Make Scentsational Gifts with Dried Flowers

Make Scentsational Gifts with Dried Flowers

Flowers are some of nature’s finest artwork. Their soft beauty, wonderful aromas, and vivid splashes of eye-catching color can cheer any living space and bring contentment to the soul.

It is very easy to preserve the breath-taking beauty of fresh flowers, and to turn them into lasting, hand-crafted gifts. Try using blooms from your garden or wildflowers you gather on a nature walk to make lovely, scented soaps or potpourri.

Following you will find three easy soap recipes, and two lovely potpourri mixtures to get you started. From there, using your natural creativity and imagination, you can come up with many more ideas, I am sure!

Why not make it a family project? Take a nice pair of garden shears and a wicker gathering basket with you on a walk. Cut and dry the flowers using the easy instructions below. And after the recipes are made, enlist the help of the kids to add lace, ribbons, gift tags, and other decorative touches.

Now, let the fun begin!


Flower drying tips:

• Select flowers that are just beginning to open. (Flowers cut at a later stage may drop their petals in the drying process).

• Cut them in the late morning, after the dew has dried, or on a dry day.

• Bundle 8-10 flowers together and secure the end of the stems with rubber bands.

• Insert an unraveled paper clip or florist wire through the rubber band and make a hook.

• Hang the flower bundle upside down from a piece of lattice, or on a peg or a hook, out of direct sunlight.

• Flowers are dry when they feel crisp to the touch. The drying time varies, depending on temperature and kind of flowers, but generally are ready in 1-3 weeks.


Some flowers that dry well are:

African marigold, cornflower, delphinium, lavender, larkspur, pompon dahlia, rose and yarrow.



To make dried flower hand soaps:

Using a coarse grater, make shavings from 12 ounces of a gentle unscented soap.

Sprinkle the soap shavings with about 1/4 cup of warm water. Stir until moistened, then allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes so the soap softens.

Add the essential oils, crushed dried flowers, and/or ground spices.

(HINT: Measure the dried flowers first, and then crush them gently in a blender or food processor. Don’t add too many flowers, as it will cause the soap to crumble when it dries).

Using your hands, mix the scented oil and flowers or spices into the soap mixture until evenly distributed. Form the soap mixture into small balls.

Squeeze the ball firmly to remove air pockets, so the soap won’t fall apart when dry.

Roll each ball in leftover soap shavings and crushed flowers or spices.

Set balls on waxed paper to dry for at least a week. Squeeze them every other day to keep them round while drying.
When dry, wrap them in decorative cellophane to help them retain their scent.

Yield: Approximately six soaps that can be stored up to one year.

Here are three soap recipes you can try:

• Lavender Soap - add 1/2 cup dried, crushed, lavender flowers and 15 drops lavender oil.

• Rose Petal Soap - use 1/4 cup warmed rose water in place of the water mentioned earlier. Add 1/2 cup dried, crushed, rose petals and 1 teaspoon rose oil.

• Holiday Soap - add 2 teaspoons grated orange peel, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 15 drops cinnamon oil.

(Note: If the soaps lose their scent over time, freshen them by adding an additional drop or two of essential oil).

Here are two nicely scented potpourri recipes you can make:

Rose Potpourri

2 cups dried rose petals and leaves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1 and 1/2 tsps orris root
6 drops rose oil
a 1 quart container

Combine the rose petals and leaves, along with the cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Mix well. Drop the rose oil directly on the orris root, and add it to the mixture. Age it three weeks or longer, shaking daily.

Cottage Garden Mix

1 cup dried lavender flowers
1 cup dried rose petals
1 cup dried pinks (Dianthus)
1 cup dried scented geranium leaves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons orris-root powder
3 drops rose oil
3 drops geranium oil

Mix ingredients together in a covered container, and set aside for six weeks. Stir daily to distribute the fragrances.


Sources:

The Homemakers Journal
http://www.homemakersjournal.com


Birds and Blooms, June/July 1997

The Essential Aromatherapy Book
Carole McGilvery and Jimi Reed
Lorenz Books, 1995


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

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