Craft and Fragrance Ideas

Aromatherapy From The Kitchen

August 14, 2018 // 2 Comments

While aromatherapy these days refers to essential oils, initially it meant simply the use of fragrance for healing. Citrus: If you cook, enjoy herbal teas or garden, you already have the benefits of aroma therapy waiting for you. The fragrance of lemons and oranges have a clean, refreshing scent that combats [ ...click to read more ]

Lavender Cotton

September 19, 2016 // 1 Comment

Lavender Cotton – Santolina chamaecyparissus – Asteraceae (Compositae) family Although lavender cotton is a member of the daisy family, it is more reminiscent of lavender with its grayish green foliage and strong aromatic scent. It is used in potpourris, insect repellent sachets and dried flower [ ...click to read more ]

Scents and Sensibility

September 1, 2015 // 1 Comment

Fragrances can enchant us with their immediate presence. Bring a bouquet of roses into the dining room or brush against a lemon verbena plant. These scents instantly brighten your spirit and perfume the air. Fragrances can evoke memories from years gone by: the scent of bayberry at Christmas time, or the pungent aroma [ ...click to read more ]

From the Herb Basket -16

September 24, 2014 // 2 Comments

Fall House Cleaning… This is an all – purpose, environmentally friendly, non-toxic spray; good to have on hand for wiping, cleaning, and disinfecting almost every surface except wood and marble. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use herbal tea bags instead. Roughly chop 1/2 cup fresh herbs in [ ...click to read more ]

Herbal Musings

May 5, 2013 // 0 Comments

I love herbs and use them daily in so many ways. How blessed we are to share this beautiful planet with them. Dream Sachet~ Mix the following dried herbs in a bowl- 1/4 cup each, mugwort, catnip and lavender buds. Tuck the herbs into small squares of brightly colored fabric. Sew up the squares and place the sachets [ ...click to read more ]

Fragrant Home for the Holidays

December 15, 2012 // 0 Comments

We all love the smell of cinnamon and other herbs during the holidays. Here are a few ideas to give your home that holiday scent. You’ll need a small crock pot and some dried herbs and spices. Recipe number one: Fill the crock pot with 6 to 8 cups of water and add 4 whole cinnamon sticks, the rind of a fresh [ ...click to read more ]

Making Herbal Tussie-Mussies

September 4, 2012 // 0 Comments

Long before the days of the telephone, computers, fax machines and text messages, miniature herbal bouquets were a special means of communication. Tussie-mussies are composed of herbs and flowers with different meanings that varied from century to century. Since they were often held up to the nose to mask offensive [ ...click to read more ]

A Sweet Smelling Home

August 23, 2012 // 0 Comments

A clever way to use up surplus, dried herbs Herbs lose their flavor after about a year, instead of throwing them away, simmer them in a crockpot. Toss in a handful of the dried herbs, mix and match, add one thinly sliced whole lemon. Fill the crockpot with 6 cups of water, and adjust the crockpot setting on low. Your [ ...click to read more ]