edge of the casing. Cut the ribbon in half lengthwise. Using a safety pin, thread the ribbon through the casing on one side, and right around to exit on the same side. Repeat with the other piece of ribbon from the other opening. Knot the ends of the ribbon. Press.

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Natural Moth Repellent: Lavender Vanilla Sachet

Yield: Makes 2 Sachets

Ingredients

•2 Muslin Tea Bags

•1/2 c. Organic Dried Lavender

•2­-3 drops Vanilla Essential Oil

•1­-2 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Directions

1.Measure the lavender into a small bowl and add in the vanilla and lavender oils one drop at a time.

2.After each addition, toss the lavender to incorporate the oils and smell it.

3.If the mix is not strong enough, add one more drop of each.

4.Keep doing this until you have a ratio that pleases you.

5.When you’ve perfected the scent, scoop the mix into the muslin bag and secure tightly.

6.Place the sachets around your home in closets, drawers, bathrooms, to repel bugs and leave a naturally calming and non-­toxic fragrance.

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sachet bags

oh-sew

easy!

Cut two 5" x 5" squares

of pretty cotton fabric. Sew all

the way around, with a 1/2" inch

seam, leaving a 1" gap.

Fill with dried lavender or rose

petals. Top up with a little rice if you wish

(it will help draw moisture away). Sew up

the gap and trim edges with pinking shears.

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LAVENDER SACHETS

There's no mystery to lavender's popularity: It can be used in every room of the house -- to scent clothes in your dresser, perfume the water in a bath, or impart its subtle flavor to the kitchen. One idea is to make a scented sachet, which can be put on a hanger in a closet or tucked into a drawer.

Lavender is readily available in stores that sell dried herbs. If you grow lavender at home, harvest it when the florets have bloomed but not yet faded. Cut the lavender where the leaves meet the stalk, use a rubber band to hold a bunch together, and hang it upside down. Keep the bunches in a dry, well-ventilated area, such as a porch or a shed, and out of direct sunlight, which can evaporate the essential oils and fade the color. You can prevent the bunches from gathering dust by covering them with paper bags with holes punched in them. Once the lavender has dried, strip the florets, and store them in jars in a cool, dry place.

To make a sachet that will hold about one cup of dried lavender, fold a piece of 8 1/2-by-11-inch paper in half, and draw one half of a heart shape so the center is on the fold. Cut along the lines, and unfold the pattern. Fold your fabric in half, right sides together, and pin the two layers together. Lay your template over the fabric, trace the heart with tailor's chalk, and cut out the pattern.

Remove the pattern. Make sure the layers are pinned together, and sew around the perimeter of the heart, allowing a 1/4-inch seam. Leave a 2 1/2-inch opening for the lavender. Turn the sachet inside out, and press with a steam iron. Fill the sachet with the lavender florets, and slipstitch the opening.

To add a ribbon loop so the sachet can be suspended from a hanger or hook, cut a piece of ribbon to a length of 16 inches. Fold it in half lengthwise, and tie a knot about 3 inches from the top to create a loop. Hand-sew the knot to the top of the heart, and trim the ends.

http://www.marthastewart.com/269651/lavender-sachets

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The project is so easy, your kids can help.

Harvest the Lavender in late August or early September… when there are no blooms left… only the flower. buds. Or, you can purchase your Lavender at Mountain Rose Herb Co. or San Francisco Herb Company. Both carry lovely products including the Lavender Oil and bags.

Cut the stems long on the Lavender and allow it to dry up to a week. Late in the season, it doesn’t take long for it to dry out.

When I begin to make my Lavender Sachet I spread out a lot of work paper on my table because the lavender will shed it’s buds immediately when you begin to work with it.

You’ll need: 1.Your own dried Lavender or purchased Lavender buds. 2. You’ll need Lavender Essential oil.

You’ll need: 1. Muslin bags (I use 2X5 inch) or small organza bags (3×4 inch). 2. A small scoop or spoon. 3. A Lavender designed rubber stamp and a rubber stamp ink pad.

Remove all of the flower buds from the stems.. but don’t worry if some of the stems and leaves fall into the mixture because they’re fragrant too.

Add Lavender Oil to the mix. I use about 1/4 oz to 8 oz of the buds. Essential Oils are very strong. The large package you see is 8 oz. It takes a lot of buds to make a pound. I use a medicine dropper to drop in smaller amounts of oil. You have to be the judge on this.

Put the Lavender buds into a plastic bag and seal up for about a week. Store it in a dark dry place. After a few days, you may want to check on it to see if you need to add a few more drops of oil.

Stamp the muslin bag with the Rubber stamp.

After the Lavender has seasoned, scoop the buds into the stamped muslin or organza bags.

Place the gift tag on the bags with a bit of ribbon or twine and place them in a cute basket. Or put a couple of the bags in a clear Cello bag with a little tinsel and tie the bag shut with ribbon or twine. Don’t forget to add your tag.

Give them away to friends…but make sure you keep a few for yourself… they make your drawers and lingerie smell heavenly.

