dried lavender uses and tips

Nothing beats the calming fragrance of dried Lavender. Used for centuries to cleanse, purify, soothe stress and as a perfume, Lavender is seeing a recent comeback as a popular herb.

It can be used as a Potpourri, Incense, in Bath Salts, Soaps, and Scrubs, to Perfume Closets, and Linens, and to freshen up Rooms. The fragrance of Lavender is reputed to calm and relax and to relieve headaches.

Sit bowls of Lavender around in your rooms. The crisp clean aroma wil permeate your residence. When the fragrance fades simply pour the Lavender into a lage Ziploc bag and crush it to release the oils in the dried flowers. Pour it back into the bowls to re-scent your rooms.

Some varieties of Lavender can also be used in cooking, adding a pleasant flavor to everything from beverages, main dishes, and desserts.

A popular way to use Lavender is as a wedding confetti. After the ceromony guests shower the bride and groom, with dried Lavender flowers instead of the traditional rice. This adds a nostalgic charm reminiscent of Victiorian times.

Tie up a generous Tablespoon of these dried lavender flowers into 6 inch squares of tafetta netting secured with a silk ribbon. These can be ditributed by Bridal Attendants to the Guests after the ceremony. The Guests simply unwrap the bundle and throw the Lavender as they would the traditional rice.

Add a romantic touch and aroma to outdoor walkways.This can also be used as Strewing Herbs. Dried Lavender flowers can be sprinkled onto a pathway. A slight fragrance is released whenever they are stepped on or crushed.

At the Reception you can also sprinkle this on the gift table, around the base of the candle holders, or display it in a decorative jar on each table and then give them away as keepsakes.

You can bundle up larger amounts of Lavender in larger squares of netting and hand them out as favors or if you are feeling really creative, Sew up some sachets as keepsakes.

Another nice touch is to add a pinch of this to the Wedding Invitations or Thank you Cards before you send them.

Scented ornaments can be made using a mixture of dried lavender, broken cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves. stir this together and tie approximately 1/2 cup in a double sheet of netting. You can add lavender, cinnamon and clove oils to make the mixture more potent. You can then decorate the netting to match the holiday.