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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

What to Do and Make With All Your Lovely Lavender {DIY List}


"If you could choose only one herb for household use, lavender would have to be at the top of the list. Apart from its pretty flower and much loved scent, lavender is antibacterial, antibiotic, antiviral, antiseptic, deodorizing and insect repelling, which means that you can use it in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, nursery and patio, as well as in your wardrobes and drawers, on your pets and on your skin." 

If you have read this blog for some time, you already know that lavender, with its variety of uses, is one of my favorite plants. Though its water was prized in the Regency Era (Jane Austen wrote of lavender water in her novels and referred to it in her letters), it was Queen Victoria who popularized this amazing flower as a homemaking necessity. She had her rooms perfumed with it and even appointed a Miss Sarah Sprules as “Purveyor of Lavender Essence to the Queen”!



“It is generally known that the Queen is a great believer in Lavender as a disinfectant, and that she is not at all singular in her faith in this plant… The royal residences are strongly impregnated with the refreshing odour of this old-fashioned flower, and there is no perfume that the Queen likes better than Lavender-water, which, together with the oil for disinfecting purposes, Her Majesty has direct from a lady who distills it herself.”
~ Fragrant Flowers, 1895

And the romantic, natural, modern-day homemaker? I suggest you embrace it to its fullest capacity! Here are some wonderful ways that we use lavender in our household and for gift giving. We will be sharing more ideas in the future since there are so many enjoyable things to do and make with this heavenly herb! {Note: If you don't have a lavender plant, you can always purchase flower buds here.}



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“The air was fragrant with a thousand trodden aromatic herbs,
with fields of lavender,
and with the brightest roses blushing in tufts all over the meadows...” 
~William Cullen Bryant


This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making MondaysModest Mom Monday'sMonday's MusingsMake Your Home Sing MondayGood Morning Mondays,  The ScoopTitus 2sdaysTitus 2 TuesdaysRoses of InspirationTuesdays with a TwistRaising HomemakersWise Woman Link UpHomestead Blog Hop Wow Us Wednesdays, Wildcrafting WednesdayCoffee and ConversationSo Much at HomeHomemaking ThursdaysHome Sweet HomeHearts for Home ThursdaysHome Acre HopGrowing in Grace ThursdaysFrom the Farm Blog HopFarmgirl FridayFront Porch Friday Blog HopAwesome Life Friday Link UpSimply Natural Saturdays, The Tip Garden and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. Lavender image was found here.

38 comments:

  1. Dear JES, your posts are always so beautifully arranged and worded...always so lovely to visit your blog!
    I love lavender too and would love to try a few of your recipes and projects...we have a few lavender plants in our garden, but I am hoping to increase the variety of plants we have as one just can't have enough of this herb!
    So interesting that the Queen Victoria loved this herb and used it!
    Blessings and much love!
    Kelly-Anne

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  2. Hi JES, thank you for sharing all these wonderful ideas. Lavender is one of the things I hope to add to our garden. Have a wonderful day, Heather

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  3. Loved this post on Lavender.. It, too is my favourite... Here in Eastern Canada it takes a special skill to keep it coming up every year..It does at our cottage by the bay but not here at home.. Enjoyed your ideas and recipes very much and it really is very Victorian.. smile.. xo

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  4. I've wanted to get a lavender plant for years, but just haven't done it...yet. I will soon!
    One of the favorite things I had with lavender was a "tea bag" for the bath tub. I'm sure the lavender bath salts would be just as nice. Best wishes!

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  5. Oh how I wish my screen were scratch - n - sniff:) I have to move my lavender this year since there is ivy trying (and succeeding at the moment) to choke it out. We can't have that! I also have a recipe for lavender cookies - yum.

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  6. JES- How nice to have all of these lovely uses for lavender in one beautiful blog! :) I was sad to see that it looks like my lavenders didn't make it through the winter. :( I'm not giving up on them yet, but there is no evidence of life so far. I love the great information on this post and I am pinning it for future reference.

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  7. I have grown Lavender in every garden except this one... we have too much shade here and I have had no success. But I have access to lots as Mum grows it and so does my sister in law. So I can pick lots!
    Lavender really agrees with me. I find it soothing. Also I find it good for a headache.
    So many beautiful uses and properties. I also use it in my home made cleaner and after cleaning the house smells beautiful. Lovely post thank you Jes. xx

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  8. Oh, my! I can smell the lavender from here!

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  9. Love your list of natural products! My youngest daughter likes anything with lavender, so I'm always on the lookout for new ways to use it. :)

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  10. Beautiful post, JES! Love these great ideas for using lavender in the home. (All my plants died winter before last, and I am just now replacing them.) I love lavender soap and really enjoy it especially when I remember to add some flowers to the mixture. They add so much loveliness and just melt as the soap is used. Have a great rest of the week!

