If you have a garden full of lavender and don’t know what to do with it, these recipes will inspire you! Lavender is an extremely popular herb that has been cultivated across the world for centuries. Check out these 10 lavender recipes you can use to make home and beauty products to use for yourself, and to give away to family and friends as gifts!
If you would like to learn how to grow your own lavender first, check out my how to grow lavender post and lavender companion planting for design ideas in the garden. Once you learn how to grow lavender, you can choose to either use the dried lavender or to make oil from it, as explained below.
There are two ways to use lavender in recipes, which is dried or oil. Below is more information on how to prepare dried lavender and how to make lavender oil.
Dried Lavender
Lavender is a beautiful plant that has many uses, but what do you do with dried lavender? There are plenty of ways to use your leftover lavender. You can make sachets, potpourri, or even homemade linen spray.
How to Dry Lavender
Drying lavender is a great way to preserve the plant for use year round. It can be used in potpourri, sachets, and more! Below I will show you how to dry lavender so that it lasts all winter long.
There are several ways to dry lavender, depending how much time and space you have. One way is to dry bunches on a counter. Place newspapers on the counter for the lavender to lay on while drying. You can also place the lavender on a drying rack.
Another method of drying is tying a bunch of lavender together and hanging it upside down in a cool, dry, and warm place. Check on the lavender periodically to make sure mold is not growing.
Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is a versatile, natural product that can be used in cooking and for aromatherapy. Lavender has been used to soothe anxiety, reduce headaches, and improve sleep quality. When using lavender for aromatherapy it’s important to note the amount of time you should have this scent in your room before going to bed due to its sedative properties.
How to Make Lavender Oil
The scent of lavender is calming and soothing. Lavender oil is useful for aromatherapy, which has many benefits including reduced anxiety and stress levels.
To make your own lavender oil, you will need dried lavender flowers, a jar with a tight fitting lid, vegetable or olive oil that fits the jar’s size (use enough to cover the flower), cheesecloth or other type of fabric to strain out plant matter from finished product. Place dried plants in jar and pour enough oil over them so they are submerged. Cover tightly with lid and let stand at room temperature for two weeks before straining out plant material using cheesecloth or other type of fabric.
You can also opt to use an infuser ball during this time period if desired. Any lavender that you have will be fine to make into oil.
Lavender in Recipes
Below are 10 recipes with lavender. These items are home and beauty products that you and your family can enjoy. You can also give these away as gifts during the holidays and throughout the year.
While all of these recipes include lavender oil or dried lavender, you can also add other essential oils for a unique scent.
Lavender Bath Salts
Lavender is a beautiful flower that has been used for centuries to calm the mind and bring tranquility. Lavender bath salts are great for when you want to relax after a long day, or if you’re feeling sluggish. This homemade recipe will leave your skin feeling soft and smelling wonderful!
Lavender bath salts are easy to make with just a few ingredients: Epsom salt, dried lavender buds, essential oils of your choice (we recommend using one teaspoon per cup of epsom salts), and glass jar to store in. Add 1/2-1 tablespoon of each ingredient into the jar depending on how much you want to use at once. Stir until well mixed then pour into an airtight container
You can store these in a pretty container for easy access in the bathroom or to give away as a gift!
Lavender Hand Cream
Lavender hand cream is a great way to show someone you care. It’s easy to make, and takes just a few minutes. Plus lavender has been shown to have calming effects on the body so this would be a great gift for someone who needs some relief from stress or anxiety. Let’s get started!
You will need: 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of beeswax, 5 drops each of lavender and rosemary essential oils, glass jar with lid (try using an old container that can be washed out), small piece of cheese cloth or fabric soaked in boiled water then wrung dry, pencil or chopstick for stirring.
Place the olive oil in a sauce pan and heat for about 5 minutes. Take the oil off the heat and stir in the beeswax until melted. Refrigerate for a few minutes, then add the desired drops of lavender and other essential oils you want in the hand cream.
Place cream in a container to cool and enjoy! This is just one of many recipes with lavender extract that you can make at home.
Lavender Eye Pillows
Lavender is one of the most commonly used herbs for relaxation. It has been shown to reduce anxiety and promote sleep, but did you know that it can also be used as a natural eye pillow?
You will need fabric or cloth, dried lavender flowers, scissors, and ribbon if desired. The final product should be approximately 6 inches by 8 inches.
To make lavender eye pillows, take a small piece of fabric or cloth and place three tablespoons of dried lavender in the center. Fold over the edges to create a pouch with an opening at one end. Place your head on top of this opening and breathe deeply for 10 minutes while resting.
