Results for Category: Preparation How-To
How to Make a Goldenrod Tincture to Beat Seasonal Allergies
If you look out your windows these days, you may just see the stately and beautiful yellow goldenrod (Solidago spp.) gracing your yards and meadows. Goldenrod is a bountiful late summer and fall herb that is just waiting to be harvested! We love using monographs from The Herbarium’s interactive plant database to inspire our herbal […]
How to Make Elderflower Champagne
We’ve featured a few herbal fermentation articles on the blog, but are you ready for another one? Here at the Herbal Academy, we...
Winter Botanical DIY Craft Checklist
A chill is in the air, and the world outside is slowing down. Winter has a way of calling us inward, toward warmth, creativity, ...
Experience Nature’s Gentle Touch With DIY Calendula Lotion
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is a cheerful, bright yellow- and orange-flowered herb that reigns supreme at soothing and supporting the skin and mucous membranes, among other things. When applied topically, it helps with minor scratches, severe wounds, and even bacterial imbalances. This plant ally is a powerful flower to incorporate into topical herbal formulas, such as […]
Cooling Body Spray with Rose and Peppermint Essential Oil
Summer is here, and with it all the joys and woes of a warmer climate. Whether summer means road trips, picnics, or time spent by the pool, lake, or ocean, having ways to refresh your skin and cool down from the heat will help make those hot, lazy summer afternoons even more enjoyable. This cooling […]
Herbal Capsules 101: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
Herbal capsules are one of the most simple herbal preparations in the herbalist’s toolkit. Not only are they easy to make, but t...
Pot Liquor Healing Broth: A Nutrient-Rich Way to Nourish the Body
Herbal traditions are more than remedies—they are a living bridge between the past and the present. For African Americans, these...
Breathe Easier This Winter: Make a Lavender and Sage Chest Rub
As the weather shifts and swings from autumn to winter to spring, we need herbal recipes in our repertoire to help combat stuffy sinuses. We have nothing against the standard mentholated chest rubs we all know and love, but they tend to have a very distinct smell that can err on the side of medicinal, […]
DIY Herbal Sore Throat Gargle
I have always been prone to respiratory infections so for me it’s not a question of if, but when I eventually come down with one of the many respiratory infections that get passed around this time of year. Now is the time to strategize. The worst part for me is always the sore throat, and […]
Handmade Cards With Plantable Seed Paper
Elevate your homemade cards with a touch of nature by crafting them with homemade seed paper—a plantable gift that keeps on givi...
Cheesecloth Ghosts: A Halloween Craft for the Whole Family
Who remembers this spooktacular craft from their own childhood? A fun tradition that we very much want to pass along to all our he...
Preserving the Summer Garden With Bouquet Garni de Provence Ice Cubes
It’s already late summer, which means that herbs that we planted in our summer garden have been in full bloom for a while, and we have been using them in all kinds of ways: herbal infusions, tinctures, decorations, herbal salts, adding them to meals and salads, and making other herbal preparations of all kinds… but […]
8 Herbal Preparations + a Monarda Oxymel Recipe
The following excerpt outlining eight herbal preparations and a Monarda Oxymel recipe is taken from the book, Our Kindred Home by Alyson Morgan, and is reprinted with permission. Our Kindred Home takes you on a journey through the heart of cyclical, seasonal living. It’s a heartfelt collection of the recipes, rituals, and plants that Alyson’s […]
DIY Floral Ice Ring for Punch
We look forward to spring and summer garden parties all year, and with the upcoming release of our new Botanical Mixed Drinks Reci...
Valentine’s Day, The Herbal Way: Herbs, Gifts, Treats, and Unlocking Pleasure With Aphrodisiacs
Picture Valentine’s Day, the herbal way! This holiday embraces, and often evokes, a powerful feeling— love. Sharing how we fee...
