Tag: dried herbs

Easy DIY Herbal Drawer Fresheners
I’m always looking for ways to keep my house and myself smelling fresh and clean. These herbal drawer fresheners are an easy way to use the herbs from my garden to keep my clothes smelling fresh and clean…no matter how long they’ve been tucked away!

These herbal drawer fresheners keep folded laundry smelling fresh. They are simple to make, which is good because you will want to make plenty of them!

These drawer fresheners are made from the thrifted wool sweaters that I felted originally to make tea cozies. You can also use fabric, but with the felted wool, you can needle felt initials on the sachet for a personalized touch.

Package up a few monogrammed drawer fresheners for a handmade gift idea that anyone would love! Here’s how to make them!

I monogrammed mine, but you can do any kind of design on them!

What Types of Dried Herbs to Use

I used herbs from my garden that I dried over the growing season: lavender (both the flower buds and leaves), mint, and rosemary. Use whichever herbs you love the best from your own garden, a shop, or even the inside of an herbal tea bag. Here are a few more ideas of what you can add to a drawer freshener:
- Hunt through your spice cabinet for dried spices such as cinnamon, star anise, fennel, and cloves.
- Use dried flowers petals like rose, calendula, and peony which remain fragrant when dried but are often times more useful in natural beauty recipes and potpourri where their beauty isn’t hidden away.
- Cedar chips are said to keep moths away and have a pungent aroma that keeps clothes fresh.
- Or skip the herbs altogether and fill them with rice scented with essential oils.
Whatever you decide to use, think about how you want your clothes (and your family wearing the clothes) to smell.

Just make sure the herbs are dried! You can’t put in fresh herbs, or they will mould.

How to Make Herbal Drawer Fresheners

These are quite simple to make, using recycled materials and herbs you already have in the house. Yet, they can be the perfect personalized gift for a loved one.

Materials

Make It!

Felted wool is bonded more closely, making it easier to sew.

Cut the fabric into 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch squares. I felted wool because it doesn’t fray when it’s cut—a big time saver when sewing. You will need two squares per sachet. Take a look at How to Felt Wool to learn how to felt thrift store sweaters.

I sewed mine together with a sewing machine, but these are small enough that you can do them by hand.

If you want to add a design to the felted wool, it’s best to do so before you sew. Again, I like to use wool because it’s easy to add a pretty design or monogram with a felting mat. Check out No-Sew Mug Cozy tutorial to see how to use a felting mat.

Leave an opening to add in the herbs.

Use a funnel to help get the herbs in the wool sachet.

Pin two squares together and sew a 1/4 hem around three sides. When you get to the fourth side, leave an inch-long opening in the middle of the fourth side. Back stitch on both sides of the opening to reinforce.

Using a funnel or spoon, fill the square with the dried herbs. You don’t need to stuff it until it bulges, just until it’s full and no herbs are spilling out of the opening.

Once filled, sew the opening closed on the sewing machine.

Don’t fill them too full, as you still need to close them and don’t want them to bulge.

How to Use

Add these fragrant drawer fresheners to your kids’ sock drawers, your husband’s gym bag, or a linen closet: anywhere that can use a boost of herbal freshness!

They also make wonderful gifts. Sew up a few extra for stocking stuffers, housewarming gifts, or bridal shower favours. Wherever your decide to put them, they will be a lovely reminder of a summer garden’s bounty every time you smell them.

FAQ About Herbal Drawer Fresheners

How can I make a no-sew version?

If you don’t want to sew these, you can use seam tape to secure the fabric together. You can also forgo the fabric altogether and use small drawstring linen bags. These also make refreshing the herbs easier.

How do I felt wool?

It’s quite easy to do! I just do it in the washing machine with an old pillowcase. You can follow my steps and instructions in this post.

How long do the herbs last?

