Have you ever tried to harvest and dry lavender from the garden? One of the flowers my daughter chose for her wedding was lavender. I soon learned the high cost of purchasing dried lavender when making the table centerpieces, aisle bows, floral bouquets & boutonnieres as well as the homemade lavender lollipop guest favors.

While pulling out of our driveway to make the 9-hour trek to the wedding destination, I caught a glance of the abundant lavender blooms in our front flower bed. I got to thinking, had I the foresight to harvest and dry the lavender last summer, I could have saved a lot of money.

How To Harvest And Dry Lavender

I am embarrassed to admit that we've had the plant for several years and not once have I harvested the flowers. Every Summer I've admired the blooms and every Fall after the flowers died off I would cut it back. Thankfully, after we returned from our daughter's wedding, the plant was still in full bloom and I decided this was going to be the year that I finally harvest the lavender!

But first I needed to figure out how and do some online research. Then I got to thinking, I wonder if any of my readers have never harvested their lavender and that's when I decided to share what I learned with all of you.

For those of you who have successfully dried lavender and have any helpful tips I may have missed, I'd be most grateful if you shared them in the comment section at the bottom of this post.

What you'll need to harvest and dry fresh lavender

• Rubber bands or jute twine
• Scissors
• Paper Clips
• Large flat sheet or box
• Hangers, chain, or doweling rod

How to harvest fresh lavender

• The best time to harvest the plant is when the buds have formed but the lavender is not in full bloom. If you wait too long to harvest (like I did) the dried bunches will be less potent.
• Harvest the flowers mid-morning or evening when the sun is less intense and the plant is completely dry from any morning dew.
• Cut in bundles the size that can wrap around your hand.
• Leave about 2-inches of growth on the plant and don't go down to the woody portion of the stem.

How to dry fresh lavender

• Wrap a rubber band or jute twine tightly around each bundle.
• Open a small paper clip and use it as a hook to hang the lavender.
• Hang the bundles of lavender upside down from a coat hanger, along a chain (like I did), or doweling rod.
• Lay a flat sheet or large cardboard box underneath to catch the petals that fall off (great for sachets).
• Drying upside down helps the lavender retain its blossom shape.
• Dry the lavender in a dry and dark place. The dryness is most important to prevent mold or mildew. The darkness helps the lavender retain its color.
• Let the lavender dry between 2-4 weeks until there is no moisture left in the stems at the center of the bundle.
• Check the bundles every so often because they could shrink a little and may require tightening the elastic or string.
• If you don't have a dark and dry place to hang the bundles, cover the bunches with brown paper bags with holes cut along the sides and bottom for air to circulate. Dry them in a place with more light.
• If you live in a high-humidity zone, tie the stalks individually with about 3-inches between each stalk on a strand of string, to prevent mold or mildew from developing.

What to do with dried lavender

• Fill pitchers with dried lavender bundles for fragrant displays around the house.
• Use them in wedding bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages.
• Make small fragrant wreaths to hang on cabinet doors. 
• Use them for scented drawer sachets.
• Blended with Epsom salts for relaxing baths. 
• Make lavender handmade soaps.
• If they were grown organically without pesticides, use the buds for cooking like my Lavender Shortbread Cookies.  
• Make fragrant Fire Starter Bundles from the cut stalks (pictured below).  

Storing dried Lavender

• Store bundles in a paper bag in a dark, dry place.
• Store flower stems in a paper bag or lidded mason jar.
• For cooking, potpourri, and lavender sachets - run your finger along the stalks to remove the dried flowers and store in a box or paper bag. 

Source List

• Garden Therapy
• DenGarden
• Preparedness Mama
• ExpertVillage

Like I mentioned at the top of this post, I made lavender infused hard candy lollipops dipped in lavender sugar for my daughter's wedding. You can find the recipe I used here at Garden Therapy.

I hope you found this post helpful and I gave you some ideas for decorating and cooking with lavender. If you have any questions about this makeover, please leave them in the comment section below or press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

Again, if you have any helpful tips I may have missed about harvesting and drying lavender, I would love it if you shared them in the comment section below.

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.

