Craft Projects: Lavender Bags

Last week I purchased two luxury duck feather cushions for my sofa (the project is to make beautiful cushion covers once I have a sewing machine) through the Niki Jones website. When the order arrived at work, inside was a catalogue of Niki's collection for this season. There's loads of gorgeous things, and among them was a set of 2 lavender bags. Following the motto of my family of "why pay for something I can make myself?", I decided just that. I bought aromatic dried lavender online (£8.99 half a kilo at Daisy Gifts, bargain - particularly if we compare it to the £16 a pair at Niki Jones) and I had an excuse to go to Liberty to buy the material (soft, very fine cotton tana).

I have already lost count as to how many lavender bags I've made so far, but it's fun and a bag can be made in less than an hour. Plus, they're useful! So my instructions to make lavender bags are as follows:

When undertaking any craft that involves circles, I love to trace the shape from every-day objects around the flat. In this case, an empty Gu bowl. So, on the "back" side of the material (If anyone reading this - perhaps Rocio? - knows the proper name for this, please let me know!) trace out two circles with a soap bar and cut out.

Put both circles on top of each other, with the "front" sides (or pretty sides, where the print is nicely seen - again, there should be a word for this but...) on the inside and trace around one of them a smaller circle with soap.

Pin two sides together and cut a long strip of thick ribbon-like thread (mine was around 13cm) and place it between both sides, with just the end tips sticking out.

Proceed to sew around the material, following the last circle drawn on one of the sides, until there is about 2cm to complete the circle.

Turn bag inside-out and with a small fennel (I made mine with cardboard), fill in bag with lavender until it is almost full.

Fold the 2cm gap in the bag inside, sew the sides together and presto! You have a lovely lavender bag. I have also made bags without the handle so as to put them in drawers.