Lavender is one of the most popular and useful plants grown in the garden. Many gardeners ask me how to make lavender essential oil, which can be used in so many ways. But there are so many wonderful uses for homegrown lavender.
In this story, I will give you my recipe for how to make lavender essential oil. I will also give you nine more easy ways to use fresh homegrown lavender. These range from culinary uses, medicinal remedies, and a wide variety of household uses.
Start Here: How to Make Lavender Essential Oil
It’s quite easy to make lavender essential oil. For my homemade version, I do this:
First, harvest the fresh lavender from the garden. Cut and dry enough lavender to make at least 1 ounce of dried lavender. (To dry, hang the cut flowers upside down in a dry, dark place for 2 to 4 weeks.) When the flowers have dried, put the dried lavender flowers in a clean glass jar.
Next, infuse the flowers. Pour coconut oil over the dried lavender in the glass jar until the lavender is covered completely. Secure the lid tightly and shake well. Store the jar near a window (but not in direct sunlight), and let the flowers and oil naturally infuse for 7 to 10 days. Shake the jar every day or so.
Finally, strain the flowers. Strain using a strainer or a cheesecloth. Pour the strained oil through a funnel into a clean glass jar. You’ve now made lavender essential oil! Store the essential oil in a cool, dark place. Your lavender essential oil will keep for up to a full year.
How to Make Lavender Essential Oil and its Many Uses
Lavender essential oil can be used in so many ways. It’s great to use on bug bites or stings. Lavender oil has notable anti-inflammatory properties. Apply it directly to spider and fire ant bites, or bee stings. It naturally helps relieve pain and itching.
Lavender essential oil is widely used in aromatherapy, which uses natural plant extracts to promote well-being. The oil is made with the Lavandula angustifolia species of lavender plants, and it is used to promote relaxation and treat insomnia, nausea and other ailments.
Scientific studies have proven that lavender oil can soothe, relax, and help you fall asleep and give you more restful sleep. If you don’t have a diffuser, you can put a few drops of essential oil on a tissue and place under your pillow to enjoy the scent all night. Placing a few drops in a warm bath before bed helps you sleep.
Editor’s Note: You can also Buy Lavender Oil here.
Use Lavender in Cooking
Lavender has an herbaceous floral flavor that adds depth to both sweet and savory dishes. Simply crush the dried flower buds, stem or leaf with a mortar and pestle. This releases the delightful flavors. Then add the crushed lavender to scones, ice cream, hearty meat rubs, salads, beverages, and cakes.
I have even made a lavender granola! Dried lavender has a more intense flavor than fresh, so use it more sparingly. The fresh flower buds scattered over a fresh salad adds a pop of color.
When I grill, I place a gathered bunch of fresh lavender in water for about an hour to hydrate. Then I toss it on top of the hot coals before grilling my meat or fish. Salmon especially takes up the aromatic scent as it cooks.
Household Uses for Lavender
Making lavender wreaths is a great way to use freshly harvested lavender. Start by wiring fresh lavender bunches together. Then overlap them onto a wreath base to form a quick and fragrant wreath. A lavender wreath can be hung up anywhere in the house for beautiful wall décor. For step-by-step instructions, go to Lavender Harvest.
You can also make a simple lavender wand. Just weave bunches of fresh lavender together using coordinating satin ribbon to create a simple baton. A lavender wand makes a great gift, or you can hang them in the house to lightly perfume your rooms.
Lavender makes a freshly scented potpourri. I have a low bowl full of dried flowers and lavender buds that I refresh with drops of lavender essential oil to lightly scent a room.
I also love to use lavender as a carpet freshener. When I make a lavender wreath, I sweep up all the lavender pieces and put them into my vacuum cleaner bag. As you vacuum, the scent is infused into the carpet and it stays fragrant for days.
Lavender also makes a terrific moth repellant. Instead of using stinky moth balls, I place some dried lavender in jewelry organizer pouch bags and insert into linens.
Lavender Personal Care Products
Lavender is a popular fragrance used in a wide variety of personal care products. From lavender scented soaps to creams and lotions, lavender is an important ingredient in many personal care items.
One of my favorites is homemade Lavender Honey Scented Body Butter. This delightful body cream is lightly scented with lavender buds and oils. Read how to make this giftable butter at Lavender Honey-Scented Body Butter.
There are so many different ways that you can use lavender. But I probably enjoy cooking with it the most! If you can’t make all the lavender items you would love to have, check on Amazon for Lavender Gifts and Lavender Soaps and Lotions. Click to check availability of Lavender Seeds and Lavender Products from Botanical Interests.
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This isn’t a recipe for essential oil, it’s a recipe for infused oil. If you’re going to teach people things like this online, please use the correct language . 🤦🏻♀️ Essential oil has to be made in special equipment and is MUCH more concentrated. If someone made this and tried to use it in place of essential oil they would end up disappointed.
Thank you thank you thank you for posting this story. I love Home, Garden and Homestead!
Natalie please teach me the difference!
To extract oil from lavender it must be done via distillation processes. Where extraction is made by hot steam and at the end there will be 2 products: lavender essential oil and lavender hydrosol.