Fun in the Herb Room - How Tuesday Making Scented Ink

I do one of two things in January and February.  I either make jewelry, a hobby I do not get to indulge in during the growing season, or I craft new herby things.  This year I am going to be offering a few new herb themed items, like photographic cards, seed paper cards, and garden journals utilizing my many herb and garden photographs and information.  That leaves me time to experiment with other herb fun for the home this winter.

In keeping in the theme of herb cards and in celebration of National Handwriting Day (that was just a few days ago)  I thought I would craft some lavender ink.  Scented ink is a Victorian tradition when writing notes reached its zenith.  Here is one scented with lavender for you to try at home.

Lavender Ink

1/4 cup lavender buds

1/3 cup water
1 bottle ink (black is better as lavender adds a brown tint)

Crush the herbs and place with water in a non-reactive saucepan.

Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes.  Keep an eye on the pan so the water does not boil away.

When the water is a brown shade you know you have extracted the scent from the lavender.

Strain and discard the lavender.

Add 4 teaspoons of the scented water to a bottle of ink.

You get a gentle lavender scent mildly perceptible and you can use a quill or a fountain pen.

I played with my calligraphy pens to write this!

Making Herbal Gifts Series - quick and easy

In the continuing series of Making Herbal Gifts, I am giving you something quick and easy to do.  Many people want to make gifts but children and family time is a premium, so these few suggestions are quick and easy.  Especially with the holiday so close.

Spiced Door Sachets

Materials:
6″ diameter circle of cotton fabric
broken vanilla bean
2 whole nutmeg crushed
10 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks, broken
ribbon

Method:
Place all items in the center of the fabric. Gather the fabric up to enclose the spices and tie with one end of a 12 inch long piece of ribbon. Tie the other end of the ribbon to a doorknob. Whenever the door is opened or closed, scent will be released into the room. You can use other winter scented herbs and spices in place of the ones above and tie several sachets together to give a stronger scent, the small bags can be hung individually on the tree as decorations. A couple of drops of orange oil is also
nice and the sachets can be freshened up with the addition of a few drops of a suitable festive essential oil.


Scented Cards, Tags & Writing Sets

Materials:
a large seal-able box
cards and envelopes or tags or stationary
blotter paper
cotton fabric or cheese cloth
your choice of essential or fragrance oils

Method:
Cut the blotter paper to the size of the bottom of the sealable container.  Place a few drops the oils onto the blotter paper.  Wrap the blotter in a fabric so the oil does not mark the cards, paper or tags.  Place the items over the wrapped blotter paper and seal the box. Leave the fragrance to permeate the cards for approximately two weeks. I use Glad containers, place the items inside, wrap them and give them as gifts.  While the gift waits to be delivered and unwrapped the cards inside become scented. You can use any combination of scented oils, from just a plain pine scent to a spicy or herby concoction. Or for stationary something brighter, like lavender, citrus or mint.

Herb Decorated Candles

Materials:
simple pillar candle
pressed flowers and herbs
or fresh fragrant herbs

Method:
Two ways to do this one.  Use Fresh herbs and tie them around the candle with raffia and include a note saying to remove the herbs before burning the candle.  Use pressed flowers and leaves by attaching them with thinned white glue to decorate the surface of the candle.  Do not use hot glue as this is flamable.

Don't forget to vist the ADVENT CALENDAR for more tips, recipes and holiday ideas using herbs.  We even include a few discounts as well.  Visit each day until December 25th for new daily additions.