Simple Lavender Sachet

Simple Sachets

Mother’s day will be here before you know it. What are you going to do? The simple sachet is the answer. It is simple, easy to make, and smells amazing. And, best of all, Mom will love that you made it for her.

With some assistance, this is a craft that school children can do for significant people in their lives. It is the sort of craft that families and friends will love, and your classroom will smell wonderful through to summer as you find all the dried lavender flowers that escaped during construction.

Lavender is a plant with numerous varietals that grow in a wide variety of environments. As such, you may be able to find a subspecies that will grow near you. It has been widely cultivated and used for centuries. The traditional uses for the plant range widely from cultural, medicinal, and religious uses through to culinary and cleaning uses. One of my favorite uses is Lavender Ice Cream, but this blog post is dedicated to the classic Lavender Sachet.

Bundled dried lavender

Lavender sachets have been used for centuries for their aroma. They have been tucked into linens and folded into fine lingerie to add a comforting, clean, feminine aroma to the fabric items. Victorians used lavender wands in addition to or in place of sachets. Some say lavender will also help repel moths, but I have some doubts about that as I’ve seen how much my local moth and butterfly population enjoys feeding on my lavender nectar when my plants are in full bloom.

Traditional lavender wands, modern decorative lavender basket

This sachet is a simple version, so let’s get started. A video version of this project is available on the Mile Wide Crafts YouTube channel, here: https://youtu.be/uHypFXBmifo

Materials

Fabric square, about 10 inches on a side, woven fabrics or tulle are best

Ribbon or cord, 10-12 inches long and at least a ½ inch wide (¼ inch diameter for cord)

Narrow ribbon or cord, 4-8 inches (Less than ¼ inch wide)

Flexible trim, about 20-30 inches

Dried Lavender Buds, 1-2 tablespoons

Needle and Thread

Instructions

Step 1: Cut your fabric circle

Draw a circle on your fabric. I generally use a circle that is about 7 inches across. I have a paper template that I use to trace a circle onto my fabric. However, many household items are circular and would work as a template. Many luncheon plates, for example, are about this size, as are many mixing bowls.

Circle traced on an old shirt

Cut out your circle. If you are using a woven fabric pinking shears are a good idea so your fabric doesn’t ravel.

If you use tulle, you may want to cut two layers and just use them together so the lavender buds don’t poke through.

Step 2: Finish your edge.

There are a few options here. If you’ve used pinking shears, you may not need to do anything else. Similarly, if you are using tulle, you may not need to do anything to stabilize the edge.

If you have used woven fabric and haven’t used pinking shears, you have a few other options.

Zigzagged circle on the left, pinked circle on the right

You could use a product like fray-check or white glue on the edge to keep it from raveling. If you are working with small children who are gluing the trim on to the edge, the white glue should keep the edge stable.

You could cut out a second circle, and use a turn and topstitch method. If you do this, make sure the fabric you use is no heavier than shirt weight or quilting cotton as you want the lavender scent to come through easily.

The method I generally use, though, is to zigzag around the edge using a fairly small stitch. If you have a serger, this is a good place to use it.

Step 3: Trim the edge

There are a wide variety of trims available on the market. Many will work for this project. The most important thing is to find a trim that is flexible enough to go around the circumference of the circle without rippling. Rickrack is very good for this. If you have a pretty finished edge, strings of seed beads or imitation seed beads could also work.

Trim sewn to the edge and the gathering stitches added

Attach the trim around the edge of the fabric circle. If you are working with small children, they could use glue to attach the trim. Older children might be able to sew it on.

If you have chosen to use a turn and topstitch method to finish the edge in step 2, you could incorporate the trim into the topstitching step. Alternatively, you could skip the trim and just use a decorative edge stitch as your top stitching method.

When I do this project I machine sew the trim to the edge of the fabric, covering the zigzag stitching.

Step 4: Knot the ribbon

The ribbon is held in place in the project by a chunky knot. Any knot that is chunky enough to be at least twice the diameter of the cord or ribbon should work. For example, two overhand knots, one tied around the other would work. A figure eight knot would also work. 