Have a good time with this project!

http://insightfulnana.com/fun-times/crafts/making-lavender-sachet-gifts/html

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LAVENDER BAGS

To make lavender sachets you will need:

-a small bag or pouch, OR a piece of cloth and ribbon, string, or yarn

-dried lavender flowers

-lavender essential oil (optional)

You can make sachets in a couple different ways: you can sew your own sachet bag or you can make a sachet without sewing. If you didn’t want to make the bag, then you can buy bags or pouches.

To make a very simple sachet from scratch (sewing method):

First make the bag: cut a rectangular piece of cloth (it can be any size, depending on how small or big you want the sachet. You can make some very tiny sachets using this method. I like using cloth made from cotton to make them, but you could use a variety of other materials too). Fold the cloth in half (make sure the pattern or front of the fabric is facing in, so it should be wrong side out). Pin the two long sides and then sew them up (leave the top of the bag alone; do not sew the top of the bag). Remove the pins and flip the bag, so that it is right side out (so now the pattern or front of the fabric is on the outside of the bag).

Fill the bag with lavender flowers and add one to a few drops of lavender essential oil if desired. Tie the top closed with a piece of ribbon, string, or yarn.

To make a more complex drawstring sachet from scratch (sewing method):

First make the bag: cut a rectangular piece of cloth (you can make small to large bags using this method. For very tiny sachets it is better to use the method above). Fold the cloth in half (make sure the pattern or front of the fabric is facing in, so it should be wrong side out). Pin the two long sides and then sew the sides up; sew the two long sides up almost to the top of the sachet (leave maybe a few cm to an inch or two un-sewn, depending on the size of the bag). Remove the pins from the sides of the bag. Fold the top edge of the bag down, pin it and sew the bottom of the edge. Then do the same with the other top edge. Remove the pins. Flip the bag, so that it is right side out (so now the pattern or front of the fabric is on the outside of the bag). Thread a piece of ribbon through the top of the bag (some people like to use two ribbons threaded in the opposite direction, and others prefer using just one ribbon).

Fill the bag with lavender flowers and add one to a few drops of the essential oil. Pull the drawstrings closed.

To make a very simple bag (no sewing required method):

Cut a square piece of cloth (any size, depending on how big you want the sachet). In the middle of the piece of cloth add a small amount of lavender flowers and one to a few drops of essential oil. Gather the edges of the cloth together and tie it closed with a piece of ribbon.

If you prefer to buy bags, then you can find small pouches or bags in local craft stores or online. Organza bags work well; they are translucent and come in a wide variety of colors and patterns and make very beautiful sachets. Many people also like using muslin bags too. Just fill with lavender and add lavender essential oil, and pull the drawstrings closed.

Notes:

Depending on the size of the sachets use anywhere from 1 to 8 drops of essential oil. Refresh the herbs every couple weeks with essential oil, if needed. Replace the herbs when they loose their fragrance. Usually I replace the herbs every few months. Don’t forget to compose the herbs when done! Smile

If you don’t have lavender, you can make sachets with many other different herbs. Cedar chips work well (and will also repel bugs). Although, you can make sachets with a wide variety of herbs, keep in mind that some herbs will repel bugs and some won’t. Herbal sachets can be made with different essential oils too (please keep in mind that some essential oils like german chamomile, which is a dark blue color, may stain the fabric. If you want to use chamomile essential oil, be sure to use roman chamomile essential oil instead, which won't stain). One of my favorite herbal sachets is lavender flowers with lavender essential oil and cedar wood essential oil. I also like chamomile flowers with lavender essential oil, and also peppermint with peppermint essential oil or spearmint essential oil.

Where to buy herbs and essential oils:

In addition to growing your own herbs (in a garden or in pots), you can find them in local herb shops, plant stores, and on the internet. Another good place to buy herbs is your local supermarket. Most supermarkets have a spice aisle (some stores sell lavender flowers as a spice) and a tea aisle (most stores sell chamomile or peppermint tea, and some brands may sell herbal blends with lavender in them). Herbs can sometimes be found in the bulk foods aisle too. Look for colorful herbs that aren’t brownish, and buy from companies whose herbs are fragrant. If you are buying herbal teas, I suggest buying ‘loose’ teas in a tin rather than bagged teas (bagged teas can work in a pinch but they are often chopped up finer so they oxidize faster, and they may not be as high quality as whole herbs or herbs that are cut in bigger pieces). I suggest buying from a store that has a fast turn over rate (that sells a lot of tea, spices, etc, and that restocks often) to ensure you are getting the freshest dried herbs possible.

Some essential oils can be found in health food stores (the quality of essential oils found in health food stores usually range from poor to okay to good, so be sure to smell the testers before buying). Personally I’ve found many online aromatherapy companies and essential oil vendors to have higher quality essential oils. Many anb mall vendors sell essential oils and herbs, including Earth Alkemie (my aromatherapy and herbal all natural skin care company).

Please keep the sachets out of reach of children or pets. Research herbs and essential oils well before use.

http://www.allnaturalbeauty.com/articles/eco-living/654-eco-living-lavender-and-herbal-sachets

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