Video: How To Make Rolled Herb Pills
Rolled herb pills (also known as pastilles) are quick and easy to make. Not only that, but they’re one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to take herbs! Rolled herb pills only require two things: finely powdered herbs and honey. These ingredients are combined, thoroughly mixed, and then rolled into small balls or pills which…
Video: How To Make A Calendula Salve
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is an herbal staple that many herbalists include in their herbal toolkits. While this herb has a plethora of uses, one of the most common uses is as a topical preparation for the skin. Calendula is a great herbal ally for the skin as a topical application on a wound, a rash,…
DIY Hand Poured Herbal Candles
As the winter months draw near, we find ourselves spending more time indoors than outdoors. This lack of time outdoors can create a feeling of disconnect, especially for those of us who love to cook and create with the seasons. Marketing companies have obviously recognized this need. When you turn down the aisles of any…
8 DIY Herbal Face Mask Recipes for Holiday Gift Giving
The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it the desire to create unique and beautiful gifts for loved ones. If you’re a budding herbalist, combining your herbal passion with holiday gift giving is a great way to make recipients feel special while sharing the gifts of herbs at the same time. Creating herbal products…
How to Create a Nourishing Milk Bath for Self Care
Water is an essential element for our physical well being and can be an incredible tool for practicing self care. Of course, you maybe thinking of a steamy natural hot spring or ocean waves lapping on the shore. While each are incredibly relaxing, they are not widely available for most of us in our everyday…
6 DIY Recipes For Gentle Herbal Support for New Moms
The transition into motherhood is a profound time in a woman’s life. Whether she is welcoming her first baby or her fourth, every mom deserves the best care and love! Gentle herbal support for new moms can be found in herbal allies that include a wide array of botanicals. Chock full of vitamins and minerals,…
34 Ways To Use Roses
Summer heat means decadently fragrant roses are in riotous bloom! What could be more lovely than the full blossom of a rose? However, roses are more than just beautiful—would you believe that roses hold many beneficial herbal properties? There is plenty to love about this plant, and below we will discover many ways to use…
20 Inspiring Ways To Use Marshmallow Root
Did you know that marshmallows, those sweet, fluffy treats that are popular for roasting at bonfires, were originally made from the root of a beautiful plant? Marshmallow is a charming perennial that boasts pale pink-white petals. All parts of the marshmallow plant can be consumed, but the most commonly used portion is the root. The…
11 DIY Herbal Wedding Favors To Gift To Guests
Looking for the perfect favors for your wedding? Nothing says “thank you” to your wedding guests like making something homemade. Spread the herbal love with one of these DIY herbal wedding favors to show your guests how much you appreciate them sharing your special day! While some favors take a few months of planning ahead,…
4 Ways To Use Leftover Orange Peels
If you’re a fan of oranges, you may find yourself with an overabundance of leftover orange peels in your home, especially when oranges are in season. If you find yourself wondering what to do with all these peels rather than throwing them in the trash, let me offer some suggestions to help you put your…
How To Make Fresh Dandelion Blossom Oil
I have many favorite things about spring—one of them being the fresh, sunny faces of dandelion blossoms popping up everywhere. Dandelions are one of my favorite herbs. Not only are they readily available, but they have so many uses such as dandelion fritters, roasted dandelion root coffee, dandelion kombucha, dandelion syrup, floral crowns… even freshly…
How To Make Pine Resin Salve
One of the thrills of exploring the plants in my local materia medica is stocking my first aid kit with locally sourced herbal preparations. Here in New England we are blessed with more than our fair share of evergreen trees, and in particular an abundant helping of white pine (Pinus strobus). The bark, leaves, and…
4 Herbal Recipes For Everyday Skin Care
With farm season and warm weather coming our way and the brisk cold winter air at our backs, stocking the bathroom cabinets with concoctions from the kitchen is one way to be proactive about caring for your exposed outer layer. Skin care is not only a method of self-care and body-love, it also offers preventative…
How To Grind Herbs In A Coffee Grinder
As a beginner to herbalism, you will most likely start by learning about common herbs, making basic herbal preparations, and learning how herbs can be used to support or bring balance to the body. However, as you continue on in your herbal journey, you will come across pieces of information that will change how you…
DIY Herbal Pet Shampoo and Rinse for Healthy Skin & Fur
As the ground begins to thaw, we will be spending more time outdoors with our pets enjoying the warmth of early spring. And, just like us, our pets will be transitioning from the dryness of winter to the freshness of spring. Since different seasons have different effects on skin, pet owners should be aware of…
