People are always telling me that I shouldn’t care if people comment or not.
After all- I did say that I needed to write and this is a good way to do that and keep in touch and to mark and remark upon the happenings around me.
That is all true. But I LIKE it very much when I get some response to my scribblings and odd photos. And lately- there has been little or no comments. I know I’ve moved around a bit and that can be disconcerting and that it has been a little difficult to comment, but hopefully, the bugs have been all worked out and now it is easier to comment and read.
Today, I wanted to share a craft I’ve been making for the last 25 years or so. I saw some for sale at the Herb fair at Quailcrest and was rather disappointed in the quality and style. So I made a couple of my own and dug up some that I had packaged for sale and gift giving over the years. The give away is a fresh lavender wand and it will go to a blog reader who comments on at least 4 postings over the next week. Once you qualify, I will have Jordan pull a name out of a hat and I will notify you here and then send you the wand.
Lavender wands (sometimes called lavender bottles) have a long history. At least since Elizabethan times, women in their still rooms have been weaving ribbons into the stems of lavender and enclosing that wonderful scent into a small area where the fragrance of the flowers is preserved .
You start by picking an odd number of long lavender stems. Then you match the area of blooms so that they are in a small bunch. Choose a strong satin or grosgrain ribbon and tie a small knot at the bottom of the bouquet-close to the last blossom.
Turn the bouquet around in your hand.
Then gently, carefully – without breaking them, bend the stems down over the blossom heads so that it looks like the skeleton of an umbrella. Make sure you do this evenly around the bunch so that the stems are all around the heads.
Then start weaving the ribbon over and under the stems. Since you have an odd number (9,11,13) stems, you will be able to go around in a descending spiral and capture all of the blossoms within your wand .
Continue to weave, over and under, catching the one you went under the last time to be on top on the next circle.
Depending on the size of your ribbon(nothing wider than 1/2 inch- 1/4 inch is optimal) and the number of lavender sticks you use, and of course the tightness of your weaving, you should end up with something looking like these.
Or you could just comment and maybe win one of these beauties!
Don’t forget, you need to comment on at least 4 different postings to be in on the giveaway!
Hope to hear from you soon!
First!
I had one you and Aunt Robin gave me when I was in high school. I loved it so much I got it out once a year and put it on our Christmas tree. Sadly, last year I realized it had disintegratee beyond the point of salvation and I threw the bits and pieces of it away. So…I will be commenting!
Btw, I am attending my 25th high school reunion this fall!
That is beautiful! I’ve got LOTS of lavender in my garden. I may have to give this a try. Should I get a whole roll of ribbon to start with?
Hey Brian- great to hear from you!
Elizabeth- I thought it was pretty close to 25 years I’d been making these! Thanks for reminding me about the gifts Robin and I made out of them!
Kim- I like to make them different colors, so I buy small packages of ribbon. Just make sure it is a very good quality- sewing /wedding quality. The other kind doesn’t stand up to the stress or time.
Hello Heidi, I love your lavender wands.I still enjoy mine, but could use a new one.
HI.
I didn’t know that you had a blog. It was hidden in 30 farmville requests. I definatly want to be a follower!
I’m commenting, I’m commenting!! I had problems posting comments on your blog for awhile, but then I realized I had to add my email address and now all is well! I’ll be posting over the next few days, too! 🙂 I can smell that lavender already! I have been using only Watkins lavender dish soap for the past year or so because the scent is so intoxicating to me. Just reading your tutorial here made me catch whiffs of it … although it may also be my soapy sink full of dishes that I am trying to avoid by spending time on here! Haha!
I would love to give you all a wand- but my lavender has not done well this year, and I am relying on Allyson’s generosity to make just a couple.
If anyone in town would like to donate some lavender, I would make up more wands. hint, hint.
How do you tie off the end?
The wands are gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like them; I would love one, so will be commenting. I think I comment rather regularly anyway. Sorry I don’t have any lavender to donate.
That truly is a beautiful thing Heidi… and I apologize for not being a good bloggy friend…. I am a little overwhelmed right now 🙁
Oh how beautiful! I was directed here by a friends blog and glad I took the time to read. Blessings and thanks for sharing!
I realize this is a late comment and for all i know you won’t even find out I commented, but I happen to enjoy making these same things(though they aren’t NEAR as pretty as yours-I’m a beginner). But I am always breaking the stems! It might be because they aren’t super fresh, but i don’t have access to super fresh stems at the moment. Now, the point of this rambling comment….. can I soften them without causing them to rot?? I’ve considered water, but I’m worried that might cause it to get wilty and gross. Please help if you get this!
Anna,
Welcome!
It does take a long time to get the weaving even and the look just right. I’ve been making these for at least the past 20 years and I still end up with a few that look like a child did them! The stems DO have a tendency to break when you bend them and as you thought- it is better to use fres picked lavender. I pick the leaves off immediately and put them in water for at least four hours. Then if I can’t get to them, I wrap them in WET paper towels, and then a damp tea towel and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. And that is sometimes stretching it. If they do break, you can still weave them into the bundle if enough of them remain whole.
I decorate the tops of mine with ribbon roses and bows to cover up some the broken stems.
Don’t leave them in water too long, because they will become moldy.
I’m going to send this to you by email in case you don’t check back here.
Good luck with your weaving!
Heidi
I have to make one of these for a school project. And i’m worried they won’t come right. But with these detailed instructions, i am happy to say i can make them without destroying the lavender OR getting less than an A. So, thanks for the instructions.
Love your lavender wands. I’ve slso been making them for over 20 years. I like the way uou used different colors of ribbon, the bow at the top and the overlapping ribbon to enclose the stems. It is sure relaxing to make them and the scent masts for years. Well done! Suzy
Thanks, Suzy- it is great to hear from another crafter!
They do tend to be relaxing-sometimes I make 10 or 12 in a day when the lavender is ready- they make the best gifts!