Herbal sachets
Happy, merry, blessed August to you!
Summer seems to be rushing by this year, which I won’t complain about. And yet, this is a season of so much abundance, color and sweet fragrances, and I feel that finding ways of preserving them for the months to come is always an invitation for creativity and leaning into traditional crafts. Preserving vegetables, flowers, herbs and scents alike.
And then, last night I couldn’t fall asleep. And there was a bunch of recently harvested lavender blooms sitting on the kitchen window that was starting to dry, so I picked up my sewing bag and made something. And then another one this morning.
You must have guessed what I’m talking about by now.
They are so simple! Here is a very straightforward tutorial for you, if you too are looking for ways to make small keepsakes of summer.
Herbal sachets are a quick, satisfying and delightfully scented afternoon project, perfect for popping into clothes drawers, gift packages and under pillows. This is one of those crafts that bring the landscape inside your home like a warm botanical hug. Choose fragrant herbs, using them single or in a blend.
You can make your sachet as simple or complex as you’d like, with the addition of embroidered details - which I think are a wonderful way of labeling what is inside, but definitely take some extra effort. Remember to add any embroidered details before cutting your fabric, so you can fit it in the embroidery loop.
These sachets can be sewn by hand or using a sewing machine. My machine has recently broke, so I stitched everything by hand - the stitches don’t need to look to be pretty, because you’ll be seaming on the wrong side of the piece, so when you turn everything inside out the seams are hidden. Ah!
After some months, the herbs will probably start losing their scent. Simply crush the sachet between your hands to release some of the oils. Once the scent has faded away, compost the content and refill the sachet with new dry herbs.
What you’ll need:
⅔ cup of dried herbs of choice
a 30 x 15 cm piece of lightweight, breathable fiber, such as cotton, burlap or linen, in your color of choice. I used an old hand-me-down shirt! (Measurements are obviously not exact science. Play around as your wish)
thread and needle
a piece of ribbon or twine 45 cm long
a sewing machine (optional)
Some herbs you can use:
Lavender
Rosemary
Oregano and thyme
Jasmine and orange blossom
Dried lemon and orange peels
Rose
Lemon balm and peppermint
Directions:
Start to make the sachet by folding the fabric in half, lengthwise.
Pin the sides together to hold them in place while you work. This will be the inside of your sachet, which won’t be visible once you turn the piece inside out.
Start by sewing the top hems. Fold the top of one end by 1 cm and sew a straight line along the folded edge. Repeat for the other side.
Now let’s sew the sides together. Removing the pins as you go, sew a straight line along each side. These are the inside seams of your sachet.
Trim any long threads and turn the piece inside out: there is only one end open and it’s definitely a sachet!
Fill the sachet with your dry herbs of choice
Close the sachet by tying the ribbon or twine around the top end.
Have a wonderful weekend, folks! May you feel inspired to create some magic these days.
I know I will be looking around me today in search of herbs for new sachets - I might be slightly hooked on this now (my grandmother will be proud?!)