The smell of turkey and pumpkin pie is in the air as we celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. My oven is full and the table set for the big feast tonight. I'm keeping the dining table centerpiece simple this year with a DIY Thanksgiving wood table riser that is super easy to make and didn't cost a dime. I'm using mine to hold mini white pumpkin tealight holders that I also made, you'll find the tutorial for those further down in this post.

DIY Thanksgiving Wood Table Riser

Pumpkins are the theme this year for my Thanksgiving table and so I added a lovely vintage pumpkin patch image onto the top of the wood table riser.

Another use for the wood table riser

If you eliminate the feet, the wood riser would make a lovely rustic Fall Farmhouse Sign.  Hang it on a wall or lean it on a dining sideboard or fireplace mantel. I'll show you how simple it is to make but first I'd like to wish my fellow Canucks a Happy Thanksgiving!

Everything I used to make the pumpkin patch wood trivet was salvaged with things I had on hand.

I know not everyone has a fully stocked workshop to pull things from so I've included affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend to make this. At no cost to you, we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.

Instructions for making the wood table riser or Fall sign

It all started with this salvaged 7" x 16 1/2" cedar board that I found on a shelf in the workshop. The routered edge makes it perfect to use for a large table riser. Salvaging an old cabinet drawer front would also work perfectly for this project. That's where places like Habitat ReStore or thrift stores come in handy.

Because I planned on adding a vintage graphic to the top of the board, the rough grain needed to be sanded smooth. I used my mouse sander with an 80-grit sanding pad.

Staining the wood table riser

Next, I stained the board with a water-based stain called Canadian Maple, couldn't be a more suitable name for my table riser for Canadian Thanksgiving!

Adding feet to the wood table riser

I found these little wooden doodads (don't know what they're called) in my stash and painted two coats of Autumn, a burnt orange chalk paint color.

Once they were completely dry I attached them to the bottom of the table riser with this glue and set some heavy books on top until the glue set.

How to transfer a graphic onto the table riser

While the stain was drying I went over to The Graphics Fairy website and found this vintage botanical pumpkin graphic. In Pic Monkey, I sized the graphic to 850 x 1400 to fit legal size paper and reversed it to create a mirror image (pictured below).

I printed it onto legal size bond paper with my color laser printer. You can use an inkjet printer BUT you must wait for the ink to completely dry before moving onto the next step.

For this step, you will need either Mod Podge or image transfer medium. I wrote a detailed tutorial on how to do this in my Image Transfer Technique post.

At the last minute, I decided to add the words Give Thanks on to the graphic. You can see how easy that is done in my Image Transfer Technique Using Graphite Paper tutorial.

Whitewashing the wood table riser

Once the glue on the graphic was dry I gave just the top and not the routered edge a whitewash with chalk paint that I had on hand. I did this for two reasons. One, to give the table riser lovely farmhouse charm and two, so the top blended well with the white background of the graphic.

What I would have done differently

You can see in the photo above how the graphic doesn't cover the entire top of the wood table riser. The plan going in was to enlarge the graphic to cover the entire top. Unfortunately, when I went to do this on the website I normally use to resize images, it had become a paid membership site since I used it last.

When I realized this, I should have whitewashed the top of the table riser first before transferring the graphic.

Instead, I waited until the graphic was completely dry and whitewashed the top with the graphic in place. It actually gave the pumpkin patch graphic an aged appearance, which I quite like.

Tip on how to whitewash wood

To do this thin white chalk paint with water to a milk-like consistency. Brush the paint on with an inexpensive chip brush and wipe it off with a rag. The white paint nestles into the grain of the wood and stains it white but the dark stain still shows from underneath (pictured below).

Protecting the wood table riser

To protect the table riser I applied two coats of water-repellent Gator Hide that I had on hand. Any non-yellowing matte clear coat will be fine.

As promised here is a tutorial for making the mini pumpkin tealight holders and tips for preserving the pumpkin stems for Fall craft projects.

How to make mini pumpkin tealight holders

First, I removed the pumpkin stems to preserve them for Fall crafts next year. I've included tips on how to do this further down in this post.

