Heaven Scent Sachets
By Diane Runge (published in the Jan/Feb 11 issue of The Essential Herbal)
Creating a sachet is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to transform dried herbs and flowers into beautiful, aromatic sweet bags of fragrance. Originally used to dispel odors and protect wool clothing from moths, sachets have blossomed into a year-round industry. Tucked into bath and body baskets, tied to a gift box or simply made for yourself, sachets capture the spirit of a long-ago era of elegance.
Making sachets can be done any time of the year as long as you have ample amounts of dried plant material, but it is most rewarding during the dark, cold winter months when the joy of a summer garden is but a distant memory.
After the bustle of the holiday season has ended, sachet- making will sooth your mind and comfort your body as you sift through bowls of dried lavender, rose petals and gardenia flowers.
Growing herbs and flowers for sachets can become a fascinating gardening experience as you discover new and unusual scented plants. Before the first spring daffodil appears, take the time to search seed catalogs for the varieties of herbs you wish to grow. Gardening organically is the perfect way to obtain the heady aroma and intense color of herbs, ensuring a long-lasting perfumed sachet.
If you have a green thumb but your growing space is limited, one or two large patio pots planted with rosemary, lemon thymes, fragrant oreganos and a hanging basket of mint will yield sufficient plant material to make several sachets. Wine barrels and window boxes are also good choices for small- space gardening as long as you place the containers in a sunny location. Contrary to popular belief, herbs do enjoy a little lunch now and then and an application of organic fertilizer to the garden patch or flower pot will get the herbs off to a good, healthy sta
Making sachets can become a lucrative ‘’cottage industry’’ by selling your creations at farmer’s markets or craft fairs in your area. Experiment with different blends before venturing into the business world with your new product. Floral blends, citrus or woodsy mixes and specialty moth repellent sachets are fast-selling items as the demand for hand-made, natural products increases.
Explore the wonderful world of sachet- making and expand your horizons into a delightful herbal adventure.
Lemon Sachet
Cut a piece of lace, cotton fabric or muslin into an 8’’ circle
Mix together in a large bowl the following dried ingredients
1 cup of dried lemon mint
½ cup of dried lemon verbena or lemon thyme
1 teaspoon crushed cloves
2 drops of lemon oil
2 cups of dried rose petals
2 teaspoons of orris root powder
½ cup dried lemon peel
Blend ingredients and place ¾ cup of plant material in the center of the fabric circle. Tie with a ribbon. Sachets can be hung in closets, cars to dispel cigarette smoke or anywhere you wish to have a touch of fragrance.
Orris root powder and lemon oil may be purchased at craft or natural food stores.
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