RELAXING DREAM PILLOW
1. Gather the following herbs from the garden and dry
thoroughly.
1/2 cup mugwort
1/2 cup lavender
1/2 cup hops
1/2 cup rosemary
1 cup roses petals
2. Mix dried herbs in a airtight container for 7 days.
3. Next, fold a 5x12" strip of fabric cloth in half, and sew, turn inside out
and place a small handful of Fiberfil on bottom, then use 1/4 cup of the mix of
your choice on top, and then add another handful of fiber fill on herbs.
Padding makes it more comfortable to sleep on. Place inside pillow case to
use to sleep on at night.
ANOTHER WAY How to make
a Dream Pillow
Dream pillows are used to promote restful sleep and
pleasant dreams. They are small and flat, placed in a
standard pillow, and stuffed with a sachet of calming
and sleep-inducing dried herbs. As the sleeper sleeps,
movements of the head will gently crush the herbs to
release delightful scents and please the senses
throughout the night.
Two 6 x 6 pieces of natural, breathable fabric Fiberfill
or batting
Herbs such as lavender, rose petals, mint, feverfew,
chamomile, mugwort.
Mix the herbs in a bowl, then fill sachet, cinch tightly
or sew closed. Sew three sides of the fabric together,
outside-in. Turn inside-out, stuff the fabric 1/3 full
with fiberfill, center the sachet, then fill the side
gaps and top of pillow. Do not overstuff, the pillow
should be flat enough to be comfortably tucked in a
standard pillow. Fold open sides in to create a clean
seam, then stitch closed.
Write the herbal ingredients you used on a little card
to thread through the ribbon.
Lavender Laundry Softener
32 oz. white vinegar 32 oz. baking soda
64 oz. distilled or purified water
(optional)
½ oz. lavender essential oil.
Mix the baking soda into the vinegar over a sink
or other contained area, in a large plastic jar. The two
materials, when mixed together, will cause a "fizzing"
reaction. Add water and essential oil
and stir again. *As gifts, dispense into plastic
bottles and label with the following directions: Use 1/4
cup per load. Add in rinse cycle.
GEL AIR FRESHENERS
1 packet of unflavored Knox Gelatin
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup vodka of grain alcohol
1-2 TBSP. fragrance oil
Food coloring as desired Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water. Allow to
cool to room temperature then add the vodka, coloring and scent. Pour into
decorative jar and refrigerate till set.
Romantic Incense (A Dough Incense)
1/4 cup ground lavender flowers
1/4 cup ground rosemary leaves
1/8 cup ground rose petals
1 cup + 1 Tablespoon red sandalwood powder
1 cup + 1 Tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon plus pinch potassium nitrate
Tragacanth powder, as needed
From Sandy Maine's "Herbal Incense" article in "The Herb Companion".
Dec.1992/Jan.1993, Vol.5 No.2. Pg.38. Yield: 1 Batch
Lavender and Rose (a Loose Incense):
1/4 oz benzoin
1 oz lavender
1/2 oz cinnamon
1 oz rose petals
1/4 oz patchouli
1/4 oz sandalwood
Use with charcoal briquettes.
Frankincense and Lavender (a Loose Incense):
1/4 oz frankincense
1/4 oz ground cinnamon
1 oz lavender
1 oz rosemary
1/2 oz sandalwood
Use with charcoal briquettes.
Incense paper.
Blotting paper cut to 6" x 1" 1 1/2 t. of salt peter dissolved in 1/2 c. warm
water.
Soak the paper strips and allow to dry. After drying coat paper with a gum or
*resin tincture. Dry.
To use: Light the paper, blow out the flame. Keep paper upright to allow air to
circulate around it and keep it burning.
*Tinctures. The best tinctures for this are made from gums and resins such as
Frankincense, Myrrh, Copal etc .
Tinctures are easy to make. Just pound up the gum and pour alcohol on top. Vodka
or Ever clear. Dark glass bottle is best. Put away for a week or two and shake
every day.
HALF CENTURY POTPOURRI (Moist)
3/4 cup salt (non-iodized)
Crush the following 3 items, 3 bay leaves, 1/4 cup
allspice, 1/4 cup cloves,
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TSP. orrisroot powder
1 quart partially dried rose petals
2 cups mixed, partially dried, fragrant (jasmine,
lavender, orange blossoms, violet, etc.),
1 cup dried fragrant leaves (rose geranium, bee balm,
lemon verbena, etc),
2 TSP. brandy.
Mix together the salt, bay, allspice, cloves and sugar.
Blend flower petals and leaves with Orris root. Place
some of the petal mixture in a large crock and sprinkle
with the salt mixture. Continue alternating layers of
petals and salt, ending with salt. Add the brandy,
weight down with a plate. After thoroughly mixing every
day for month, pour into small containers. It is said
that this old recipe will keep its fragrance for 50
years, with the addition of a bit of brandy every couple
of years or whenever the mixture dries out. This is not
a pretty mixture, but the AROMA!
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Victorian
Language of Herbs
basil ~ best wishes
dill ~ irresistible
lemon verbena ~ responsibility
rosemary ~ remembrance
scented geraniums ~ comfort
mint ~ warmth
sweet marjoram ~ joy & happiness
garden sage ~ domestic virtue
St. John’s wort ~ protection
lavender ~ devotion
purple sage ~ gratitude
parsley ~ festivity
thyme ~ courage |
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Lavender Wands
To make these you will need at least 13 (use an odd
number) long stems of lavender, freshly picked from
your garden on a dry day, and about 3 feet of pastel
colored 1/4-inch ribbon. Make a bunch, lining up the
base of the flower heads. Leave an 8 inch length of
ribbon free at one end, then tie the stems together
just below the heads. Gently bend back each stem
until the flower heads are enclosed by the stems.
Take the length of ribbon you saved and weave it
under and over each stem, traveling around the
bundle several times until the flower heads are
covered with ribbon. Tuck in the short end of the
ribbon and tie a bow with the other end. Trim the
stalks and the ribbon.
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Herbal Crafts 
