When it comes to garden crafting, few plants are as versatile as your garden herbs. These fragrant favorites, such as lavender, rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme, are wonderful not only for their culinary uses, but also their beauty. All of these plants are perennials—meaning they’ll thrive year after year—and they’re also drought-tolerant, making them perfect additions to a low-water landscape. But did you know they also lend themselves to charming DIY crafts? Let’s explore a few ways to bring the natural beauty of these herbs into your home through simple, homemade projects that double as excellent gifts.
1. Lavender Sachets for Fresh Fragrance
One of the easiest and most delightful uses for lavender is in handmade sachets. Lavender’s calming aroma is perfect for placing in drawers, closets, or even under your pillow for a restful night’s sleep. Here’s how you can make your own lavender sachets:
- Harvest and dry your lavender: Cut the stems just as the blooms start to open, then hang them upside down in a cool, dry place until the flowers are fully dried. We also sell dried lavender from our own gardens in the giftshop if you missed harvesting your own.
- Fill small fabric bags with dried lavender buds and tie them with twine or ribbon.
- You can also add other dried herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, to customize the scent.
These sachets not only freshen up any space but also make wonderful gifts that highlight the simple elegance of nature. We’ve paired our sachets with our Secret Garden lavender linen spray. A few quick sprays on your pillow before bed is a wonderful way to calm the senses.
2. Herb Wreaths: A Gift that Keeps on Giving
One of our favorite herbal crafting ideas to gift this season is the “herb wreath.” Made with rosemary, sage, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme, these small wreaths add a rustic, decorative touch to your kitchen while providing fresh, dried herbs ready for the next stew or soup.
Here’s how to make your own:
- Gather fresh herbs: Snip sprigs of rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme. Aim for stems that are around 4-6 inches long.
- Form a small circle: Use a small grapevine wreath base or create your own by twisting together longer pieces of rosemary.
- Layer the herbs around the base: Gather herbs in small bundles and secure each to the wreath form, overlapping to hide the stems. Secure with wire or twine.
The beauty of these wreaths is that they dry over time, allowing you to pull off a sprig whenever you need a dash of flavor in the kitchen. When the wreath is spent, it’s easy to compost or replace, making it a sustainable craft idea.
3. Natural Botanical Herb Bundles
Rosemary, lavender and sage are not only visually stunning but also lend themselves well to herb bundles. These natural bundles are perfect for clearing stale indoor air and bringing a refreshing herbal aroma into your home.
To make your own:
- Harvest fresh herb stems: The longer, the better, as they’ll be easier to bundle and burn.
- Bundle and wrap: Lay rosemary and lavender stems together, add a few dried sage leaves and cedar if you like, and secure with natural twine, wrapping from bottom to top.
- Dry: Allow the bundles to dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated area.
These bundles can be displayed as a lovely herbal decoration while drying and then used as an air-clearing incense by burning. The combination of rosemary, lavender and sage is not only grounding but has a clean, crisp and earthy scent that many people find relaxing. Short for time? We have beautiful hand-crafted botanical bundles in the giftshop for easy gift giving.
4. Garden-Ready Perennials that Give Back
Aside from being wonderful crafting materials, rosemary, lavender, sage, oregano, and thyme are hardy perennials that make excellent choices for a low-water garden. Here’s why:
- Drought-Tolerant: These Mediterranean herbs are adapted to dry climates, making them ideal for regions like Sacramento, where water conservation is key.
- Low Maintenance: Once established, these plants require minimal watering and care, thriving in well-drained soil and full sunlight.
- Pollinator-Friendly: Lavender, sage, and oregano flowers attract bees and butterflies, supporting your local ecosystem.
- Year-Round Beauty: With silvery foliage, lavender blooms, and rosemary’s deep green, these herbs add year-round color and texture to the landscape.
For a long-lasting, sustainable garden, consider planting these herbs in a sunny area with well-drained soil. You’ll not only have a beautiful, low-maintenance garden but also a steady supply of fresh herbs for culinary use and crafting. Don’t let winter weather stop you either! You can always keep your herbs on a sunny windowsill through the winter, enjoying the fresh herbs while waiting for warmer weather to plant them outdoors. Stop in to the nursery to see what we have in stock. A small trio of fresh herbs makes a terrific gift for the cook in your life!
A Final Note on Crafting with Herbs
Crafting with lavender, rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme lets you bring a touch of nature indoors, transforming everyday spaces with their natural beauty and soothing scents. Whether you’re making herbal wreaths for a unique gift, lavender sachets for a fresh home, or herb bundles for a simple incense, these perennial herbs bring sustainability and creativity together.
Stop by The Secret Garden to explore our selection of beautiful, ready-to-grow herbs and get inspired to create these DIY projects that celebrate the season and the enduring beauty of your garden.
-Happy crafting friends!
