If you grow lavender in your garden, you probably already know how beautiful it is. But lavender is one of those plants that can do so much more than simply sit in the garden and bloom.
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Once you harvest and dry your lavender, you can use it in everything from homemade beauty products and simple crafts to recipes for your kitchen.
Here are some of my favorite ways to use lavender from the garden.
1. Make Lavender Sugar
Lavender sugar is one of my favorite ways to bring a little of the garden into the kitchen.
Dried culinary lavender is combined with sugar and allowed to infuse, creating a delicately floral sugar you can use in tea, coffee, lemonade, cookies, cakes, scones and other baked goods.
See next: How to Make Lavender Sugar
2. Make Lavender Sachets
Lavender sachets are incredibly easy to make and are a wonderful way to use dried lavender.
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Fill small cotton or linen bags with dried lavender buds and tuck them into dresser drawers, linen closets, closets or suitcases. They also make lovely little homemade gifts.
See: How to Make Lavender Sachets
3. Make Lavender Linen Spray
A simple lavender linen spray is another way to enjoy lavender throughout your home.
Use it on bedding, towels, curtains and linens for a light lavender scent. It’s especially nice to keep beside the bed or in the guest room.
See next: Homemade Lavender Linen Spray
4. Make Lavender Bath Salts
If you enjoy making your own bath and body products, lavender is perfect for homemade bath salts.
Combine dried lavender with your favorite bath salt mixture and package it in a pretty jar. These make wonderful gifts, too.
5. Make Lavender Sugar Scrub
Lavender sugar scrub is another simple garden-to-home project.
It’s easy to make with ingredients you may already have in your pantry, and a small jar makes a lovely homemade gift.
See next:: How to Make Lavender Sugar Scrub
6. Make Lavender Wands
Lavender wands are one of those old-fashioned garden crafts that are just fun to make.
You weave lavender stems together while they’re still flexible, creating a little bundle that can be used as a decorative piece or tucked into a drawer or closet.
See next: How to Make Lavender Wands
7. Make Lavender Potpourri
Have extra dried lavender? Make potpourri.
Combine lavender with other dried flowers, herbs and botanicals from your garden to create a pretty mixture for bowls, baskets or little sachets around the house.
See next:: How to Make Lavender Potpourri
8. Make Homemade Lavender Oil
You can also use your garden lavender to make an infused lavender oil.
It’s a useful ingredient for homemade skincare projects and makes a beautiful garden-to-home gift.
See next:: How to Make Homemade Lavender Oil
9. Make Lavender Herb Salt
Lavender isn’t only for sweet recipes.
A small amount of culinary lavender can be combined with salt and other herbs to make an interesting seasoning blend for cooking.
This is a great project if you’re growing several culinary herbs and want to preserve some of your harvest for later.
See next:: Homemade Lavender Herb Salt
10. Bake Lavender Tea Bread
Lavender and baking are a surprisingly good combination.
This lavender tea bread is a simple way to use culinary lavender and is especially nice served with tea or coffee.
See next:: Easy Lavender Tea Bread
11. Make Lavender Lemonade
Lavender lemonade is one of those recipes that feels like summer in a glass.
The floral flavor of lavender pairs beautifully with tart lemon, making this a refreshing way to use your garden harvest.
See next: Refreshing Lavender Lemonade
12. Make Lavender Honey Butter
For something a little different, try lavender honey butter.
It’s wonderful spread on warm bread, biscuits, pancakes or muffins and makes a pretty addition to a garden-inspired breakfast or brunch.
See next: Homemade Honey Lavender Butter
13. Make Lavender Blackberry Ice Cream
Lavender and berries are a lovely combination.
This lavender blackberry ice cream is a fun way to use both garden lavender and fresh summer berries for a homemade dessert.
See next: Homemade Lavender Blackberry Ice Cream
14. Make Lavender Jelly
If you enjoy preserving your garden harvest, don’t overlook lavender jelly.
It’s beautiful in the jar and makes a unique homemade gift. It’s also a fun way to preserve some of your lavender harvest beyond the growing season.
See next: Canning Lavender Jelly
15. Make Lavender Tea
Of course, one of the simplest things you can do with dried lavender is make tea.
Harvesting and drying lavender for tea gives you a way to enjoy your garden long after the flowers have finished blooming.
See next: How to Make Lavender Iced Tea
16. Press Lavender for Crafts
Don’t forget about using lavender for simple paper crafts.
Pressed lavender can be used for cards, bookmarks, botanical artwork and other little projects.
See next: How to Press Lavender
17. Simply Dry Your Lavender for Later
And if you aren’t quite sure what you want to do with your lavender yet, dry it and save it.
Dried lavender is incredibly versatile, and having a jar of it tucked away means you can make sachets, potpourri, bath products, recipes and crafts whenever you have the time.
See next: How to Dry Lavender at Home
You can also learn how to bundle lavender for drying and the best way to store dried lavender so your harvest lasts as long as possible.
One of the things I love about growing lavender is that the harvest doesn’t end when the flowers are finished blooming.
A handful of lavender from the garden can become something useful for your kitchen, something beautiful for your home, a homemade gift or simply a way to enjoy a little more of the garden during the colder months.
And you don’t have to use all of your lavender at once. Dry what you have and save it. Then, when you’re ready, you can turn that little jar of lavender into something completely different.
That’s the fun of growing things yourself.
More Lavender From the Garden
- How to Grow Lavender from Cuttings
- How to Grow Healthy Lavender: 5 Mistakes to Avoid
- The Best Fertilizer for Lavender Plants
- How Often Should You Water Lavender?
- Deadheading Lavender
- What to Plant with Lavender
- Types of Lavender
- English vs. French Lavender: What’s the Difference?
Follow my lavender board on Pinterest.