Design Crafters

Photo Christmas Cards are a great way to capture your flowers in the peak of summer. Another way to share your garden is to cut flowers and herbs to make sachets for Christmas gifts. You will need dried flowers, essential oil, sheer fabric and a ribbon.

Drying flowers is a snap. First, find flowers in your yard or at the store that have vibrant colors. As flowers fade, the colors fade, too.

Look for petals that are thin, like roses, and that either have a nice smell or no smell. Cut these flowers with as long a stem as possible, to make drying easier. Don’t forget to include your herb garden when looking for drying materials.

Flowers that dry well include: roses, hydrangeas, pansies, and peonies.

Herbs to dry include: lavender, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.

Strip any foliage that you will not be using. Use rubber bands to secure like flowers into bunches. Hang upside down to dry. Attics or garages, or even greenhouses not in use, are great for this purpose.

Once dry, gather all petals and foliage together in a bowl. Cut squares of fabric, making it large enough to double over. Fold over fabric, place dried flowers in the center, add 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil, gather fabric and tie at the top with ribbon.

Make your gifts shortly before the holidays in order to extend the life of the scent. Your friends will love them…make sure you save a few for yourself!