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under construction Using flowers and herbs from your garden, oils, and natural
materials to create beautiful home and garden
Additional Supplies:
Instructions 1. Grind together all the ingredients until the texture is quite fine. Store in an air tight container. 2. To use the scrub, rub a handful gently onto damp skin in small, circular motions. Allow it to dry on the skin for a minute or so, then rinse off. These are herbs that have traditionally been used to encourage vivid dreams and clear recall. Combine the herbs available in a combination that smells pleasing to you. You can fill small muslin bags with the mixture, or sew small sachets out of lovely vintage fabrics. These can be tucked under a pillow or hung around a room. You can also make flat sachets that can be slipped into your pillow case. Rose buds or petals Any of the herbs within the categories below can be used singly, or combined, to create your own unique blends. There are many more herb possibilities for baths. The ones listed below are my favorites, and the ones I happen to have on hand year round. I have included only herbs that are fragrant as well as healing. Use them to fill drawstring, cotton muslin bags. They can also be piled onto squares of cheesecloth, terrycloth, or cotton fabric (clean pieces of an old white t-shirt or bed sheet) with the ends tied, so that it makes a compact bundle. The bath bag can be tossed into a hot bath, or hung from the faucet while the bath water is running through it. It can also be used as a body scrub. Relaxing Bath Herbs Lavender, Chamomile, Rose Petals, Hops, Catnip Sore Muscle Relieving Bath Herbs Mugwort, Chamomile, Juniper, Ginger, Rosemary, Birch Leaves, Pine, Lavender, Comfrey, Yarrow, Marjoram, Lemongrass Reviving Bath Herbs Rosemary, Mint, Ginger, Birch Leaves, Lemongrass, Pine, Juniper Skin Tonic Bath Herbs Calendula (Marigold), Lavender, Mint, Rosemary, Rose Petals Cold and Flu Relief Bath Herbs Mugwort, Chamomile,
Ginger, Rosemary, Yarrow, Mint Dried Fruit
for Crafting Dried Apples You will
need: Slice apples 1/4 inch thick, leaving in the core. Soak the slices for 20 minutes in a mixture of 2 cups lemon juice and 3 tablespoons salt. Be sure to cover completely. Remove slices and pat dry with paper towels. Place on wire rack placed on cookie sheets in a 150 degree oven for approximately 6 hours until dried. If they start to curl, turn them over. When done, the slices should have a leathery type feel. Spray each slice with 2 coats of acrylic spray, drying between coats. I have used a shiny acrylic spray for a glossy look Dried Oranges You will
need: Cut each orange crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Discard end pieces. Place on wire racks which have been placed on cookie sheets in a 150 degree oven. Dry for about 6 hours, turning over if edges start to curl. When dried, they should still be pliable. You can use the slices whole or cut in half, depending on what you use them for. Spray with 2 coats of spray, allowing to dry between coats. Crafting Ideas: Easy ornaments can be made of either dried fruit by threading clear fishing line through the top of the ornament for hanging. You can accent the ornament with twine or raffia bows. A grouping of apples and/or oranges with a raffia bow make wonderful package accents for gifts. Fresh Flower Wreath Before making the wreath, you will first need to condition the foliage. To do this, just re-cut the stems and place them standing in water that contains floral preservative. Let the roses drink the water for several hours. Meanwhile, you can also begin preparing the wreath base by soaking a circle of florist foam in water and floral preservative until the form floats just below the water line. Once your flowers have been conditioned and the base is ready for use, you can begin attaching the foliage and flowers to the wreath base. Floral pins or pins made with shaped wire were used to attach wet moss to the wreath form. Attach the background greens. Push the stems of the greens into the foam so that a frame is formed inside and outside of the circle. Insert the main flowers on the wreath, accenting with secondary flowers which can contrast in form or color. Any remaining spaces can be filled with remaining flowers or greens. Add a six or eight loop bow Rose Pomander Ball Before making the pomander, you will first need to condition the roses. Just re-cut the stems using a clean, sharp knife and place them standing in fresh clean water with floral preservative. Let the roses drink the water for several hours. While the roses are being conditioned, begin preparing the ball base. This is done by carving a ball out of floral foam and then soaking it in water. After the water has been absorbed, cover the ball with chicken wire. Attach a loop of ribbon to the top of the ball, through the chicken wire frame. After attaching the ribbon, you can begin pinning moist decorative green moss to the ball using U-shaped floral pins. Insert your flowers into the rose ball. Begin by placing the roses into the floral foam ball near the ribbon. Depending on the size of the foam ball, the