Lavender bottles or wands have been used to
freshen linens and impart fragrance for centuries. Elizabethan ladies used to gather
lavender and transform it into these delightful 'wands' or 'bottles' to put in their linen
cupboards. Use them to fragrance linen or lingerie drawers, or wherever you would use a
sachet. You can use your basket weaving skills to make one or more of these wands from the
fresh lavender flowers in your garden.
Lavender is derived from the Latin
"lavare" which means "to wash" and that is just what the Romans did
with lavender. The English variety - Lavendula angustifolia (also known as L. officinalis,
L. Vera and L. spica). All lavenders belong to the genus Lavandula of the family Labiatae
that include the thymes, basils, sages and rosemary.
Materials:
15 Fresh cut lavender stalks at the
height of bloom with the longest stems possible
Short piece of lightweight string
2-3 yards of 1/4' wide satin ribbon
Scissors
Process:
Select and pick 15 stems of fresh
lavender with stems as long as possible.
Strip the leaves from the stems.
Allow the stems to wilt slightly to
allow flexibility.
Align the tops of the flower clusters.
Tie the stems into a bundle just below
the flowers with string.
Tie one end of the ribbon onto the
bundle just below the flowers.
Bend the stems back over the flowers,
arranging them to surround the flower heads neatly and evenly.
Use the ribbon to weave the stems in a
plain weave (over one / under one) around the bundle.
Be careful not to catch any of the
flower buds into your weaving.
Keep an even tension on the weaving as
you progress.
Pack the weaving gently as you proceed
so that each new row touches the previous row.
Make certain to adjust the stems so
that they remain vertical as you weave.
Begin to increase your tension on the
weaving as you reach the end of the flower buds to close in the wand.
Once the weaving completely
encapsulates the flowers, stop weaving.
Adjust the tension of the weaving if
necessary.
Cut the stem ends to the length you
desire.
Tightly wrap the ribbon in a spiral
down the length of the stems.
Reverse direction and spiral the ribbon
snugly up the length of the stems.
Tie the ribbon off just below the
weaving. Clip off remaining ribbon.
Use the remaining ribbon to tie a
decorative bow onto the stems, just below the weaving.
To refresh the scent, gently squeeze
the woven section (referred to as the 'bottle' or the 'Bouteille'.)
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Here is a list of some of the most recent Topics being discussed:
Lavender bottles or wands have been used to
freshen linens and impart fragrance for centuries. Elizabethan ladies used to gather
lavender and transform it into these delightful 'wands' or 'bottles' to put in their linen
cupboards. Use them to fragrance linen or lingerie drawers, or wherever you would use a
sachet. You can use your basket weaving skills to make one or more of these wands from the
fresh lavender flowers in your garden.