CAUTION - Safety First 

• Make sure the pumpkin is secured onto your work surface first before drilling. Having someone hold the pumpkins is not a safe option should the drill decide to slip. I put mine in a bench vice to safely be held tight while I drilled.
• Set the torque on the drill to a low setting (under 10).
• If you are not experienced using a power drill, have someone do this for you.

With a 1 1/2 inch hole saw drill bit carefully bore a hole in the center of the mini pumpkins but stop before you go through the bottom.

After you remove the pulp from inside the pumpkins, allow the pumpkins to dry for several hours.

Fill the cavity 3/4 full with something for the tealights to sit on. I scrunched tinfoil and simply set the tealights on top and pressed firmly until they sat level with the top of the pumpkins.

How to preserve pumpkin stems

• Carefully cut along the base of the pumpkin stem with a knife. Mini pumpkins have a much tougher shell than the large varieties so be extra cautious during this step. 
• Remove any meat from the base of the stem. 
• Store the stems on newspaper in a dry location for about 8 weeks.

During dinner, the wood trivet will also be used for condiment filled mini ramekins, salt & pepper shakers, and small butter plates. We always serve food buffet style on the kitchen island so the dining room table isn't cluttered with platters and bowls of food.

For more Fall inspiration visit my Fall Ideas page. If you have any questions about any of the tutorials included in this post, please leave them in the comment section below or press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I share my projects at these fabulous link parties.

I went in for some scouring pads and got distracted by pumpkins. Next thing you know I'm replacing my plastic basket for a shopping cart and an hour later I walk out with everything I need to make a 5 Minute Fall Dollar Store Wreath and a whole heck of a lot more. Does that ever happen to you?

5 Minute DIY Fall Dollar Store Wreath

The wreath practically made itself without my having to think about it as a little bit of this and a little bit of that landed in my cart. Oh, and those pumpkins that were the culprit for my shopping spree? They were turned into these painted dollar store pumpkins. And the faux flowers and picks that filled my cart look lovely with my Aged Fall Mirror.

These are the supplies I used to make the quick and easy Fall wreath.

I should note that I bought all of my supplies at Dollarama, a Canadian dollar store chain.

If you don't have one near you, this post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. At no cost to you, we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.

Supply List

Willow Wreath
Leaf Vine Ribbon
Felt Fall Leaves
Small Styrofoam Pumpkins
Green Florist Wire
Hot Glue Gun

Instructions for the Fall dollar store wreath

I simply wrapped one roll of decorative vine ribbon around the willow wreath and hot glued it in place on the bottom.

Next, I layered and glued felt leaves onto the bottom of the wreath. I turned the leaves upside down so the veins didn't show because, in all honesty, I find them kind of tacky.

In my stash, I had half a small styrofoam pumpkin leftover from my DIY Scrabble Tile Fall Banner. I hot glued it in the center of the felt leaves and secured it with florist wire on the back as pictured below.

Next, I glued a tree branch slice, leftover from my Wood Slice Map Ornaments, for the stem. I  twisted a piece of florist wire around the branch and wrapped the ends around a pencil to make tendrils.

I bought two more rolls of this pretty vine ribbon in green and taupe. Haven't a clue what I'll do with them yet - perhaps next year.

That's all there was to it. In five minutes or less you can make this cute inexpensive wreath. Its small size makes it perfect for hanging on a mirror or cabinet door.

What's been landing in your shopping cart these days? Have you made any Fall crafts using dollar store finds?

If you have any questions about this makeover, please leave them in the comment section below or press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

I share my projects at these fabulous link parties.

Do you prefer a less traditional approach when decorating for Fall? Instead of a typical Fall wreath, what about a pumpkin door hanger. I get that my black and bold lime green polka-dot version may not be for everyone but it certainly is a playful non-traditional option.

Untraditional Fall Pumpkin Door Hanger

The inspiration for my pumpkin door knocker came from the beaded trim that I had in my stash.  Everything else is either a dollar store or thrift store find, making my Fall door hanger a budget-friendly project.

With the black and green color combination and those Halloween-Esque hanging beads (you'll see what I mean further down in the post), the door hanger could stay up for be hallows eve.