Lavender Sachets and Dream Pillows
A delightful, calming herb, lavender is a great addition to any home during the holidays. Lavender sachets and dream pillows are a very simple yet lovely craft which can be whipped up in a snap as a last minute gift. Whether used to impart a fragrance to clothes or as a nighttime companion, lavender provides a gentle aroma…
Clove Pomanders: An Old Fashioned Holiday Favorite
Clove pomanders are a seasonal delight! Made with numerous little cloves, pomanders are a wonderfully fragrant addition to holiday decorations as well as a lovely gift to share with others. Gathered in bowls around the home, hung in windows to catch the warmth of the sun, or displayed on a tree, this old fashioned favorite…
6 Natural Beauty Herbal Gifts For The Soul
This article is reprinted with permission from the Nov/Dec ’03 issue of The Essential Herbal magazine. Herbal Gifts That Are Good For The Heart Every year around this time, we find ourselves searching for that special homemade herbal gift to give our friends and relatives. I’ve been told by all who receive my gifts that…
7 DIY Herbal Skin Care Recipes for Fall & Winter
As seasons change, so does the way we care for and nourish ourselves, as well as what we put in and on our bodies. Spring and summer bring fresh, cooling foods, while autumn and winter introduce heavy, nutrient-dense foods that warm and fill the body and spirit. Spring is often a time of rebirth, activity,…
How to Make and Use Rose Water
There are many well-known herbal flowers I’ve had the privilege of using over the years…lavender, chamomile, calendula…all very popular in any herbal arsenal. But one flower that I’ve often overlooked and kept in the “for decoration only” category, has recently caught my attention for its wonderful herbal properties. The beautiful, fragrant rose. For years I…
How to Craft the Perfect Herb Planter
Earth is home to an incredible array of natural herbs that have been integral to society for as far as we can see into the past. Herbalism is a proud tradition of knowledge, community with nature, and responsibility. Herbs are available for such a myriad of uses that it is nearly impossible not to encounter…
Prepare for Fall with an Herbal Transition Kit
Late August is a time of transition, as summer is drawing to a close and a new school year begins. We know that many herbs are important allies during transitions, easing the stress and helping us settle into new routines. Creating an Herbal Transition Kit With that in mind, we can assemble an herbal transition…
Cooling Down with Summer Rose
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer is the season of yang and is associated with the fire element, the Heart, and Small intestine. Energy peaks and it is the time of growth, light, and abundance. Summer is the season of joy and for most of us, it is a more relaxed and fun time of year….
How to Make an Herb and Flower Drying Screen
Growing your own medicinal, culinary, or otherwise useful herbs and flowers is a rewarding experience. The act of planting the seeds, nurturing and watering them as they grow, then harvesting the fruits of your labor for your natural health medicine cabinet is so fulfilling. It’s nice to know that you have all of the great…
6 Natural Ways to Deter Insects From Your Herbs
Herbs tend to be relatively low-maintenance plants, which is one reason they are so popular to grow. They also add to our lives in more concrete ways, like providing delicious additions to family meals, preventing infections for minor cuts or scrapes, and providing many other health benefits. So it stands to reason that these wonderful…
A Family Herb: The Comforts Of Rose
The lovely rose has more than a beautiful face. Highly prized throughout history as an herbal remedy, roses (Rosa spp.) have long been used to help soothe and heal humanity’s woes. Gentle rose is a calming nervine and a helpful respiratory and immune ally as well as a useful topical remedy. Bring the comforts of…
How to Make Herbal Beads
Summer is an exciting time for herbalists, as we enjoy the abundance of plants growing in our gardens and in the wild. Many of us are busy with the work of making tea blends, tinctures, and infused oils to preserve the harvest. Yet another way to appreciate the versatility of herbs is by using them…
Host A Kid’s DIY Spa Day In Your Backyard
When you are a kid, nothing is much more fun than making a mess! A squishy, messy backyard DIY spa day party full of wet fun is a perfect way to spend a hot summer day with friends. This summer activity is great for kids age 2 ½ to 6, or you can modify it…
DIY Natural Sunscreen Recipe + 2 More Easy-to-Make Recipes for Summer Skincare
Summer is a beautiful season, but it can also bring challenges for our skin. As you enjoy the sunny days, soothe and protect your skin using natural summer skincare with the easy-to-make recipes to follow using foraged wild weeds. Summer Skincare and Sun Protection One of the biggest summer skin issues is sunburns. If possible,…
Two Nasturtium Recipes for Summer
As spring turns to summer, gardens and farmers markets are overflowing with beautiful options. In my own garden, the nasturtiums are thriving, and I have been using them in a variety of ways. Nasturtium’s edible leaves and blossoms are high in vitamin C and exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. These benefits make nasturtiums a worthwhile…
