August 12, 2021
What To Do With Lavender: 20 Fun Recipes + Ideas
Lavender is one of the most popular flowers in the world — it grows in fields of beautiful purple blooms throughout the season and emits a calming fragrance. What makes lavender even better is that it is actually one of the most versatile flowers you can find! The flowers and stems can be used in many different ways, whether it’s for aromatherapy or to add flavor to your favorite dish.
To help get you inspired, we’ve put together 20 of our favorite lavender recipes and ideas. From infusing lemonade to creating your own body scrub, these fun crafts will provide inspiration for what to do with lavender beyond just admiring the purple flowers.
1. Create a Shower Bundle
Amp up your showers with your own lavender and eucalyptus bundle! Hanging these flowers over your showerhead not only looks beautiful but also makes your bathroom smell great. It’s the perfect spa treatment after a long workday — pair it with our spa day gift basket!
What you need to do to make your shower bundle:
Start by layering a stem of eucalyptus, followed by lavender, and then repeat until you have a purple bouquet in your hands.
Use twine to tie the bouquet together. You should have excess twine at the end of this process.
Attach the bouquet to the showerhead by tying the excess twine in a bow.
Enjoy!
2. Carpet Freshener
Need to freshen up your space? Try making this easy carpet powder to remove any stubborn spots or odors. Lavender is known for its deodorizing abilities and is the perfect natural option that leaves your home smelling great.
All you need is ½ cup of baking soda and ½ teaspoon of lavender essential oil. Combine the two ingredients together and stir until all the baking soda has dissolved. Place the mixture in a container to store and use it for tough spots in the carpet around the house — you’ll be amazed at the results!
3. Make Lavender Soap
Lavender is one of the most popular ingredients in many soap brands, so why not make your own? This simple craft is a great idea if you have an upcoming event and need to fill a goody bag, or just want to have some great-smelling soap in your bathroom.
To make your own lavender-scented soap:
Fill a small saucepan about half full with water. Place a large metal bowl over the top of it.
Turn to medium heat and bring to a boil.
Slice a bar of soap into smaller pieces and place in the bowl.
Allow soap to slowly melt into liquid.
Remove from heat and add about 15 drops of essential oil.
Stir in dried lavender flowers if desired.
Pour the mixture into the soap mold of your choice.
Allow the bars to sit for at least an hour to harden.
4. Use Lavender for Gift Wrapping
Using lavender in gift wrapping is a lovely way to spice up your skills. Take your gift wrapping to the next level by securing the lavender flowers under some ribbon or taping them on the gift.
This craft is sure to make the recipient smile and wonder where you got your gift wrapping skills from! For another thoughtful touch, use these fun floral quotes with your beautifully wrapped gift to create something truly special.
5. Make Homemade Candles
Candles are the perfect way to add some coziness to your home, and making your own from scratch isn’t as hard as you may think! Simply place some dried lavender flowers into your wax and add 10-15 drops of lavender essential oil to complete your candle.
There are a lot of easy ways to dry flowers, but if you’re short on time you may want to microwave them in a bowl filled with silica sand. Make sure the lavender flowers are completely covered by the sand, then place the bowl in the microwave along with a small cup of water. Microwave them in 30-second intervals until the lavender looks dry.
6. Make Bath Salts
Are you in need of a spa night? Try using lavender to make bath bombs or bath salts! Both products are relatively easy to make. In just a couple of minutes, and with a few ingredients, you can have a relaxing floral bath.
To make lavender bath salts, try our recipe below:
Combine 1 cup Epsom salt, 1 cup Dead Sea salt and ½ cup baking soda in a bowl or jar. Mix well.
Add lavender flowers to the salt mixture and combine.
Add your favorite essential oils to the mixture and combine.
Prepare your spa night and enjoy!
7. Pet Deodorizer
Thanks to its strong and soothing scent, lavender is an effective pet deodorizer for days when your pup isn’t smelling so great. You can even choose to mix and match essential oils to create the ultimate dog deodorizer!
All you need to do is combine 1 cup of distilled water with 10 drops of lavender oil. If you choose to add other scents, we recommend orange or peppermint to complement the lavender. Shake the mixture well and spray lightly over your pup — don’t forget to cover your dog’s eyes while spraying!
8. Linen Spray
Lavender is commonly associated with its calming and relaxing effects and has been proven to help those with sleep problems. An easy way to incorporate lavender in your bedtime routine is to create your own DIY linen spray to mist on your pillow and sheets before you hit the hay.
To make a pillow or linen spray:
Get 2 cups of distilled water and pour it into a spray bottle.
Pour 2 tablespoons of vodka or rubbing alcohol in the water.
Add about 15-20 drops of lavender essential oil to the mixture.
Get your freshly dried lavender and put it in the spray bottle to complete the ultimate linen spray!
9. Make Lavender Potpourri
For a simple and inexpensive craft, try using dead flowers to make some DIY potpourri. Potpourri is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to provide a gentle natural scent. It is often placed in a decorative bowl and used as a natural room freshener. When making your own potpourri, it’s best to use flowers that retain their shape and color well after drying out, which is why lavender is a great choice for potpourri.
All you’ll need to do is dry your lavender flowers out for a few days, mix them up with 3-5 drops of essential oils, then bake your mixture for a few hours.
10. Use It For Body Scrub
Exfoliate and nourish your skin with this DIY lavender body scrub! This fun and easy recipe will leave your skin feeling silky smooth with all-natural ingredients.
To make your own lavender body scrub:
Soften coconut oil in the microwave for a few seconds before measuring.
Combine sugar and coconut oil in a large bowl. Stir until completely mixed together.
