DIY

Make Your Own Reusable Laundry Sachets

Gather the last of that lavender in the garden for this DIY project.

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Credit: Andrea Tucker

Make your own reusable laundry sachets using lavender from the garden

Make your own reusable laundry sachets using lavender from the garden

Gather the last of that lavender in the garden for this DIY project

 

Handmade laundry sachets can be reused and are a great alternative to the standard (chemical-laden) dryer sheets that you purchase at a store. Once they start losing their scent (approximately 10 loads) you can use them in your drawers, closet and bag. You can even add a loop to the sachet using ribbon, yarn or string, so that you can hang it in your car for some added freshness!

 

 

Materials:

  • Any old, clean fabric, such as curtain, table cloth, cloth napkin, table runner, bed spread, pillow case, old shirt, etc. Preferably a lightweight cotton fabric with no stretch.
  • Spool of thread and bobbin
  • Ruler
  • Sewing machine (you can sew by hand, but a machine will give you a stronger stitch)
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Lavender
  • Chopstick or something to help stuff if needed

 

Step One:

 

Harvest lavender from your garden when the florets have bloomed, but not yet faded. Cut the lavender where the leaves meet the stalk. You can hang them in a dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight to dry further. I sometimes place cut stalks in a paper bag placed in the freeer to kill any bugs that may have followed me home. This evaporates the essential oils and fades the colour of the blooms. Once the lavender is dried, strip the florets and store them in jars in a cool, dry place.

 

Step Two:

Measure out two 4×4-inch squares from your fabric. Make sure to give yourself a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

 

 

Step Three:

Pin together the two square pieces of fabric, right sides together.

 

To add a hook, take a piece of ribbon (choose a length that fits what you want to hang it on) and fold it in half. When pinning fabric, make sure that you sandwich the piece of ribbon with the loop on the inside of the top of your square. When you turn it out in Step Five, it will form a hook for your sachet.

 

 

Step Four:

Sew around the entire exterior of the piece of fabric. Make sure that you leave approx. 2–2.5 inches open on one side so that you can stuff the lavender in.

 

Step Five:

Trim extra fabric and turn the sachet inside out, so that the right sides are now facing out.

 

Step Six:

Fill the sachet with lavender and sew closed.