With cord, I recommend using a cord end type of knot like a crown knot, a monkey fist knot, or something similar. These knots may require more than the 12 inches of length mentioned, depending on the knot and the diameter of the cord used.

I generally use a wide ribbon and a figure eight knot.

Step 5: Gather the circle into a pouch

Pull the gathering threads to form a pouch

About one inch in from the edge of the fabric circle, run a line or two of gathering stitches.

This is one of the steps where young children might need some help. If the children are able, they might be able to use embroidery thread and a tapestry needle to run a line of running stitches through tulle.

For older children or adults, run a line of running stitches around the circle, one inch in from the outer edge. This can be done by hand or by machine, using long stitches.

Pull the stitches until a pouch begins to form, but DO NOT close the pouch yet. You may wish to leave the thread ends on the outside/right side of the pouch.

Step 6: Fill the pouch

Place the knotted end of the ribbon from step 4 into the bottom of the pouch.

Carefully pour the dried lavender buds into the pouch on top of and around the knotted ribbon. Don’t fill the pouch all the way up to the stitching as you will need to be able to close the pouch. Fill it about ¾ of the way. The amount of flower buds needed will use depends on the fabric choice, the size of the original circle, and the distant the gathering stitches are from the edge. Most sachets will take 1-2 tablespoons of dried buds.

Pouch filled with the ribbon and buds

A funnel can make your life easier here, but the buds will need to be added slowly so the funnel isn’t clogged.

Step 7: Finishing the sachet

Pull the gathering stitches until the pouch is closed tightly, making sure to enclose the knotted end of the ribbon. Tie off the long ends of the thread to keep the pouch closed and trim the threads close to the knot.

Use the narrow decorative ribbon to create a decorative closure around the top of the pouch and finish with a bow. Glue may be used to keep the bow in place. 

If a decorative cord is used, it may be stitched or glued into place. A few small sprigs of dried lavender make a decorative covering for the ends of cords. However, buttons, beads or gemstones are also pretty options.

When I make these, I pull the gathering threads to the outside of the fabric and use the long tails of the gathered thread to wrap around the top of the pouch for added security under the decorative cord or ribbon.

Completed Sachets with a variety of finishing options

As always, if you have questions about this project, LOVE it, or just want to give feedback, please leave a comment below.

Happy Crafting!

Scrappy Blocks

Scrappy Blocks

Wow! Your daughter/niece/bff/neighbor/sister/co-worker is having a baby. How exciting!  

What are you supposed to give as a baby gift? 

      These scrappy, squishy, colorful baby blocks are my go-to answer to this inevitable question. They are quick, easy to make, colorful, fun, and a great way to use up scraps from other projects.

If you don’t have a new baby in your life, consider donating blocks to a less fortunate child through a local hospital, homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, Children and Family services office, etc.

       Alternatively, your cat might enjoy these, too. Maybe add some catnip to the filling, if making them for a cat.

      These blocks are an excellent beginner project. The blocks are made up of squares sewn together with straight seams. At the same time, these blocks are very forgiving of slight errors. If you are a new sewer and want to learn to sew by hand, these are a wonderful place to start. If you have a new sewing machine and want to learn to use it, these blocks are a fun first project. Finally, for beginning sewers of all sorts, these blocks are a great way to practice sewing on scraps while still making something useful and fun.

      This project is also a really good first project to try with a new sewing machine. The blocks are very forgiving of tension that might be slightly off, seams that don’t line up exactly, etc. However, the squares and seams also leave room to play with new stitches. If you want to use a new serger to practice serging the edges, go right ahead. If you have some new embroidery stitches to try out, the blocks give you about 4 square inches per side to experiment. Do you have an edging technique you’ve been dying to try? These blocks have lots of seams to decorate. If, after trying out all these new techniques, your seams shouldn’t see the light of day, they can be turned to the inside and no one but you will ever have to know. However, if they are beautiful, you’ll be able to show them proudly.