Lavender Salve
If you’re looking for a way to bring your skin back from the brink of dryness, then this is the perfect recipe. I’ll show you how to make lavender-infused salve that will heal and soothe your skin while also making it smell amazing! Let’s get started!
To make lavender salve, you need about 1 cup of lavender-infused oil, several of beeswax pastilles, lavender essential oil, and 2 tablespoons of shea or cocoa butter. You can also add other essential oils if you want to mix the lavender with other scents.
Add the lavender-infused oil and beeswax to the top of the double boiler. Add the butter as well. Fill up the bottom of the double boiler with enough water so that that pot above is in the water.
Warm up on medium-low heat on the stove. Stir the ingredients from time to time until the beeswax and butter melt, then take off the heat. Place the essential oils in the mixture, then whisk together.
Pour the salve into your chosen containers. Allow the salve to cool down with the lids off before using.
Lavender Soap
This is a great lavender soap recipe if you are looking to make some at home or just want to know more about what goes in it! The color of the soap will depend on your choice of oils, if you add more than lavender oil.
This homemade soap only has three ingredients. They are:
- 15+ drops of lavender essential oil
- 6 ounces of soap
- 2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
- silicone soap mold
Fill up a sauce pan about halfway with water. Put a metal bowl over it. Heat up to medium heat and let boil.
Cut soap into small pieces and place in metal bowl. Let soap melt slowly over heat. Take off heat and add the oil and flowers to the melted soap.
Stir the ingredients together, then pour into the silicone soap mold. Keep in mold for about an hour, or until it hardens.
Lavender Honey Scrub
Do you enjoy the sweet smell of lavender? This scent is known for its calming properties. Lavender honey scrub will leave your skin feeling soft and smelling good!
Here’s how to make it: -1/2 cup olive oil -1/4 cup salt (fine grain) -3 tablespoons honey -5 drops lavender essential oil Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. The mixture should be thick but still able to spread onto your skin. Pour into an airtight container with a tight fitting lid.
Apply liberally to clean, dry skin using circular motions over any rough patches or problem areas. Rinse off thoroughly after 5 minutes with warm water and pat dry gently with towel before getting dressed. Enjoy this homemade beauty product!
Lavender Sachets
Lavender sachets are an easy way to bring the calming scent of lavender into your home or office, anytime you need it. These homemade sachets are perfect for holiday giving- they’re inexpensive, simple to make, and always appreciated!
The holidays can be hectic with all the shopping, cooking, baking and decorating. What better way to get in the festive spirit than by preparing these cute little hand made lavender sachet bags? They’re so easy – just sew up some pretty fabric squares (or use old scraps) and fill them with dried lavenders.
For more recipes with lavender, check out my lavender recipe booklet!
Lavender Foot Soak
Lavender is a fragrant herb with so many benefits. One of those benefits is the way it smells and how good it feels to have lavender around your home, or in this case on your feet! You can make a foot soak that will be soothing and refreshing for tired feet. Let’s get started and see what you’ll need.
Ingredients include:
- 8 drops lavender essential oil (or other scents)
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 cup Epsom salt
- 1 gallon of water
This foot soak is super easy to make! All you need to do is mix the Epsom salt with the baking soda, then add your drops of lavender and other essential oils. When you are ready to soak your feet, add water to a bowl and enjoy!
Infused Lavender Oil
The steps to make lavender infused oil are easy to follow and don’t require much time or effort. You can either purchase dried lavender from a store or harvest it yourself if you have access to plants which is what I recommend!
Once you’ve gathered everything you need all that’s left is following these simple instructions:
Fill up a glass container 3/4 full with dried lavender buds or flowers. Pour carrier oil over dried lavender. Choose from sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil. You can combine two of these in the dried lavender, then place a lid tightly onto the container.
Place jar in sunny location for several weeks to infuse the oil. Shake periodically to keep everything mixed. Strain lavender flowers with a mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
Lavender Bath Melts
These lavender bath melts are easy to make and can be given as gifts or enjoyed by yourself!
How to Make Lavender Bath Melts:
1) Melt beeswax in a double boiler on low heat, stirring constantly until it’s completely liquefied. Add drops of essential oils such as lavender oil if desired.
2) Pour the melted wax into silicone molds, filling them about 1/4 full. Allow them to cool slightly before adding more wax so they don’t overflow from the mold when you turn it over onto a flat surface for cooling- this will take about 1 hour
3) Put in fridge to cool down, then take out of molds once completely solid
Lavender Recipes
Lavender is a versatile ingredient that can be used in everything from candles, potpourri and sachels. Use it to make your home smell fresh or as an attractive addition to any recipe! I hope you enjoyed my blog post on lavender recipes.
Which lavender recipe is your favorite, or which do you plan on trying out? Let me know in the comments section below!
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