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  11. I love lavendar also - i can't wait to have enough in my garden to make some of these wonderful recipes. Have a great week!

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  12. I love lavender too JES, and what beautifully styled photographs you've posted today! A spritz on the pillow at night, some lavender sachets amongst the towels and linen, some lavender buds in the vacuum cleaner, and lavender scented furniture polish are all favourites here. Mimi xxx

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  13. I love to infuse my bath water with lavender! It's so wonderful and versatile.

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  14. Jes,
    What an amazing post!! Great ideas and LOVE the graphic in the beginning!!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!!

    Hugs,
    Deb

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  15. I just planted lavender and it is popping up. I will save this for ideas for later with it.

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  16. Lovely post as always JES! I have printed out your recipe for the lavender hard lotion bar! I've been wanting to make these for a while, and I also have some lavender essential oil I would like to try with it. I haven't had luck growing lavender here, but I am going to try again this year. Thanks for the great inspiration that you always provide :)

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  17. What a beautiful post! I love the gorgeous pictures of your lavender and your beautiful writing style :) I am a huge fan of lavender as well and have them all around my yard...love the heavenly fragrance of lavender! Thanks for sharing such a lovely post! Happy weekend! hugs, Poppy

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  18. Thank you my dear for these so useful suggetions and ... let me say that I feel the charm of your blog growing more and more, it's amazing !
    With gratitude I'm sending love across the ocean
    Dany

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  19. Hi Jes, Loved this post. Lavender is a great favorite of mine and your photos and ideas are so inspiring. I keep a sachet by my night stand or under the pillow and the aroma gives such a good night's sleep.
    Thank you for sharing and have a blessed week ahead.
    Hugs, CM

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  20. What wonderful ideas for Lavender :)) And I just love the painting at the top of your post, its so beautiful.

    Jo xx

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  21. Thank you for all the wonderful ways to use lavender, JES. I look forward to trying many of them.
    Have a blessed day!

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  22. You've written such a beautiful post and I'm excited to follow some of your links. I love lavender....are you surprised? heehee! Enjoy your day! Hugs, Diane

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  23. I love lavender and crush the buds and use its essential oil to use in my homemade soap! My daughter rubs the feet of her little one with lavender EO to help him sleep better at night. It is so calming and relaxing. I need to remember to plant lavender this spring so I have the lovely blossoms to cut and dry for my soap - and just to look at. The plant is just gorgeous! Thanks for all your other ideas for lavender uses! Have a wonderful day.

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  24. P.S. I'm your newest follower via GFC. :-)

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  25. Lovely! I have a bunch of lavender just waiting for an idea....thanks so much. Visiting from Stephanie's linky party.

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  26. Wow I never knew that there were so many uses for Lavender. I use it to help promote sleep and gift when making lavender hearts but will try some of the above I think. Thank you for sharing xxxxx Leah

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  27. Thank you Jes for sharing these great ideas with us at Good Morning Mondays. Lavender is such a beautiful plant and flower and I also appreciate all the work you put in. Thanks and blessings.

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  28. Thanks for sharing this, I didn't know lavender had so many uses. I have a small lavender bag hanging off my bed post and often get a whiff off it as well as having lavender to just scent the room. Very relaxing at night time.

    Diana

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  29. What great suggestions! I love the smell of lavender!

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  30. Oh, that is just great ideas! Thank you! I like lavander very much!
    Have a great week!
    Hugs,
    Olga

    www.artinmess.ru

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  31. You have given us a beautiful list of ideas for the use of lavender, my friend. I love the idea of using it for a cleaning product...your home must smell divine :)

    It's always a joy to have you at Roses of Inspiration. Thank you so much, JES, for linking up! Hugs!

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  32. Great post. Congrats on being chosen as a featured post on this week’s Wildcrafting Wednesdays! I hope you'll join us again and share more of your awesome posts.
    http://www.herbanmomma.com

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  33. How lovely... I adore lavender so it is great to find a super collection of ideas of what to do with it. Thank you :)

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  34. What a beautiful and useful post. I've always loved to grow lavender but never knew there were so many uses for it. Thanks so much for sharing. Visiting from the Raising Homemakers Link.

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  35. I would love to grow Lavender. I have had a few failed attempts.
    Love the post.
    Thanks for sharing at the HomeAcre Hop.
    This will my featured post tomorrow :)
    thanks again!

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  36. I am soo glad I found this! I had just done a blog post on making oatmeal lavender bath tub tea bags out of coffee filters and now I have leftover lavender I wasn't sure what to do with! You've saved me! Now to decide on the project! I"d love you to share this over at Country Fair Blog Party! - a month long link up!
    Jan @ Tip Garden
    http://www.thetipgarden.com/2015/05/country-fair-blog-hop-may-15.html

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