10 Things to Make With Lavender

Have a bountiful crop of lavender from your garden, local farmer’s market, or a trip to a lavender farm, but not sure what to do with it?

Here are 10 useful and pretty things that you can make with lavender so you can continue to enjoy it for months to come!

10 Things to Make With Lavender - Have a bountiful crop of lavender from your garden, local farmer's market or a trip to a lavender farm, but not sure what to do with it? Here are 10 useful and pretty things that you can make with that beautiful lavender so you can continue to enjoy it for months to come!

If you don’t have lavender available locally, no problem!

You can purchase organic dried lavender from Mountain Rose Herbs which will work perfectly in every one of these recipes.

drying lavender and other herbs

A few notes before we begin:

1. Some of these projects require dried lavender. To dry flowers and herbs, I usually just spread them out in single layers on paper towels or clean dish towels and let them air dry for several days. You could also tie your lavender in small bundles and hang them up until dry.

2. To print this post, scroll down until you see a green “Print Friendly” button.

3. There are a few affiliate links scattered in this post. That means if you click on one and make a purchase, I earn a small commission for sending a customer their way. I only recommend products I personally use and like.

4. If you’re interested in growing your own beautiful lavender plants, check out this article: Growing & Harvesting Lavender at our family site, Unruly Gardening.

How to Make Lavender Infused Oil

1. Lavender Infused Oil

This lavender infused oil can be massaged onto restless legs, dabbed on itchy bug bites, rubbed into flaky scalps and used as an ingredient in recipes for salves, lotions, creams, soaps and such. Shelf life of strained, infused oil is around 9 months to a year.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Make Herb Infused Oil (+FAQS & Tips)

To make it, fill a canning jar about half-way up with dried lavender flowers. Cover with about twice as much as your favorite carrier oil, or to the top of the jar. (Suggested oils include sunflower, olive, sweet almond, apricot kernel, avocado, hemp and so forth.)

For a quick infusion: Set the uncovered jar down into a small saucepan filled with a few inches of water. Heat over a low burner for a few hours, keeping a close eye that the water doesn’t evaporate out. Remove from heat and strain.

For a slower, more traditional infusion: Cap the jar of lavender and oil and tuck away in a cabinet for around 4 to 6 weeks, shaking occasionally as you remember to. When the infusing time has passed, strain.

For a third option: You could also set the jar of flowers and oil in a sunny windowsill for several days to a week to jump start the infusion. (Don’t store for long periods in sunlight though, as it tends to fade flowers and herbs over time.)

10 Things to Make With Lavender - Lavender Salve

2. Lavender Salve

This recipe uses the infused oil we made above. It’s great for rubbing on restless legs, tired muscles, and to massage on the temples and back of the neck when you have a headache. It’s also skin conditioning so will help any little dry skin spots you might have.

Ingredients needed:

  •  3.5 oz (100 g) of lavender infused oil
  • 0.5 (15 g) beeswax in a heatproof jar or empty tin can.

(For a vegan option – try using roughly half as much candelilla wax instead of beeswax.)

How to make lavender salve:

Set the jar/can down into a saucepan containing an inch or two of water. Place the pan over a medium-low burner and heat until the wax is fully melted. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil (optional) and pour into tins or jars.

Shelf life of homemade salves run around 9 months to 1 year.

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10 Ways to Use Lavender - Lotion Bar Recipe

3. Lavender Lotion Bars

Lotion bars are the best thing ever for dry, cracked skin. They’re easy to throw together and make wonderful gifts too!

I usually make lotion bars with equal parts of oil, butter and beeswax measured by volume, but have also included the corresponding weights in grams, for those who prefer to use a scale.

Ingredients needed:

How to make lavender lotion bars:

Combine the ingredients in a heatproof canning jar or upcycled tin can. (For a vegan version, use roughly half as much candelilla wax instead of beeswax.) Set the jar/can down into a saucepan containing an inch or two of water. Place the pan over a medium-low burner and heat until everything is melted. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil and pour into heatproof silicone molds. (I bought the mold for the lotion bars shown HERE. This recipe will fill 3.5 of the cavities.)

To use, rub a lotion bar over your skin wherever it feels dry. They’re especially helpful for spot treating rough feet, knees and elbows. Store your lotion bars in a cool area, out of direct sunlight and they should have a shelf life of around 9 months to a year.

fresh lilacs and violets with a small pottery bowl filled with handmade face cream

4. Lavender Face Cream with Lilacs & Violets

This lavender face cream is thick and rich, making it perfect for dry or mature skin.

