Heavenly scent

Marsha Smith shows how easy it is to make delicately scented lavender sachets – a handmade gift everyone loves.

You’ll need

● Fabric squares and matching thread ● Pinking shears or sharp scissors ● Sewing machine ● Mixing bowl and spoon ● Uncooked rice ● Dried lavender buds ● Lavender essential oil ● Paper to make a cone, or a funnel if you have one ● Needle ● Ribbon ● Gift tags and stamps ● Fresh lavender sprigs for finishing touches

1 Start by cutting out squares of fabric. Ours were 12.5cm x 12.5cm, a size that fits in the palm of your hand. Use pinking shears for edges that won’t fray (pic A).

2 Place two cut squares together, with their patterned sides together.

3 Sew all the way around the square 7mm in from the edge. Leave an opening 5cm wide (B).

4 Trim the corners so they are less bulky and then turn the pouch in the right way using the gap you have left open. Use the end of a spoon or similar to push out each corner.

5 In a bowl, mix together even parts uncooked rice and lavender. Add lavender essential oil. Start with only a few drops and add more if you like a stronger scent.

6 If you don’t have a funnel, make a paper cone to use as a funnel, with a hole big enough for the rice and lavender to flow through easily.

7 Insert the cone or funnel into the gap in the sachet and pour in the rice and lavender mixture (C). We filled ours halfway so they weren’t too bulky.

8 Hand-stitch the gap as discreetly as possible, to completely seal the sachets.

9 Wrap with ribbon, either separately or in groups of two or three.

10 Stamp gift tags with messages of love or the name of your recipient and finish with a small sprig of fresh lavender for that extra special touch.

Note: Dried lavender buds, rice and essential oils are the perfect combination for a long-lasting scent. The reason for adding rice is to give the sachets some weight, so they sit nicely in a drawer or under your pillow. The rice also absorbs some of the oil, so if you feel the fragrance is fading, simply massage the sachet gently to release more lavender.