Add lavender buds and lavender essential oil in the bowl and stir again. Package the scrub in air-tight containers — we recommend metal jars or mason jars.
Enjoy your scrub!
11. Make an Essential Oil
Essential oils have many uses, whether it’s for an oil diffuser or to make your sheets smell nice. Making your own essential oils is simple, but can be time-consuming and requires patience.
Clean out your jar and completely dry it, then place your dried lavender into the jar.
Pour your oil over the lavender until it is covered completely.
Place your jar on a window sill that will see a good amount of sun; it will sit there for the next 3-6 weeks.
Over the next month or so, the heat from the sun will release the parts of the lavender plant that will infuse the oil.
Once you’ve decided the oil has sat there long enough, pour it through your cheesecloth into your last bottle.
12. Grill It With Your Meat
Ever thought about pairing meat with flowers? This unique combination is actually really tasty and works great together! The lavender adds a hint of sweetness to your meat of choice (lamb is particularly tasty with lavender!) making it a great dinner choice for the family.
Grilling meat with lavender is simple — just tie fresh lavender and fresh rosemary into a bundle and place it on the grill with your favorite meat. Once it’s cooked to perfection, you’re ready to serve!
13. Lavender Tea
If you’re in need of a calm and relaxing night, this easy and delicious lavender recipe might be the perfect option for you. Making yourself some lavender tea is simple and only requires a couple of ingredients and a few minutes of your time!
Boil 8 ounces of water
Place 4 teaspoons of fresh lavender buds into a tea ball or sachet
Place the tea ball and water into a teacup
Let steep for 10 minutes
Sit back and relax with your lavender tea!
Once your tea has been steeping for 10 minutes, you’re ready to enjoy! Sit back, relax, and put on your favorite TV show with a hot cup of lavender tea. To help you clean and organize your kitchen cabinets, use these printable tea labels and DIY tea bags for storage containers.
14. Use It as an Air Freshener
Lavender’s unique and soothing fragrance makes it a fantastic natural room spray, especially at night! If your rooms are in need of some freshening up, creating a simple lavender air spray will solve all your problems.
A simple way to make an air freshener is to gather the necessary ingredients and combine them into a spray bottle. Once everything is added, shake the bottle well and spray! Always be sure to shake the bottle before spraying your home as essential oils tend to float on top of the water.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops chamomile essential oil (or any oil of your choice)
15. Dried Lavender Wreath
A simple and fun way to decorate your home is by creating a dried lavender wreath. If you have some dried lavender lying around, this easy craft is a great way to put it to use. Hang it on your doorstep or above the staircase to add some floral elements to your home.
Gather your lavender into small bunches and wrap wire or twine around the stems of each bunch several times. Be sure to secure the wire or twine tightly by winding it around a few times. Add your bunches to a grapevine wreath form until you complete the circle. Once that’s done, you’re ready to hang up your wreath and enjoy!
16. Use Lavender for First Aid
Don’t have any aloe vera lying around? What if we told you that lavender oil will do the trick? That’s right — using a lavender essential oil on any cuts or wounds is a great healing agent, especially if it’s a new injury. Some popular medicinal uses include:
Treating skin blemishes
Relieving asthma symptoms
Treating wounds
Relieving pain after surgery
The oil promotes the formation of granular tissue and replaces collagen, which usually occurs in the early phases of healing. Just simply dab a few drops onto the affected area with diluted water and let it do its magic.
17. Make DIY Sachets
Putting scented sachets in your drawers or closet is a lovely way to add a hint of fragrance to your clothes. Making your own DIY lavender sachets is easy and can be done in just a few simple steps.
Grab your fabric of choice and cut it to your liking. Sew the pieces together to create a small pouch with an opening. Once that’s finished, mix your lavender and rice in a bowl to create a stuffing for your sachets. Fill the pouch with your desired amount of stuffing and tie the top with a ribbon and voila! You’re ready to use your lavender sachets.
18. Natural Bug Repellent
Going on a hiking trip and need something to keep the pesky bugs away? Lavender is a great and natural option for insect repellent and actually does a pretty good job at it. It’s also much better-smelling than other chemical sprays, which is a huge plus.
To make your own bug spray, you can use lavender oil on its own or combine it with ingredients like lemon, citronella and geranium oil for a more long-lasting effect. Spray it on bug bites or use it as a repellent to keep yourself bite-free!
19. DIY Body Butter
Soothe your skin by making this easy lavender body butter recipe. With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a rich lavender-scented body lotion that’s all-natural and perfect for dry winters.
Add ½ cup of shea butter and ½ cup of coconut oil in a mason jar and simmer the mixture in 2 inches of water in a small pot. Once the oils have melted together, remove from the pot and allow to cool.
Once the mixture has cooled down, add ½ cup of olive oil and 30 drops of lavender essential oil. Stir everything together and let it sit until it becomes solid. To create a light and airy lotion texture, place the body butter in a bowl and use an electric mixer for about 10 minutes. Place mixture in a lotion container of your choice and enjoy.
20. Infuse Lemonade
If you’re looking for ways to elevate your family lemonade recipe, we recommend adding lavender for the perfect summer drink! This refreshing beverage will cool you off and have guests asking for the recipe.
To make lavender lemonade, follow these steps:
Place 1 cup of lavender flowers in a pitcher
Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the lavender
Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10 minutes
Strain the mixture and discard the lavender flowers from the water. Don’t forget to return the water to the pitcher!
Add 2 cups of cold water, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup of sugar to the pitcher and stir until the sugar dissolves
Enjoy!
If you’re stumped on what to do with lavender, try one of these fun and creative ideas to keep enjoying your flowers, whether it’s for skincare or decor purposes. Not only will the lavender make you smell great, but its relaxing properties will make you feel great, too!