A video of this project is available on the Mile Wide Crafts YouTube channel, here:

https://youtu.be/wo-AHUmhv5c

Materials:

Fabric scraps

Ribbon scraps (optional) – Do not use yarn.

Fiber fill

Small jingle bells or shakers (optional)

Instructions:

Step 1: Choose your fabric.

Fabric Options. A finished block is in the upper left corner.

These blocks are intended for babies, so fabric choice is important. Here are things to consider.

1.      Is it washable? Babies sense the world through their mouths as much as any other sense organ, so these blocks need to be washable. (Not to scare off prospective/expectant parents, but babies also spit up, have diaper blow-outs, share with the dog, etc.)

2.      Is it sturdy? Babies sense the world through their mouths, so steer away from fabrics that will fray, have sewn on beads, random dangly bits, etc. Eventually the baby will have teeth which they will inevitably try to use on these blocks, so make sure your fabric can stand up to this kind of wear.

3. Is it textured? Babies sense the world through their mouths. Make your blocks interesting to chew on. Also, an interesting mix of textures will keep baby fingers entertained. Terry cloth, fleece, cotton quilting fabric, smooth satin, and occasionally bits of lace can all be good choices to mix in your blocks.

4.      Is it visible? I know standard baby colors are traditionally pastel, but babies actually see saturated colors more easily. So, include an interesting mix of colors. Contrasting black or navy and white patterns are especially interesting to babies.

Step 2: Cut your ribbon.

This much loved, much washed block was used as a floor toy.

The ribbon will be used to hang blocks from mobiles, car seats, strollers, etc. It isn’t absolutely necessary as these blocks can be used as floor toys. 

Cut the ribbon 6-8 inches long.

If your ribbon scrap is narrow (less than about ¼ inch), cut it a bit longer so the ends can be tied in a knot. The knotted end will be inside the block and will keep the ribbon from coming through the seam as the block is used and tugged.

Many children like to chew ribbons as they have an interesting feel in the mouth, so please make sure your ribbon follows all the considerations mentioned above for fabric. This is NOT a place to use your yarn scraps, as they will fray and may be ingested.

Step 3: Cut your fabric squares.

Cut 6 squares anywhere from 2 ½ to 6 inches on a side. As long as all your squares for your block are all the same size, it will work. Don’t go any smaller than 2 ½ inches as your resulting blocks will be small enough to be a choking hazard. Anything larger than 6 inches will be too big for a baby to handle. Babies are unbelievably tiny.

I generally cut my squares 3 inches on a side as this is how wide my ruler is. When I’ve finished a project and have mid-sized scraps, I will cut 3 inch blocks and store them in a bag for later use in making baby blocks. These squares can also be used in other projects like quilt blocks.

Step 4: Sew your squares into a “T”.

Fabric squares in a "T" with a ribbon.

Lay out your squares so they form a capital letter T. You will have three squares across, and three more squares extending down. See the picture for details. Stitch the squares together (right sides together with a ¼ inch seam) where the edges of the blocks meet. You can add the ribbon into one of these seams. See the picture for details.

Variations (Pictures of some variations at the end)

This is one of the places where more advanced sewers can play.

1.           Practice your embroidery by embroidering the center of your squares before sewing them together, as shown in the "T" picture. Just be sure to anchor your stitches in a child-proof way, and avoid long runs of thread in your pattern.

2.            Finish your square edges so they don’t ravel and leave your seam allowances on the outside for a deconstructed look.

3.           Try out that new edge finish you’ve been dying to try. If it looks acceptable, leave your edges exposed. If you still need more practice, turn your edges to the inside and make a few more blocks to practice more. 

4.            Try out some of the narrow embroidery stitches on your sewing machine and decorate the seam allowances. If the seams are pretty, finish the edges and leave the seams outside the blocks, for a deconstructed look.

Step 5: Sew your T into a Cube.

