I’m always looking for ways to keep my house and myself smelling fresh and clean. These herbal drawer fresheners are an easy way to use the herbs from my garden to keep my clothes smelling fresh and clean…no matter how long they’ve been tucked away!
These herbal drawer fresheners keep folded laundry smelling fresh. They are simple to make, which is good because you will want to make plenty of them!
These drawer fresheners are made from the thrifted wool sweaters that I felted originally to make tea cozies. You can also use fabric, but with the felted wool, you can needle felt initials on the sachet for a personalized touch.
Package up a few monogrammed drawer fresheners for a handmade gift idea that anyone would love! Here’s how to make them!
- What Types of Dried Herbs to Use
- How to Make Herbal Drawer Fresheners
- Materials
- Make It!
- How to Use
- FAQ About Herbal Drawer Fresheners
- More Scented Crafts to Try
What Types of Dried Herbs to Use
I used herbs from my garden that I dried over the growing season: lavender (both the flower buds and leaves), mint, and rosemary. Use whichever herbs you love the best from your own garden, a shop, or even the inside of an herbal tea bag. Here are a few more ideas of what you can add to a drawer freshener:
- Hunt through your spice cabinet for dried spices such as cinnamon, star anise, fennel, and cloves.
- Use dried flowers petals like rose, calendula, and peony which remain fragrant when dried but are often times more useful in natural beauty recipes and potpourri where their beauty isn’t hidden away.
- Cedar chips are said to keep moths away and have a pungent aroma that keeps clothes fresh.
- Or skip the herbs altogether and fill them with rice scented with essential oils.
Whatever you decide to use, think about how you want your clothes (and your family wearing the clothes) to smell.
How to Make Herbal Drawer Fresheners
These are quite simple to make, using recycled materials and herbs you already have in the house. Yet, they can be the perfect personalized gift for a loved one.
Materials
- Dried herbs
- Felted wool or fabric, cut into 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch squares
- Sewing machine
- Funnel or Spoon
- Wool yarn (optional)
- Felting mat and needle (optional)
Make It!
Cut the fabric into 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch squares. I felted wool because it doesn’t fray when it’s cut—a big time saver when sewing. You will need two squares per sachet. Take a look at How to Felt Wool to learn how to felt thrift store sweaters.
If you want to add a design to the felted wool, it’s best to do so before you sew. Again, I like to use wool because it’s easy to add a pretty design or monogram with a felting mat. Check out No-Sew Mug Cozy tutorial to see how to use a felting mat.
Pin two squares together and sew a 1/4 hem around three sides. When you get to the fourth side, leave an inch-long opening in the middle of the fourth side. Back stitch on both sides of the opening to reinforce.
Using a funnel or spoon, fill the square with the dried herbs. You don’t need to stuff it until it bulges, just until it’s full and no herbs are spilling out of the opening.
Once filled, sew the opening closed on the sewing machine.
How to Use
Add these fragrant drawer fresheners to your kids’ sock drawers, your husband’s gym bag, or a linen closet: anywhere that can use a boost of herbal freshness!
They also make wonderful gifts. Sew up a few extra for stocking stuffers, housewarming gifts, or bridal shower favours. Wherever your decide to put them, they will be a lovely reminder of a summer garden’s bounty every time you smell them.
FAQ About Herbal Drawer Fresheners
If you don’t want to sew these, you can use seam tape to secure the fabric together. You can also forgo the fabric altogether and use small drawstring linen bags. These also make refreshing the herbs easier.
It’s quite easy to do! I just do it in the washing machine with an old pillowcase. You can follow my steps and instructions in this post.
My herbs last for about six months to a year until they begin to lose their fragrance. To refill them, take a seam ripper to make a small hole to empty the old herbs and put in new herbs. Then just sew it closed, and you’re good for another six months!
More Scented Crafts to Try
- Homemade Scented Pinecones and a Pretty DIY Diffuser
- How to Make Scented Playdough (DIY Aromatherapy Playdough)
- Herbal Dream Pillows: Aromatherapy for the Restful Sleep You Need
- Naturally Freshen Laundry with Homemade Reusable Lavender Dryer Bags
- Natural Reed Diffuser: Freshen Up the Home with Essential Oils
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Oh I love this idea! Thank you so much for sharing! I will definitely try it.