The ingredients needed:

You can find the full directions to make it HERE.

Beeswax Cream Video Tip:

Beeswax lotions and creams can be tricky to make! Here’s a video of me making a Chamomile & Honey Beeswax Cream (recipe from my Handmade Lotions & Creams eBook Collection) to demonstrate the technique. Sometimes an ad plays first, but the video will play right after! If you have an adblocker, you won’t see the video player.

jar of lavender body butter

5. Whipped Lavender Hand Cream & Body Butter

This luxurious hand and body butter is made with lavender infused oil and shea butter. The pretty natural color comes from adding a pinch of purple Brazilian clay.

Ingredients needed:

You can find the full directions to make Lavender Hand Cream & Body Butter recipe HERE.

10 Things to Make With Lavender - Lavender Honey Scrub

6. Lavender Honey Hand Scrub

This scrub exfoliates your skin, leaving it soft, silky and smooth. It’s especially wonderful to use on your feet, elbows and knees.

Ingredients needed:

  • a scant 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons (more or less) lavender-infused oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • a few drops of lavender essential oil.

How to make:

Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Depending on how fine or coarse your sugar is, you may want to add a little more oil at a time until it’s a consistency you like. If it feels too oily, add more sugar.

The recipe will make enough to fit in a small 4-ounce jelly jar (like THIS KIND). To use, scoop out and gently rub on dry areas of skin. Rinse well with warm water. If you plan on keeping this more than a few days, it’s recommended that you add a preservative to keep icky things from growing in case water accidentally gets mixed in during use. (See THIS POST for more on nature-derived preservative options.)

10 Things to Make With Lavender - Lavender Soap Recipe

7. Lavender Soap

This is a lovely, old-fashioned soap that’s made with lavender tea and scented with lavender essential oil.

It’s naturally colored purple with Brazilian clay, but you could leave that out for an off-white bar instead.

Find the full directions for homemade lavender soap HERE.

How to Make a Lavender Tincture

8. Lavender Tincture

According to Richo Cech in one of my all-time favorite books, Making Plant Medicine, some uses for lavender tincture include rubbing on your temples for headache or insomnia, applying directly to your scalp and brushes/combs to discourage lice, and diluted with water (30 drops in a 1/2 cup of water) to treat skin sores and infections.

To make a tincture with fresh flowers:

Fill a canning jar about halfway with flowers, then add vodka to the top. Roughly aim for a ratio of twice as much alcohol as flowers. Cap, shake and store in a cool dark place for four to six weeks before straining.

To make a tincture with dried flowers:

Use an approximate ratio of 1 part dried herb to 5 parts alcohol. Add lavender to a jar, then pour vodka or other high proof alcohol over top. Dried herbs expand, so you’ll need to make sure to allow room for that. Cap, shake and store in a cool dark place for four to six weeks before straining.

Shelf life of lavender tincture is at least one year, but will probably stay useful much longer than that. Store out of direct sunlight and high heat.

10 Things to Make With Lavender - Bath Salts

9. Lavender Bath Salts

These lavender bath salts are incredibly easy to make. Pour them into a glass jar, tie a tag on with a pretty ribbon and you have a quick last-minute gift idea!

Ingredients needed:

To make lavender bath salts:

Combine and store in a tightly closed glass jar.

To use, pour the bath salts into a cotton muslin bag (like THESE) or an old clean sock. Tie up tightly and toss in the tub as it fills with warm water.

You can use the full batch for one bath or split it between two baths, depending on personal preference. These bath salts will stay fresh and usable for around 6 to 9 months, or until the color of the flowers fade.

Lavender Infused Vinegar & 5 Ways to Use It

10. Lavender Vinegar

This beautiful lavender flower-infused vinegar can be used as a fabric softener, flea spray, hair rinse, glass cleaner and bath addition.

You only need two ingredients to make it:

  • lavender flowers
  • vinegar

Click HERE to learn how to make lavender vinegar + 5 uses for it.

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33 Comments

  1. You have so many ingenius uses for lavender you make me wish that lavender grew more vigorously so I could enjoy it more in zone 3.

    If I lived in zone 5 I’d have a lavender hedge. I love it.

      1. That’s a great idea John, thanks for sharing!
        Are you thinking about homemade lavender infused oil, or lavender essential oil?
        Both ideas are great – I will have to add those to my list of articles I’d like to write – thanks!