My herbs last for about six months to a year until they begin to lose their fragrance. To refill them, take a seam ripper to make a small hole to empty the old herbs and put in new herbs. Then just sew it closed, and you’re good for another six months!

More Scented Crafts to Try
Debbie Wolfe

Source link
October 31, 2024
How Long Do Dried Herbs Last? – Garden Therapy
Over time, we collect quite a bit of herbs. From harvesting plenty from the garden to buying for that one recipe, you might have quite an array of herbs in your house. But how long do dried herbs last? To make sure you’re getting the most out of your stash, here’s when to toss them and when to keep them.

Herbs are wonderful, magical things. I dedicate most of my garden to herbs, allowing me to harvest fresh herbs and dry them to use in my home apothecary. Beyond cooking, I use these herbs for teas, tinctures, balms and salves, cleaning products, and beauty and self-care products.

Herbs can have such distinct and useful tastes, smells, and herbal properties. And you really don’t need much to get the full benefits of the herbs.

Because you often only need so little, you can be left with a bunch of herbs. If you’re wiping off dust from the top of bottles or reaching for a rarely used herb in the back of the cabinet, you’re probably wondering how long do dried herbs last anyway? Can I still use this?

Let’s talk about the shelf life of herbs, whether you’re using them for cooking beauty recipes or for their medicinal value.

The Shelf Life of Herbs

First things first, we’re talking about herbs rather than spices here. Herbs come from the leaves, while spices come from the rest of the plant, including the seed, stem, or root.

Dried herbs usually last one to three years if used for cooking or eating. However, that depends on factors such as how and where they’re stored and whether or not they’re whole or powdered.

Herbs last longer when in whole form. Once they’re grounded, they’re more exposed to the elements.

If you’re using herbs for cooking, feel free to give them a taste! They won’t go bad like typical food; they’ll just lose their flavour.

Can Dried Herbs Go Bad?

Herbs do not go bad in the same sense that other old food might. There will often be no signs that they have gone rancid or mouldy. There is no harm in having old herbs, but you just may not be experiencing the benefits.

The biggest tell with dried herbs is the colour and smell. Notice any signs of discolouration or a faint smell. If the smell is faint or non-existent, the herb has likely lost its potency.

If you’re dealing with a powdered herb, look for clumping. This is a sure sign that moisture has entered.

If you bought the herbs, the original container or packaging might have a date listed. This could be an expiration date or a sell-by date. The herbs will last much longer than the date listed, but it will give you an indication of their age.

Label your herbs with the name and date.

Do Medicinal Herbs Expire?

Things are a little different if you’re using herbs for medicinal purposes or for their herbal properties. Once again, you won’t be harmed by using old herbs, but you may not see the benefits.

The older herbs get, the less potent they get. If you’re using herbs for medicinal reasons or in beauty products, I recommend going with dried herbs that are less than one year old. These will have the best potency for your products.

It’s also important to remember that different herbs have different life spans. For instance, lemon balm loses much of its medicinal value soon after harvest. So, I never use dried lemon balm, only fresh lemon balm, for its herbal properties.

Ensure your herbs are fully dry before you store them. You don’t want any moisture getting trapped inside the storage containers.

How to Keep Dried Herbs Fresher for Longer

You can prolong the life of your dried herbs by using these tips.
- Keep them away from light, both artificial and natural, by keeping them in a cupboard or drawer.
- Have tight lids. You want to seal them as tightly as possible to keep the oxygen and moisture out.
- Store your herbs in a cool place. Room temperature is quite alright, but if you live somewhere warm, you may want to store your herbs somewhere colder than the rest of your house. But not the fridge! The fridge has too much moisture and light.
- Use glass storage. Plastic is more permeable to moisture and plastic.
- Only open your herbs when you need to use them. You want to keep as much oxygen away from the herbs as possible.
Keep those lids tight and secure to keep your herbs as fresh as possible.

More Helpful Herb Tips
Stephanie Rose

Source link
April 10, 2024