In this post I share my favourite ways to use dried lavender. You can use it to make so many different things including desserts, bath bombs, ice cream and bug spray!
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I love lavender. It has the most amazing smell, and such a pretty purple colour. When my parents started growing lavender in their garden I knew I had to find different ways to use it, and here I am sharing some of my favourites. Just note that if you are going to be using lavender in food, drinks, or on your body, it's important to ensure you are using food grade lavender that is free from pesticides.
How to dry lavender:
To dry your own lavender, cut the fresh lavender just above the leaves and gather them into a bunch and tie the lavender stems together. Hang the bunch upside down for 3-4 weeks, until the flowers are dried. It's best if you dry them in a dry, dark place to help maintain the colour of the flowers (if they sit in the sun they can lose their purple colour).
If you don't have any fresh lavender to dry yourself, you can buy dried lavender online.
My favourite ways to use dried lavender:
1. To make bath salts
Aren't these so pretty? They make an amazing homemade gift and it's much cheaper to make your own bath salts compared to buying them at the store. To make lavender bath salts mix 3 cups of Epsom salts, 1.5 cups of coarse sea salt, 1/4 cup dried lavender flowers, 1/2 cup baking soda, and 15-20 drops of a natural essential oil together. Then store this mixture in an airtight jar or container and sprinkle them into your bath water with your next bath.
2. For making homemade soap
It's really easy to make your own homemade lavender soap. Lavender has antibacterial and skin soothing properties so it's a great addition to soap and other skincare products, and it has the most relaxing smell.
3. To make potpourri
This is not your grandma's potpourri! In my opinion this homemade version smells way better. To make your own lavender potpourri, mix together 1 cup of dried rose petals, with 1 cup of dried lavender, 1/4 cup of dried rosemary, and 3-4 tablespoons of dried orange peels. Then add 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and cloves and 10 drops of lavender essential oil. Place the mix in pretty bowls or jars around your house. I really like putting this potpourri in my bathrooms to keep them smelling good.
4. To make simple syrup
To make lavender simple syrup combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of white sugar or cane sugar, and 4 tablespoons of dried lavender flowers in a small pot on the stovetop. Bring the mix to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes turn off the heat and let the syrup steep for about 10 minutes. Then remove the flowers (I like using a small strainer to do this) from the syrup before using it.
5. To make lavender honey
Lavender honey has such a beautiful flavour and it's great for making desserts and for sweetening hot tea or iced tea. To make lavender honey, warm 1 cup of unflavoured raw honey in a small pot over low heat on the stovetop and then add 1 tablespoon of dried lavender flowers to the warmed honey. Cover the pot with its lid and let the honey and flowers sit for 24 hours. Then warm the honey on the stove again so that it softens, and remove the lavender flowers. Transfer the honey to a jar for storing.
6. For making lavender lemonade
If you haven't tried lavender lemonade you are missing out! There are so many delicious lavender lemonade recipes out there but my favourite is my lavender mint lemonade (yes I might be slightly biased). To give it an even stronger lavender flavour you could sweeten it with lavender honey.
7. To make frozen treats like lavender popsicles and ice cream
I know it might sound weird to put lavender in ice cream or popsicles but just trust me, lavender helps these frozen desserts taste so good! My vanilla lavender popsicles are a fun way to use dried lavender, and don't worry the lavender flavour isn't too strong. And there are many different lavender ice cream recipes out there but this lavender honey ice cream is my personal favourite of all the ones I've tried.
8. To make dryer bags
This is one of my favourite ways to use lavender. Instead of using dryer sheets which are scented with artificial fragrances that can have various health risks, put 1-2 sachets filled with dried lavender in the dryer when you dry your clothes to help them smell really nice and fresh. Each sachet will last for about 10 loads of laundry. Just be sure to tie the lavender bags nice and tight so that you don't end up with lavender buds in your laundry.
9. For drawers and closets
To help your clothes smell nice put lavender sachets filled with dried lavender in your drawers and closets. A bonus of doing this is that moths don't like the smell of lavender so this will help keep moths away too!
