Five Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts: Fragrant Sachets

My first sewing tutorial.  Actually, I think this is my first ever tutorial.  I kept it very simple and basic.  Mostly for my benefit...

Sachets are used to keep linen closets, undergarment and sock drawers, closets, and bedding smelling fresh.  Did you also know that the fragrance placed inside the sachet can help keep moths, silverfish, and other critters out of your clothing?  Lavender, rosemary, lemongrass, and cloves are all good at repelling bugs.  Also, a sachet of lavender placed between your pillow and pillowcase can help you sleep more restfully.

You'll need

a printed or solid cotton fabric, or muslin

wool or flannel batting

lavender buds, dried rosemary, cloves, dried lemongrass, or a dried herb of your choice

Cut two pieces of cotton fabric 8" x 8", and one piece of batting 7.5" x 7.5".  You can make your sachet any size you wish, just make sure you cut the batting 1/2" smaller than your outer fabric.

Place your two pieces of fabric right sides together.  You will need to sew 1/4" from the edge, a 1/4" seam allowance.  Begin sewing about 1.5" in on one side.  (You will be starting 1.5" away from your nearest corner.)  Stop, turn the corner, sew on three sides, and when you get to the side where you began, only sew in 1.5".  

 

You will have three complete sides sewn and one side will have an opening in the middle of about 5".

Before you turn your fabric right side out, clip the edges close to the seam, but be careful NOT to clip the stitches.  I learned that one the hard way...

Turn your sachet right side out, you may have to poke the corners carefully with a pencil or knitting needle, to be sure you get a sharper corner.

Place your batting inside the sachet through the opening, straighten it out on the inside.  It should reach edge to edge and the batting will fill the entire space on the inside.  If it's too large, just take it out and trim the batting up a small bit.  You want it to lie flat and smooth.

Once you have your batting straightened out, you can then pour in your petals, buds, or herbs.  I put in about a tablespoon of lavender buds.

Next, you need to sew up the opening.  Turn in your edges 1/4 of an inch and sandwich it between your fingers.

This may be hard for me to 'splain, so let me sum up.....start your first stitch on the inside of one edge, push the needle through and then whip it around and begin whip stitching near the edge through BOTH edges of your opening.

Continue stitching the entire opening closed and then knot your thread off.  

Finished!

We have added ribbon, lace, hand embroidery designs, and ric rac to decorate our sachets.