Easy Homemade Kitchen Spices Cough Syrup
The following excerpt is taken from our FREE Pantry Herbalism ebook, where you’ll find monographs and recipes for spices, foods, and backyard herbs that you likely already have at home. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) aerial parts A close relative of oregano, thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is also rich in volatile oils. These constituents, especially thymol, are antimicrobial […]
How to Make Holiday-Inspired Melt and Pour Soap for Easy Gift Giving
Pour out a batch of holiday cheer perfect for someone you think is very dear! This easy-to-make (and customize) melt and pour soap is an herbal gift everyone will enjoy. Simple ingredients, handcrafted techniques, and a touch of plant power make this herbal DIY a wonderful way to ring in the season. Soap Making […]
DIY Cold and Flu Bombs With Immune-Stimulating Herbs
We are all well aware of the looming cold and flu season that is approaching. As it inches its way closer, we are stocking our her...
Herbal Oils for Acne Scarring
Few things can make a person feel as vulnerable and self-conscious as acne. While many chronic issues aren’t immediately obvious...
How to Make a Culinary Fall Wreath Using Wild Grapevines and Herbs From the Garden
As summer dwindles and the first frost approaches, it’s time to start thinking about ways to hold over any garden surplus through the winter. Drying and freezing are two popular ways to preserve garden herbs. Crafting a fall wreath is one way of drying herbs which has become my absolute favorite this time of year. […]
How to Make a First-Aid Kit Yarrow Tincture
Yarrow, and especially yarrow tincture, is a wonderful herbal ally and addition to your first-aid kit to help you stay well prepared for any unfortunate bump in your herbal adventures! Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), known also as woundwort, staunch weed, nosebleed, and carpenter’s weed, is a rather common herb that can be wild foraged in many […]
Baby’s First Herbal Bath Soak
A bath ritual not only provides cleansing and care for a baby, but also deep relaxation and well-being! Newborns especially feel v...
Avipattikar Churna: Herbal Support For Digestive Imbalance
With summer around the corner, some of us are thrilled by warmer temperatures and the prospect of stone fruits, berries, smoothies...
Sitopaladi Churna: Sweet Cough Powder for Respiratory Support
With spring in full swing, consider yourself fortunate if you are not affected by seasonal allergies or other respiratory issues. On the other hand, if you do experience sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and other respiratory allergy symptoms, you may find yourself looking for new methods of respiratory support. Or, perhaps you simply want to have some […]
DIY Baby Herbal Diaper Balm to Soothe Rashes and Keep the Skin Healthy
A baby’s delicate skin is particularly sensitive to environmental influences and harmful substances. Therefore, it is critically important to choose products that contain substances that don’t irritate. For instance, if you are dealing with a diaper rash, it is important to use a diaper balm that is safe and healthy. Creating your own allows you […]
DIY Foraged Chickweed Salve
Chickweed (Stellaria media) is one of the most common medicinal lawn weeds in North America. It enjoys cool temperatures, so it is...
DIY Immune Stimulating Elderberry Gummies
It’s that time of year when winter has solidly set in and cold and flu season is at its peak. Since we spend more time inside th...
Warming Herbal Foot Soak With Cinnamon and Magnesium
You’re going to want to step into this warm, grounding herbal foot soak with cinnamon and magnesium this winter. Long days of cold air can be taxing on the body and mind. During winter, a noticeable tenseness rolls through your limbs as you clutch your jacket tightly around your body. Even in climates without snow, […]
DIY Nutrient-Dense Syrup as an Herbal Health Tonic
If I had to pick just one category of herbs to use for the rest of my life, I would without a doubt choose the nutritive herbs. Since good nutrition is the basis of health and wellbeing, this category of herbal allies is the one I use most frequently and liberally in my herbal repertoire. […]
Make a Plant Wand To Clear Holiday Stress
The holidays can be a stressful time. Despite messages of good tidings and merriment, the pressure of gift-giving, old traumas, or...
