Making Lavender Bottles

Lavender is one of my favorite “Make it Do” flowers… as useful as it is pretty.  This hardy, easy to grow herb that has been valued for centuries for it’s wonderful scent.  I grow mostly Munstead and Hidcote varieties of lavender in my garden.  And I love the Blue Cushion lavender I have planted in a hedge around my vegetable garden.  Lavender has great color almost the whole summer… and I use it for a variety of projects.

The lavender flower has two parts… the calyx and the corolla.  The calyx colors up first and that’s when I like to harvest lavender for making wreaths and bouquets.  After that the corollas begin to bloom.  You can still harvest your lavender but the open blooms aren’t as pretty when they are dry.  (It is still perfect for making potpourri and sachets.)

One quick project I make every year out of lavender is lavender bottles.  They are so easy even children can make them (with a little help.)  Lavender bottles smell wonderful tucked in drawer or in a closet.

Here’s how to make them:   You will need fresh lavender, about a yard of 3/8 inch ribbon and a hot glue gun.

1.  Start with about 25 stems of fresh cut lavender.  Cut the stems as long as possible.

2.  Starting at the top, just below the buds, run your fingers down each stem to remove any leaves.

3.  Tie the end of 3/8 inch ribbon just below the blooms. (I just work from the spool so I don’t waste any ribbon in the end.)

4.  Fold the stems back over the buds.  (Try to keep them evenly dispersed around the bottle.)

5.  Pull the long end of the ribbon out from between the stems.  (Make sure the short end stays neatly tucked inside.)

6.  Now weave the ribbon in and out like a basket.  I usually weave two or three stems at time.  You can weave in an out every stem if you like.

7. When you get to the bottom of the buds, make sure to pull the ribbon taut.  Then dab the ribbon with hot glue to secure the end and trim.

8. Trim the stems to make them even.

9.  Tie a ribbon in a bow to cover the end of the ribbon.

Lavender bottles are so fragrant and sweet.  I love keeping them in my drawers.  They also make a wonderful homemade gift for a friend.