Crafts

Tarragon Potpourri

It is always nice to put together a potpourri to clear the air. Potpourri is usually a blend of dried plants arranged in an open dish or other decorative container so that the aroma is released into the room.  This is a pleasant and subtle way to freshen up the house.

Some people think that the word “Potpourri” means “rotten pot,” but it is probably a French word meaning a blend of flowers and herbs.  It can also mean a medley of songs or an anthology of stories, but most people think of flowers or herbs.  In any event, you can make your own potpourri using flowers from your garden, herbs from your kitchen, or plant material that you bought at a store. 

Dried herbs also make a pleasant potpourri, and they are something that you may already have in your kitchen.  Some of the plants that you use as seasonings have a very nice aroma. One of our favorites is tarragon, also known as "little dragon. 

 A number of ingredients may have to be bought, but you can make substitutions to please yourself. Whatever herbs or flowers you choose, it is also a good idea to add a little more essential oil to give the aroma a boost.  Just choose an oil that is most suited to the ingredients already in the mixture.  This makes the potpourri stronger and more lasting.  Enjoy

More about Potpourri

 It is really pleasant to have dried flower potpourris and sachets in the house.  The aromas of a dried plant mixture will softly perfume the air and your linens.  These blends are a lot subtler than the bought air fresheners, and they have a gentle, natural smell.

The problem is that the flower petals and herbs will lose some of their aroma over time.   For this reason, it is useful to add a fixative to retain the fragrance for as long as possible.

A fixative is a plant or mixture that will keep the dried flowers from quickly losing their aroma.  Many people use a preparation called Orris root for this purpose.  By itself, Orris root has the pleasant smell of violets, and but its real magic is that it keeps the aroma of potpourris from fading away. 

Of course, if you mix a lot of potpourris, you might want to grow the plant for yourself.  Orris root comes from a small, purple iris of the Latin name, iris germanica.  It is a pleasant looking flower, and it is not difficult to grow in most home gardens.  After the roots are dug, however, they have to cure for about three years before they are ready to be used.  

As you may expect, most people do not choose to wait that long, but simply go out and buy some of the root.

Paper Flower Ikebana

I have always been drawn to those lovely Japanese flower arrangements that you sometimes see on display in museums and public buildings.  They are so charming, graceful, and elegant that they seem to almost float in space.  Although they appear to be simple and spare, there is a lot more to them than meets the eye.  If you want to be authentic, a lot of research is needed, but if you just want the general feel, you can just wing it.

As far as materials go, you will need a container, something to hold the blooms in place (stones or a special holder), and the plant material itself.  As well as flowers, other natural materials are often used like leaves, branches or grasses.  Many different types of containers are used, and there seems to be a great variety in the type, size, or style. 

One of the problems I had with this form of arranging was the flowers, especially in the winter.  All the same, there is a way to get around this problem—paper flowers.  If you make blooms out of paper, you can have most any kind of exotic flower you might want.  There are many books about making paper flowers on the internet or at your local library, so you can find directions and patterns for a wide variety of types for your arrangement.

New Jewelry From Old

Are you bored with the old necklaces you have in your jewelry box?  Are you not rich enough to go out and buy all new necklaces at pricey shops?  Do you find dollar store jewelry less than satisfactory?  The answer to all these questions is to take apart your old necklaces and put them back together differently.

If you decide to deconstruct your old necklaces, you can make new beads, buy new beads, or repurpose the beads you already own.  Let’s start with the easiest route first.  All of us probably have old costume jewelry laying around the house.  Some necklaces are broken, some have missing pieces, and some are so far out of fashion that an Egyptian pharaoh might recognize them.  Of course, there are also necklaces that are so plain ugly you wouldn’t want to be seen near them.

Well, good news.  You can take that stuff apart, add loose charms, broken earring pieces, bracelet parts, maybe a few new dollar store beads and voila—you have a new necklace.  Not only will you have a one-of-a-kind creation, it will be something that you really like.  Mostly, these will be fun pieces that have a personality all their own.

Sachets

You could make small, embroidered motifs sachets for your closet. They are especially nice for small gifts, and they are easy to do. This project will take an embroidery needle, suitable material, embroidery floss, beads, stuffing, backing (maybe felt), needle and thread, and card stock.

Find or draw a small picture or pattern that will fit nicely within the size circle you want to use. Make sure to leave plenty of salvage around the edges for blocking and gathering. Copy the design onto your fabric.

Once the design is on the fabric, embroider it with your favorite stitches.  Cut it into circles, allowing enough of a margin to for gathering the fabric. Gather the fabric by basting around the edge and pulling the thread tight. I gather the material around a circular piece of card stock cut to size to make sure the gather is even.  

Knot a small loop of cord and sew it on the top for hanging. Sew a circle of felt on the back with buttonhole stitch, leaving enough of an opening to fill the ornament.  Before you sew the ornament together, fill with herbs or batting and sew the last few stitches.  Your sachet is done. 

Plarn Ahead

Do you find yourself overrun with plastic bags from the supermarket, the discount store, and just about everywhere else?  Do you have stashes of plastic bags all over the house?  Do you hesitate to throw them out, and forget to take them back for recycling?  You are not alone.

The good news is that you can cut those bags apart and make plastic yarn (or plarn) out of them.  This stuff can then be crocheted, knitted, or braided into various useful items like mats, bags, or baskets.  The material is waterproof, pliable, and almost indestructible.  Some charity organizations encourage us to make mats and pillows out of plarn for homeless people, as the material provides some protection against the elements.

Many of these plastic bags are colorful, but the plain white or gray grocery store bags work just as well for plarn purposes.  As far as tools and materials, all you need to begin with are clean, empty plastic bags and scissors.  Now, this process takes some time, but you get free material, and you don’t have to throw a lot of non-biodegradable bags in the trash. 

Don’t throw out those plastic bags, plarn ahead and recycle!