Lemon Verbena Sachets

Although Lemon Verbena is an herb, and no relation to citrus, I sewed a lemon on the side of the sachet, because it smells just like fresh lemon zest. 

Beads and ribbon make anything pretty. 

This is my Lemon Verbena herb plant. It almost smells better dried than fresh, which makes it ideal for sachets. 

At the risk of losing my four followers, I must admit I am a fan of the book, Gone with the Wind. Yes, it is filled with ridiculous ideas about everything, not to mention the rampant inequality displayed in every page. But rising above all that, to me, is the inescapable grace and charm of the idea of a "great lady". The embodiment of this is Ellen O'Hara, Scarlett's mother. Scarlett is happy to picture her, in her mind, as the Virgin Mary. Everything is better, just by her walking in the room.
Ellen is like a soft breeze that floats through the air, brightening and freshening every dusty corner of the earth she graces. Like Scarlett, I aspire to be like her, but fall far from it. But one thing that I can reenact about Ellen is the Lemon Verbena sachet she carries in her skirts, always. Not that I plan on donning large hoop skirts and a corset. This particular sachet is actually a gift, after going to the store and discovering I couldn't afford any of the gifts I wanted to give as a thank you present to my sister (possibly because I was shopping at AJ's).
The idea that I could make her a Lemon Verbena Sachet gift instead, which would be personal and smell better than anything purchased at the store, kept popping up in my head. I had never done it before, and had no guide except a few Internet tips, so I was a little shy about it.
But trust me when I say, the process was simple and fun, and the results, spectacular. I can't stop smelling my little sachet. It is like Ellen O'Hara is in this very room with me. In fact, I'm not sure I'll be able to part with it....


Instructions for Lemon Verbena Sachet

1) Line your favorite pan with parchment paper. For one sachet, two long sprigs of fresh Lemon Verbena will do. Snip these from your plant. Your plant will be healthier, anyway, if it is regularly harvested.
2) Heat your oven to 200 degrees. Place Verbena in the lined pan, and bake for 1 hour. Leave in the hot oven until dried, about one hour more.
3) Cut one piece of muslin (about 5 x 5"), and embellish with beads and fabric, using a needle and a small embroidery hoop if you desire.
4) Fold edges of fabric over twice, press a crease with fingernails, and sew edges together to prevent frays. I used a sewing machine, but you can also do this by hand.
5) Fold the top of the sachet over again and sew, making a space for the ribbon.
6) Put right sides together, and sew, leaving a 1" seam.
 7) Turn sachet right side out. Thread a needle with ribbon in a favorite color. I used Apple Green, because it seemed to match the brightness of the scent. Using pliers, pull the needle and ribbon through the fabric. Continue to pull the needle through the fabric until it goes all the way around the top.
8) Crumble the Lemon Verbena with fingers. I chose not to use the stems, because they could be pokey, and if you choose to put your sachet under your pillow, you don't want to have a painful sleep. I mixed the Verbena with some Basmati Rice as filler, because you would need a great deal of it to fill up even a small sachet. The rice gives it a nice weight, and the smell is so subtle, it doesn't interfere with the lemon.
9) Pull your ribbon tight and tie a pretty bow. Enjoy your sachet in your purse, in your dryer, under your pillow, or in your lingerie drawer. This also makes a personal, fragrant, inexpensive gift.