Lavender Wand Tutorial

This week, I began noticing that the lavender plants that we have both in the front and back garden were at the perfect stage to cut and make lavender wands with. This is my first time making the wands, and it was so easy that a child could do it. It's a really relaxing activity, probably because of the tremendously relaxing lavender smell that pervades the space as you work. A few people asked if they could learn to make the wands, so I'll explain it here with photos of the process! 

Firstly, you will need 13 (or a similar odd number) stems of lavender. The back garden variety that we have produces lovely long stems, but the front garden has a shorter variety. I did use both kinds and the result is similar, only one is long and one is short. The other thing you'll need is a pair of scissors and a length of 3-6mm satin ribbon in the colour of your choice. I measured my ribbon by spreading both arms, and then giving a little extra for a bow.

The first thing you'll want to do is to strip the stems of leaves. This will leave you with 13 stems that are easy to work the ribbon around. 

After your stems are stripped, you'll want to match the level of the flower heads up and tie one end of your ribbon just below the flowers. 

Next, you'll turn the lavender upside down with stems up, and bend your stems down to create a cage around the flowers. 

You'll notice the short end of the ribbon there. You can just ignore that, as it will be tucked in to the cage as you weave. Find the long end of ribbon and begin weaving it over and under the stalks alternately. Over, under, over, under and you will end up where you began. Each stalk will begin to have a pattern, if you're doing it correctly. I lost my place on a few of the wands and you can either stop, find where you messed up and correct it, or just carry on and it will be woven unevenly, but you will not particularly notice on the final product unless you're fussy. :) 

As you are weaving, keep tightening your ribbon. The flowers and stalks will dry out and shrink, so if you have a loose weave, it will get looser and not look as tidy. Keep weaving your ribbon over and under until you reach the end of the flowers. Then, take your ribbon tightly round a few times. 

Now you'll take the length of ribbon left and just wind it down the stalks until you get the length you desire. Make a knot or two at the end and I like to finish it with a bow. These can be used to hang the wands in amongst your clothes or coats or wherever you want them. 

 

I made several wands and took one to a neighbour. They make a charming seasonal gift! I left plenty of lavender on the plants outdoors as well because the pollinators really love them. If the wands begin to lose their scent, you can also drip some lavender essential oils on them to freshen them up! I hope you are able to make some and enjoy the process! 

Be blessed!