10. For making baked goods
Dried lavender is great for making many different baked goods such as cookies, donuts and cakes. My lemon lavender cookies are one of my favourite lavender flavoured desserts, and you could give them an even stronger lavender flavour by drizzling them with lavender honey.
11. For decoration
A lavender bouquet is a really pretty addition to any room. Put a bunch of dried lavender in a vase and not only will it look really nice, but it is a great way to add a nice relaxing scent to the room.
12. To make a cleaning solution
There are many homemade cleaning solutions you could make that include lavender, but one of the easiest is to combine 1 cup of white vinegar with 1/4 cup dried lavender in glass container. Seal the container shut for 10 days and allow it to steep. Then strain out the lavender flowers and transfer the infused vinegar to a spray bottle and add water (you want a ratio of 1 part lavender infused vinegar to 2 parts water). You can also add a few drops of essential oils such as lavender, lemon or tea tree essential oil.
13. To make a natural bug spray
To make a homemade mosquito repellent you only need a few ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup witch hazel (or rubbing alcohol)
- 4 tablespoon of dried herbs including lavender, peppermint, sage, thyme, rosemary or spearmint
- 2 dried cloves
To make the bug spray, in a pot on the stovetop combine the water, herbs, and cloves. Bring the mix to a boil and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. After it has finished simmering let it cool completely and strain out the herbs. Then add the witch hazel to the mix and transfer it to a spray bottle and use when needed.
14. Make lavender essential oil
To make your own lavender essential oil take 2 tbsps of dried lavender flowers and put them in a glass jar. Then pour an oil over the flowers (some good options include jojoba oil, MCT oil, fractionated coconut oil, or avocado oil), until they are covered. Store the jar near a window (but not in direct sunlight), and let the oil naturally infuse for 7-10 days. Shake the jar every day or so to help get the most fragrant oil. After the 7-10 days are up, strain out the flowers and you're done! You can then transfer the lavender oil to a roller ball, dropper or small jar and use as needed.
15. As a car air freshener
To make a lavender car air freshener, add dried lavender flowers to sachet bags and place a bag or two in your vehicle or hang one from the rear view mirror. These air fresheners are also great for small rooms and small spaces too!
16. To help with sleep
Lavender is naturally relaxing and can help promote sleep. To use lavender as a sleep aid place a sachet filled with dried lavender under your pillow or close to your bed where you can smell it. Alternatively, you could place a vase filled with dried lavender or fresh lavender next to your bed.
17. As a wedding favour
I have been to a few weddings now where the wedding favour was a sachet of dried lavender. This is a great do it yourself wedding favour that is inexpensive to make and actually useful for your guests!
18. To make shoes smell nice
If you have some smelly shoes simply place a sachet of dried lavender into each one and leave it for a few days to help remove odours.
19. To make candles
Making your own homemade lavender candles is such a beautiful and creative way to use dried lavender. These candles make great gifts and are actually really easy to make. When they burn they give off the most beautiful natural scent.
20. To make foot scrub
To make homemade lavender foot scrub combine 1 cup of unscented epsom salts with 1 cup of a coarse sugar, 1/2 cup almond oil or liquid coconut oil, 4 tablespoons of dried lavender flowers, and 30 drops of lavender essential oil. Mix everything together in a jar or bowl and seal it with a lid once combined.
21. To make bath bombs
Making your own bath bombs is actually really easy, and homemade lavender bath bombs are no exception.
Dried lavender FAQs:
If you store lavender properly, in an airtight bag, in a cool dry place away from sunlight it should last for years. You can tell if your dried lavender has gone bad if it has a moldy, horse like smell.
Overtime dried lavender will naturally lose its scent. But don't worry, you can get it back by simply giving it a squeeze.
No, you do not want to store dried lavender in water. If you are putting dried lavender in a vase you will simply place the dried lavender in the vase without adding any water. Dried lavender will last the longest if kept in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
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