What I'd do differently

What can I say, sometimes you get lost in a project and you can't see the obvious until it's too late! A photo speaks a thousand words and this serves as a reminder that it's always helpful to take a picture of your project first before declaring it finished.

Admittedly, if I was to do this again, I would not have the black & white polka dot bow on the top. I'd still use the black & white ribbon to hang the pumpkins but I'd only have a single bow on top, preferably the lime green one. What do you think?

During a trip to Goodwill late in the Fall last year, I found these white half pumpkins for $3 each. Too late in the season to do anything with them, they were tossed in my craft bin and forgotten until recently.

Also in the craft bin, I found remnants of beaded ribbon from a scarf my daughter made in high school sewing class eons ago. Looking closer at the beads they reminded me of glow in the dark crystal balls and the wheels started turning.

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. At no cost to you, we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.

Supply List

Half pumpkins
Black chalk paint
1 1/2-inch wired polka dot ribbon
1 1/2-inch black & white striped ribbon
Decorative bead ribbon (salvaged)
EZ Bow Maker
Florist wire
Hot glue gun
Velcro picture hangers

Instructions for making a Fall Pumpkin Door Hanger

This pumpkin door hanger is so easy to make that you'll have it finished in less than 30 minutes. It would make a fun craft to do with kids.

Painting the half pumpkins for the door hanger

To both make the lime green beaded ribbon pop AND the potential to use this door hanger for Halloween, I painted the half pumpkins black. I painted them with chalk paint in the most fitting color called Raven. Any black craft paint will work or better yet, save yourself the time and buy black half pumpkins.

Polka dot bows for pumpkin stems

The wired lime green polka dot ribbon was found at the dollar store and I made loopy style bows to attach to the stem of each pumpkin. It took one spool for both pumpkins but for fuller or larger bows, use one spool per pumpkin.

I am all thumbs when it comes to making bows so I cheat and use this handy EZ Bow Maker. I don't know what I'd do without this thing!

To attach the bows to the pumpkin stems, I used florist and added a dab of hot glue to make sure they were secure.

Embellishing the pumpkins with beaded ribbon 

The beaded ribbon that looks like mini glow in the dark crystal balls were strung diagonally across the front of the pumpkins and hot glued in place on the back. You could eliminate the ribbon and add typography to the front of the pumpkins instead (see below).

Alternative for embellishing the painted pumpkins

Did you know chalk paint can be used as chalkboard paint? Add typography on the black painted pumpkins with a stick of chalk for Fall or Halloween.

Ribbon strand for hanging the pumpkins on the door hanger

Cut a 24-inch long strang of 1 1/2-inch wide grosgrain ribbon in either black & white polka dots like mine or black & white stripes. For a finished edge on the top, fold the ribbon over and secure with a dab of hot glue.

Center the pumpkins on the ribbon and secure them onto the ribbon with hot glue. Line the pumpkin. You can either space the pumpkins evenly along the ribbon or do what I did and have a longer tail on the bottom. The bottom pumpkin on mine was glued approximately 7-inches from the bottom of the ribbon.

Cut the tail on the ribbon with an inverted V cut. While you have the scissors in hand, cut the ribbon tails on the green polka dot ribbons as well.

How to make a V cut on ribbon ends 

Fold the ribbon in half vertically, good side to good side facing each other. Starting on the folded side, cut at an angle across the ribbon towards the outer edges.

Notice that I didn't mention how the top black & white polka dot bow was made? Like I mentioned at the top of this post, I would eliminate a second bow on the top.

Hanging the pumpkin door hanger

Attach a 3M Velcro Strip to the top backside of the black & white polka dot ribbon. Remove the sticky backing and attach the back of the hanger onto the door.

So the door hanger doesn't swing back and forth when the door is opened and closed, add another velcro strip on the bottom of the black & white ribbon.

That's it, we're done! Here's another idea for untraditional Fall decor. These could be made to match each other as these DIY Pumpkin Topiaries flank the front door. The ribbon could be switched out to match the ribbon on the pumpkin door hanger and vice versa. For more Fall inspiration visit my Fall DIY Ideas page.

If you have any questions about this makeover, please leave them in the comment section below or press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.