  2. Pingback: How to Create Custom DIY Herbal Lip Balms – The Nerdy Farm Wife
    1. Hi Deborah! The arrowroot is completely optional. Some people like to add it – or another starch powder, such as tapioca or cornstarch – to help cut some of the greasy feel that body butters can sometimes leave behind. You can leave it out though if you don’t have any on hand. :)

  3. Pingback: 10 Things to Make With Roses – The Nerdy Farm Wife
  4. What a great list! I just had to prune about 50 Provence lavender plants for work (I’m a gardener) and hauled home all the cuttings. I was wondering what I was going to do with them!

  5. Pingback: 10 Herbs To Grow In A Natural Remedies Garden – The Nerdy Farm Wife
    1. Hi Melissa! The flowers are the part of the plant mainly used for herbal/medicinal purposes, but you can definitely include some leaves in your infusion as well. I think they have a wonderful scent too & try to incorporate them in various products when I can. :)

  6. Pingback: 10 Things to Make With Mint – The Nerdy Farm Wife
  7. Hi There,
    Thank you so much for all of the time that goes into helping others. I am curious what colour the lavender infused oil will be at the end.. Would it colour my soap at all? Pinkish or purple.
    Thank you!

    1. Hi Carrie! The lavender infused oil will not offer much, if any, color to soap. Lavender tea, used in place of water, can sometimes color your soap tan or light brown if it’s very strong, but otherwise – sadly no color remains from lavender.

  8. can you buy infused lavender oil? if so, where would be the best place to buy it. I would love to make the lotion bar but I have no lavender at this time growing .

  9. I’m so excited to make some of these lovely things! I just started growing lavender from seeds. My yard also has roses and violets.

    1. Hi Phyl, Hooray! So happy to hear you’re excited to make things with your lavender, roses & violets! Those are three of my favorite plants to make things with too! :)

    1. Hi Nikatya! I’m unsure if there is a different type of lavender that grows in Zambia than we have here, but if your lavender is edible or nontoxic, then you may be able to use it in some of the above lavender projects. :)

  10. I love these recipes! My mom and I love to plan out our gardening in the winter and we usually come up with some fun ideas for selling some of our stuff, and I will definitely try some of your recipes for the lavender that I grow! Thanks for the fun ideas!

    1. Hi Kayden, I’m so happy to hear you like the lavender ideas & hope you enjoy the recipes! We’re already happily planning for next year’s garden too! ?

  11. Hello, I need a bunch of help I just can’t seem to find anyone to help out. I have pure French Lavender oil not essential oil (yet lol) and Almond carrier oil. I haven’t found a good recipe on the ratio to make essenial oil and reading all your recipes above what measurement to use it in all your wonderful Lavender recipes. Thank you for any help in advance!

    1. Hi TinaMarie! Lavender essential oil is made when you steam distill fresh lavender flowers – it takes a LOT of plant material to make a few drops of essential oil, so it’s not easy to make at home.
      It sounds like maybe you have an infused oil and want to turn it into essential oil?
      Unfortunately, that’s not possible, since they are two different things.
      Infused oil is made when you take some dried lavender and pour oil over it (about twice as much oil as flowers), then you let it sit to infuse until all of the oil-soluble benefits from the lavender is transferred into the oil.
      Once you have infused oil, you can you it to make salves, balms, lip balm, lotion bars, soap, and all sorts of goodies!
      Infused oil isn’t very strong, so you can use large amounts in your projects.
      Essential oils are very concentrated compounds from a plant so we use only small amounts, and dilute them well with oil to keep from irritating our skin.
      I hope that helps explain how different they are, but let me know if I misunderstood your question or if there’s any other way I can help! ❤

    1. Hi Kim! It depends on the depth and other dimensions of the mold as well, so I often go by how many ounces each mold cavity holds if that information is available.
      If using 1/4 cup of each ingredient (butter, beeswax, oil), it should make roughly three 1 1/2 ounce bars.
      Since mold shapes vary so much, we kind of have to guesstimate the first time we use a particular mold, so I always have an extra one on hand, just in case I end up with leftover melted mixture. :)

    1. Hi Aquila! I personally use Phytocide Elderberry OS in scrubs, instead of Leucidal SF Complete.
      The Phytocide is oil soluble and mixes into the oil portion of scrubs very nicely.
      More info in this article:
      https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/natural-preservatives-for-skin-care/
      but the usage rate is 1 to 5%.
      The scrub is about 1/2 cup (120 ml).
      5% of 120 ml = 6 ml.
      There’s 5 ml in one teaspoon, so you could safely add up to 1 tsp Phytocide elderberry to the oils portion of the scrub.
      (I would personally use 1/2 teaspoon in the oils if making for myself though.)

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