These Make Good Scents

Day 53: Long before the word "potpourri" came to designate those overpoweringly odorous bowls of wood chips and dyed flower petals now sold alongside scented candles, your grandmother probably made at least one of the items pictured above to put in her "dainties" drawer both for their fragrance and/or as a moth deterrent. They kept their scents much longer, as you'll see as I describe each one.

The "lavender bottles" (yes, that's what they're called) are something I made with homegrown lavender about 25 years ago and still have their fragrance, although it's faint. As complicated as they look, the process for creating them is fairly simple, although care must be taken not to break the stems, which are very brittle even when freshly picked. Pick a dozen or so spikes with long stems, tie them with heavy thread just below the flowers, then carefully bend the stems back. Weave lavender-coloured ribbon in a simple over-and-under pattern until the flower heads are entirely covered. Tie the remaining ribbon in a bow, and you're done.

A pomander is made by studding an orange with whole cloves, as tightly packed together as is possible, and then it can be placed in a net bag if desired. The orange will dry out, shrinking as much as the cloves will allow, and holding them in place. I made mine about 50 years ago, and it still perfumes my undies drawer, albeit lightly.

Last of all are rose beads, a versatile and popular Victorian-era project which can be put in with clothing or even worn as a bracelet or necklace. I made this set at least 50 years ago, and they are still fragrant. Some people say that the ones their grandma made in 1900 still have a light fragrance. They're a bit more complicated to make than the lavender bottles or the orange pomander, though. First of all, you'll need an old, rusty cast-iron frying pan and a handful of rusty nails, the rustier the better for both. Then you'll need to gather rose petals, a lot of rose petals, a huge amount of rose petals, way more rose petals than you think you'll ever need. Wild roses are best, but any strong-smelling rose will do. Grind them with a mortar and pestle if you have the tools. If not, crush them with a rock, cave-man style. Put them in the rusty frying pan with the nails and stir them up good. Every day for the next several weeks, stir them again, adding a little water if they start to dry out. Once they're thoroughly blackened, they're ready to be shaped. Roll up gobs of rose-petal mush to form balls about twice the size you want them to be when dry. Stick a round toothpick through each ball, and poke one end into a piece of styrofoam or a bowl of sand and let them dry thoroughly (give 'em a month or so). Remove the toothpicks carefully, twisting to release them from the dried petal mush. You'll lose a few, so make extra.

Any one or all of these make more scents than buying stinky potpourri!

Lavender Bottles

Day 262: It's been years since I made lavender bottles. I saw no particular need, since the one in my "dainties" drawer still had some fragrance. That said, I figured it could use refreshing, and with a sufficient supply of lavender in my garden, I parked myself on a lawn chair in the shade of the contorted filbert during the cool of the morning and set to weaving. By the time I was done, I had half a dozen, plus a vaseful of flower spikes too stiff to bend.

Also known by the rather boring name of lavender wands, lavender bottles are fairly simple to make. Pick an odd number of long stems (11 or 13 makes a nice bottle), strip them of leaves and isolated flower clusters and bunch them up. Lay the tail of a spool of 3 mm. ribbon (do not cut!) among the flower heads with three inches projecting beyond the tips of the flowers. Tie a piece of string around the flowers and ribbon tail just below the bases of the spikes. Give each stem a gentle pull to be sure the bottom flowers are snugged up against the tie-off because that is where the stems will be the most flexible. Otherwise, you risk breaking them. Now gently bend each stem down to form a "cage" around the flowers.

Weaving will be done with the ribbon coming off the spool. Set the spool on the table. You will not handle it during the weaving. The first two rows are the hardest. Hold the wand in one hand (left, if you're right-handed) and as you weave over-and-under, rotate the wand. Keep the ribbon flat as it weaves through the stems, and try not to leave any gaps between rows. Be sure to keep any string tails inside the weaving. When you have covered the flower heads entirely, cut the ribbon from the spool leaving about four inches. Wrap each ribbon tail around the wand in either direction, and tie off with a square knot topped by a bow.

The fragrance of lavender lasts for many years, even beyond the time when the stems dry and become brittle. Where does the "bottle" portion of the name originate? I haven't got a clue.

Lavender Bottles

Day 266: Why "bottles?" Is it because of the shape? Truthfully, I have no idea, but "bottles" is what they are called, or alternately, "wands." They make wonderful old-fashioned gifts for anyone who loves the refreshing scent of lavender. I like to keep a couple in my "dainties" drawer.

To create a bottle, you will need an odd number of lavender stems (I've used 11), preferably with the flowers just on the verge of opening. You will also want a supply of 1/8 (3 mm.) satin ribbon. Each bottle requires approximately one yard, although this depends on the length of the flowering portion of the plant. Gather the stems together and tie them snugly with thread or string just beneath the flower heads, being careful not to draw the thread too tightly or you may cut into the stems. Now carefully bend each stem back from the tie. The stems can be broken easily, so ease them gently until they are all pointing toward the top of the flower head.

Fold the ribbon about half an inch from the end and loop it over a stem, sliding it up the stem until it reaches the tie. Now begin weaving over and under, working the tail of ribbon into the weave as you go (keep the short end to the inside). Keep your weaving close together, adjusting it as necessary as you work down the length, covering the gathered flower heads. When you reach the bottom, secure the end with thread or glue, or work it carefully into the interior of the bottle. Then cut a shorter length of ribbon and tie it in a bow near the base.

Lavender bottles will keep their scent for years. Why not make some for your friends?