Sewing the cube, stage 1

Fold the sides of the top part of the “T” up so they become two standing sides of what will be your cube. Holding those sides, roll your entire top of your “T” towards you so you can see where the sides of the cube will meet the squares forming the “l” part of the “T”. Sew the cube edges together that are newly acquainted. Look at the pictures, as they are likely to be far less confusing.

Sewing the cube, stage 2

When you have finished this step, you can see in the picture that you will have something that looks a bit like a recliner with arms. Continue to roll the sides forward, sewing the new seams as you go until you have sewn all the seams except the last one.

If you forgot to add the ribbon in Step 4, add it into one of these seams.

Sewing the cube, stage 3

Back stitch or tie off all of the thread ends on all of these seams. You don’t want your seams to come undone when a baby is playing with these blocks as the filling can be a choking hazard if it leaks out.

Sewing the cube, stage 4

  

















Step 6: Filling the cube.

Fill the cube with fiber fill. You want it to be firm but not super hard. Keep in mind that you will have to stitch the last seam closed.

Variations

1.           Add a small jingle bell into the center of the filling. Keep in mind that this still needs to be washable, so choose your bells carefully. Also, try to avoid having any of the hard parts of the bell next to a side where it could injure a baby.

2.            Add a shaker to the center of the filling. The plastic shakers available on the internet are good for this as they are more washable than metal ones might be. As with the bell, avoid having hard edges or points touching the sides of the block.

3.           Use thread or tiny fabric scraps in place of fiberfill. This can be done with great caution. In my experience this type of filling tends to be heavier than fiberfill. Just be careful that your block isn’t so heavy that the baby can’t play with it. Also, you will need to take extra care with your last seam closure to be sure none of these tiny scraps (aka choking hazards) can escape.

Step 7: Close the cube.

 

Turn the edges under and stitch the last seam closed. If you have used a variation with exposed seams, continue with that method.

Closing the cube.

I generally sew this last seam by hand using a whip stitch or one of the many invisible seaming methods. I’ve found the block looks a bit odd with only one seam showing on the outside. 

However, if you have “misplaced” all of your hand sewing needles, you may sew this closed with the machine.

In any case, make sure this seam is a secure as all the others. I’ve seen children choke on fiberfill, so we don’t want any to escape.

Completed cube

Step 8: Wrap your gift.

New block (left) and Experienced block (Right)

Wrap your gift and present it to a grateful new parent.

When I give blocks as a gift, I generally give a set of 4 or six blocks. Every house with a baby should have a toy to two under the couch, so this gives the baby numerous options to try.

As always, if you have questions, get stuck, or absolutely LOVE this project, leave me a comment.

Variations: 

If there is interest in any of these specific techniques, leave a comment below and I can do a post specifically about the technique.

Hand Embroidery: The squares making up these blocks offer a bit more than 4 square inches of space to try out new embroidery stitches. Just be sure to fasten your thread ends securely so a baby can't pull them out.

Hand Embroidered Squares

Edge finishes: Some fabric like fleece don't ravel, so the edges don't need to be turned to the inside. Fleece or felted wool can be used with decorative edge finishing stitches like blanket stitches.

Even and uneven Blanket stitches

Hemming stitches: Each block has six squares, and each square has four edges. This means you have 24 edges to practice different hemming techniques. By the end of 24 edges, you should be pretty good at the technique and may even have mastered turning corners. If they aren't all pretty, you can just turn the hems to the inside of the block, as I did... Depending on how much fabric is taken up in the hem, you may find you need to cut your squares a bit larger to still have a decent sized block.

Hand Rolled Hems

Machine Stitches: As with the hand embroidery, each block offers a bit more than 4 square inches of space to try out new stitches, new techniques, new threads, etc. In my case, I used different stitches on the edges of the blocks. It is a great place to practice turning corners. Depending on the amount of fabric taken up by any hems, you may need to increase the size of your original squares. Again, just be sure your threads are secure. If you've used a wash-away stabilizer, please wash the blocks before giving them to a baby.

Machine Embroidery used to hem the edges.

Happy Sewing! 

As always, if you have questions about this project, please leave a comment. 

Up Next: Lavender Sachets