herb crafts...

Hey folks,

So I've been collecting this pantry full of different herbs to use for medicine and charging and various other things. However, I'm looking into the practical crafting aspect, things to make with herbs.

I have recipies for potpories and saches, and I love meking pommanders...

what kind of things do you herbal collecters make with your herbs?

I'll post a recipie or two a little later in this thread, must clean house soon...

Love and Light,

Ankou

Wow, no responces yet? Well heres one of mine anyway...

Cinnamon ornaments,

Mix equal parts ground cinnamon and applesauce, mix until an even dough forms. Roll onto wax paper, until it's about a 1/4 inch thick (sorry, don't know the metric off hand!). Cut shapes by hand or with a cookie cutter, and pierce a hole into top for string or ribbon. Let sit to dry overnight, may take longer depending on weather conditions and thickness. Flip once or twice as the ornaments dry. When full dry, tie ribbon through top hole. Use in potporri, as tree ornaments, to tie onto gifts or whatever other use you may think of! I'm going to try using the dough to make 3D shapes, but I'll have to get back to you on how that works out

Other variations of this recipie exsist, this is just how I made my batch

Love and Light,

Ankou

but then again, cinnamon is a spice.... hmmm...see my delema?

Let me seek out an herbal recipie to post also, I'm just excited about the above listed one right now

Cheers,

Ankou

Not sure I have any crafty recipes for herbs & spices but the cinnamon & applesauce shapes sound wonderful - must give that a try sometime.

I have a recipe for 'washballs' which are a great way to use up those little bits of leftover soap too.

Scented washballs were popular in the 17th & 18th Centuries, the posh folk imported theirs from Italy but the rest of us made our own from soap shavings, herbs, flowers and mixing it together with rose water.

8 oz of pref unscented soap, handmade 'real' soap is best (modern milled soap has no glycerine left in it) but any decent soap will be fine.
1 teaspoon ground orris root powder
1 teaspoon laundry starch
1 teaspoon finely ground lavender flowers
2 teaspoon finely ground camomile flowers
8 tablespoons of rose water
3 drops each of lavender and sandlewood oil

Grate the soap into a basin, mix in the dry ingredients thoroughly add the rose water and lavender & sandlewood oil and and mix to a plyable paste. Form into small balls and place on waxed paper to dry out for 3-4 days.

rose bath beads

hey i have a nice recipe of rose bath beads.. it smells awesome and ive tried making it once for a friend..

This recipe makes a handful of fragrant bath beads.When one or two

beads dissolve in warm water, they release skin-softening milk and

oil, and the scent of roses.


Makes 10 beads

1/4 cup powdered milk

2 Tbspn white flour

2 Tbspn borax powder

1/4 cup rose water

2 tspn mineral oil

10 drops rose fragrance oil

1 drop red food coloring (match the food coloring to the fragrance

oil and water...)



Combine the dried milk, flour and broax in a bowl, stirring until

well mixed. Add the rose water, mineral oil, fragrance oil, and food

coloring. Stir until you have a thick dough. Take one teaspoon of

dough and roll it into a ball, with your hands. Repeat until all of

the dough has been shaped. Place the balls on a sheet of tin foil or

waxed paper and let air dry for 24 hours.


To wrap the beads, place on in the center of a piece of 4-inch by 4-

inch tissue paper or lace.Gather the edges together around the bead

and tie with a piece of satin or curling ribbon.

I'm definately copying out those recipies!!! Yeah! Thanks!

Another project I've been doing is hot/cold, sleepy headache pillows.

sew a smallish pillow with buckwheat (or flax seed) and a feww scoops of lavender. Sew it up. Throw them in the freezer for cold packs of 10-20 sec in the microwave for hot packs. They're great for headaches and smell fabulous!

I've gifted a few now, and they go over really well!

Love and Light,

Ankou

Ankou

Wooww... Im definately gonna try to make the sleepy headache pillow.. Sounds really nice...

Great recipes! I think I might try the rose bath beads.

Just in case some of you don't know where to get borax powder, most pharmacies sell it in small containers but you have to ask the pharmacist for it.

Ruby7

Thanks Ruby, I've been hunting to no avail! Those little corner mom and pop pharmacies in the city have all kinds of weird useful stuff, and I haven't been in one in some time now. Have to make a trip of it

I just made my first shampoo!!! My hair is still drying so I don't know how well it worked yet, but I'll let you know the recipie if it turns out to be any good!

Love and Light,

Ankou

>_<

i know a great recipe for a face mask that clears out your impurities, but i'll have to call my mom about it since i can't remember all the ingredients, i don't think tehre's any herbs though, there's limon, honey, plain yogurt, and sugar i think...grr i hate it when something's at the tip of my toungue I'll get back to you on it, and i soo wanna try the bathbeads