Welcome back to another Thrift Made Fun guest post. This time I have the lovely guest editor, Barri from Barri Jayne Makes. Learn how to make your own Lavender Bags, perfect gift idea for friends and family or to treat yourself. They are soothing and calming as well as great for popping under your pillow. Keep reading to see how to make your own.
No Sew Lavender Bags
Hi, I’m Barri from Barri-Jayne Makes and I’m super excited to be a guest crafter here on Paige’s lovely blog. I’ll be showing you how to make one of my favourite crafty projects, a ‘no sew Lavender Bags’, something I’ve been making and gifting for many years now.
These ‘no sew lavender bags’ are so easy to put together and make really cute gifts for any occasion! You can literally whip one of these up in just a couple of minutes.
They would be great as wedding favours, given out at baby showers or added to party bags. This is also a lovely activity to do together with your friends or turn it into a cool birthday party craft activity for children. The list is endless!
To make these gorgeous ‘no sew lavender bag’, you will need:
Fabric: I’m sure if you’re anything like me you’ll have tons of fabric piled up somewhere. If you’re not like me, you might have some scraps hanging about, an old top or t-shirt you were about to throw out, or an old pillowcase that you no longer use. You literally only need an 8-10in square piece of fabric. Consider using two pieces of fabric together, either with lace on the outside or a contrasting colour.
Dried Lavender: Dried Lavender is pretty easy to get hold of. I usually get mine in bulk from for around £12/13 per kilo plus p&p. You can also purchase smaller quantities from eBay, Amazon, and Tiger which sell 30grams for £1 (making about 4 bags).
Tape measure: or ruler, or you can just guesstimate, as I usually do.
Sharp fabric scissors, or better, if you have a pair of pinking shears they will give the fabric a much prettier finish, with the zig-zag effect.
Ribbon: string, yarn or twine to hold it all together. You could even use a pretty hair band, it works just as well. Roughly need enough to make a bow.
Ready, set, MAKE!
Cut your fabric and place it on a flat surface with the right side facing down and put a small handful of lavender in the middle of the fabric. You roughly need about 10 grams per bag. If you don’t have a lot of lavender, you can use dried rice or wheat grain to bulk it out. The rice/wheat actually makes it easier to squeeze and move the lavender around in the bag to release the aroma.
Now gather up the four corners and bunch the fabric up in the middle so that the lavender doesn’t escape. The top of the bag should sort of resemble petals.
Tie a piece of ribbon or string (or hairband) around the middle of the lavender bag and secure with a knot. Then you can tie it into a bow or a double bow or just leave it dangling.
And that’s all there is to it! Job done! Enjoy for yourself or give as a gift. If you make your own ‘no sew Lavender Bag, don’t forget to hashtag #ThriftMadeFun and tag @barrijayne.makes
A few wonderful things about lavender
Lavender has a wonderful calming effect with so many uses around the home. Use it to relax the mind & help to fight insomnia, by tucking a lavender bag into your pillowcase giving it a gentle squeeze to release the aroma! Hang with clothes or in drawers to gently fragrance & ward off moths. Keep in your bag or pocket and squeeze when a sense of calm is required. Add dried lavender or lavender oil to your bath water with Epsom salt, for a relaxing soak before bedtime. There are so many other amazing uses for Lavender. Thank you for reading!
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