Do you love the smell of lavender? Natural and aromatic, calming and relaxing, there are numerous uses for lavender bags in your home. Tuck one inside your pillow to induce a tranquil sleep, keep your laundry and linens smelling fresh and fragrant or keep your sock drawer smelling nice with these adorable scented lavender bags. Why not have one in your shoe cabinet or pop one in an empty suitcase to keep it smelling sweet?

Banish moths from your closet

Did you know that lavender is also an insect deterrent? Lavender bags are a great natural alternative to toxic mothballs! Hang them over a clothes hanger or tuck them in between your woollies to keep them smelling fresh and to stop moths from munching on them!

See what I mean? There are so many great reasons to make these gorgeous lavender bags!

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How to make lavender bagsand smudge sticks by 'chalking up success dot com'.

A tip for using lavender prunings

If you grow lavender in your garden, don’t waste the cuttings come pruning time. Separate the dried flower seeds from the stems ready to make these lovely lavender bags and enjoy the scent for few more months. Every time you squeeze your bag, the fragrance will remind you of sunny days and wonderful summer evenings. I’ll share another little tip with you at the end of this post for how you can use the lavender stalks too so don’t throw those away just yet!

If you don’t grow lavender at all, you can buy the dried lavender flowers online here.

Great for kids to make as gifts

Giving these little lavender bags to friends and family is like giving a little piece of your garden for them to enjoy!

This is a great craft for children too since the lavender bags could also be hand sewn with a running or blanket stitch if you don’t have a sewing machine or if the little ones are too young to use one.

Small, square, white lavender bags with beige star. A step by step tutorial from Challking Up Success dot com.

How to make lavender bags – a step by step tutorial

Materials Needed To Make Lavender Bags

Fabric USA | EU
Contrasting Fabric
Sewing thread
S cissors
Sewing Machine USA | EU (Mine)
or hand sewing needle
Fabric adhesive USA | EU
Ribbon for hanging
Card for making templates
Ruler
Pencil
Fabric marker USA | EU
Paper underlay or surface protector
Lavender

LET’S GET STARTED!

Make a template
Use the card to make a template in the size you’d like your lavender bags to be. Don’t forget to add the seam allowance to the template.
Cut out squares
Use the template to trace the squares onto your fabric and cut them out. You will need two squares of fabric for every lavender bag you wish to make.
Make the star template
Make a template for the star (if using) in the same way. (I used a small Christmas decoration).
Cut out stars
Using the template, trace the stars onto your fabric and cut them out.
Spray stars
Place the stars onto a piece of paper or surface protector and spray with fabric adhesive.
Attach stars to fabric
Press the stars, adhesive side down, onto the fabric squares and allow to dry.

Place the square with the star on top of a plain fabric square, right sides together.
Sewing
Use the sewing machine or hand stitch the squares together leaving one side open.

Pull both sides of thread through the fabric so that they are on the same side and tie the thread off in a knot.
Shape the bags
Turn the bag the right way out. If you find it hard to make the shape, use a small blunt object (like the rounded side of a ‘quick unpick’) to gently push out the seams.

You can either leave the bag like this at this stage or if you are using a sewing machine, you can make another row of decorative stitching around the edge of the bag which is what I did.
Fill the bags
Now it’s time to fill you lavender bags with lots of lovely dried lavender seeds.
Add a hanger
Cut some ribbon to the size of the hanging loop you want to make. Fold the ribbon in half and tuck it inside the open side of your lavender bag.

Sew the open edge closed either using your machine or by hand. Blind stitch is great for this. You can see how to blind stitch in my post ‘How to make a tufted french mattress cushion‘.

Your lovely lavender bags are finished!

Just making these lavender bags was therapeutic in itself. My whole house has been smelling lavender for days now – I wish you could smell it too!

Small square lavender bags, white with a beige linen star and white ribbon hanging loop.

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My Tip for a Natural Air Purifier

Talking of aroma, remember I said I had a tip for using up all those lavender stalks? Well, here’s how you can take that wonderful lavender aroma and turn it into a natural air purifier for every room in your home!

Who needs artificial air fresheners full of toxins when you can lift your mood and create positive energy by making a natural and beneficial air purifier with plants from your garden?

Making Smudge Sticks

Smudge sticks made from sage and lavender - find out how to make them in the post 'How to make lavender bags' from chalking up success dot com

An Ancient form of Aromatherapy

This is probably one of the most ancient forms of aromatherapy! Many people burn herbs in their home as a means of natural purification.

Smudging diffuses negative energy and increases positive energy, use it to cleanse and balance your air, your environment, and your energy!

Smudge sticks made from lavender and sage.

I used the leftover lavender stalks and tied them together with some dried sage (also from my garden).

Finding Peace

The dried flower buds of lavender have a light refreshing scent when burned. Lavender can help with finding peace, a restful sleep and a positive state of being. When burned, lavender is said to aid insomnia, depression, grief, sorrow and anxiety.

Sage is known for cleansing and purification and can be used to purify the air before meditation.

When to burn your smudge stick

To enhance your energy levels
For stress relief
To help you focus
After an argument or fight to clear negativity
To cleanse the energy left behind by a negative person
When someone has died
If your home as been shut up for a time (over the holidays)
The day after a party to calm the energy
When your house guests have left
Before meditating or starting yoga exercises

How to burn your smudge stick

Light the end of the stick and allow the flame to die.

Place the smudge stick in a heatproof vessel (I use a granite candle holder). You could use a small terracotta plant saucer for this.

Blow on the smudge stick or use a fan to keep the smudge stick smouldering as you walk through your home, cleansing as you go!

Lavender and sage smudge stick smouldering away in a grey granite bowl

Use Mother Nature’s Gifts

Mother Nature provides us with a wealth of natural healing and it doesn’t get more simple than this!

If you smudge, what herbs do you use?

Never smudged? Will you give it a try? I’d love to know how you get on, let me know in the comments 🙂

Here are some more ideas for using lavender:

How to make lavender and rose salt scrub

Lavender and Calendula bath bombs

How to make calming scented soy candles