length of the rose stems should be 1 1/2 - 2 inches – long enough to be held firmly in the ball, but short enough that it doesn't push through the other side. If the stems are too long, just cut them to the appropriate length using a sharp knife. Keep placing roses in the ball spacing them close together. You can fill in any gaps with greenery or ribbon. You can use any flowers for pomanders, not just roses Staircase/Fireplace Swag A beautiful flower swag is an elegant way to decorate a staircase. Before purchasing your flowers and greenery, measure the area where you would like to place the swag. For a graceful swag, plan on twice the length of the space to be decorated. Of course, if you want a straight swag for decorating a mantle piece, you will need less base material. We suggest using a hemp rope or black plastic garbage bags that have been tied together. When choosing a base, keep in mind that it must be supple enough to drape and strong enough to hold the weight of the plant material. After you have placed knots in both ends of the base material, you are ready to begin assembling the swag. Since fresh plant materials are easier to work with, it is best to make your garland as soon as you obtain all of your flowers and greenery. While a finished garland appears to be all one piece, it is actually composed of multiple small bouquets. This is done by placing flowers on top of some greenery and then wiring the bunch together. Continue making the small bouquets of flowers and placing them off to the side. Before you begin attaching the flowers to the swag base, knot each end of the base. Next, position the first bouquet at the top of the base so that the heads of the foliage cover the end. Wind with paddle wire (but do not cut the wire). Place the next bunch so that the heads cover the stems of the first. Wire again. Each bouquet should be angled slightly to create a full look. Continue this process for the length of the base. After you have made your garland and attached it to your banister, you can add bows to hide where the banner is attached to the staircase. To do this, make six or eight loop bows with wide florist ribbon and wire with long chenille wires leaving enough length to attach the bow and the garland. For the Birds - Natural Treat Recipes To Attract Birds To Your Garden great
books and information on attracting birds Wild Bird Suet Cakes Select
a medium sized pinecone to fill, or prepare a suet cake. Soft Suet Recipe 4 1/2 cups ground fresh suet 3/4 cup dried and fine ground baked goods(whole-wheat or cracked-wheat bread or crackers are best) 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds 1/4 cup millet 1/4 cup dried and chopped fruit (currants, raisins, or berries) 3/4 cup dried and fine ground meat (optional)Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Allow the suet to cool until slightly thickened, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Pour or pack into forms or suet feeders; smear onto tree trunks or overhanging limbs and branches; or pack into pine cones. Hard Suet Cake 1/2 lb. fresh ground suet 1/3 cup sunflower seed 2/3 cup wild bird seed (mix) 1/8 cup chopped peanuts 1/4 cup raisinsMelt suet in a saucepan over low heat. Allow it to cool thoroughly, then reheat it. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Allow the suet to cool until slightly thickened, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Pour into pie pan or form, or pack into suet feeders. Optional or substitute ingredients: millet (or other birdseed), cornmeal, cooked noodles, chopped berries, dried fruit. Soft Peanut Butter Cake 1 cup fresh ground suet
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups yellow corn meal
1/2 cup white or whole-wheat flour
Melt suet in a saucepan
over low heat.
Add peanut butter, stirring until melted and well blended. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Allow the suet-peanut-butter blend to cool until slightly thickened, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Mix thoroughly.Pour or pack into forms or suet feeders; smear onto tree trunks or overhanging limbs and branches; or pack into pine cones. Hard Peanut Butter Mix I 2 pounds fresh ground suet 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter 1/2 cup coarse-chopped shelled sunflower seedsMelt suet in a saucepan over low heat. Add peanut butter, stirring until melted and well blended. Stir in the sunflower seeds. Mix thoroughly. Pour into 9 x 13 cake pan and cool Cut into cakes that fit suet feeder Individually wrap the remaining cakes and store in freezer Hard Peanut Butter Mix II
2
cup fresh ground suet Add peanut butter, stirring until melted and well blended. Add dry ingredients to the suet-peanut-butter blend, and mix well. Pour into forms or suet-feeders, and cool until hardened. Suet Mix II 1 part peanut butter - smooth or crunchy 1 part shortening 1 part flour 3 parts cornmeal 1 part cracked corn You may also add black oil sunflower seeds and/or mixed seed Gardens and Plantations of Charleston Back to the Site Directory History Culture More Vintage Views of Charleston- click here
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