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Newest natural crafts 
Recipes and instructions

Recipes sent to us and from craft sites on the web, 
such as free crafts from allcrafts.net, suite101.com, etc.

Feel free to submit your special nature 
craft recipes to us for publication.

Dried Fruit for Decorating  Fresh Flower Wreaths  Beauty Products

Staircase or Fireplace Swag  Dream Pillows   Bath Bags  Wild Bird Suet Cakes

Victorian Facial Scrub

Materials:

1 Cup Rose Petals
1Cup Lavender Flowers
1Cup Whole Oatmeal
1/2 Cup Chopped Almonds

Additional Supplies:

Coffee Grinder, Food Processor or Blender

Instructions

1. Grind together all the ingredients until the texture is quite fine. Store in an air tight container.

2. To use the scrub, rub a handful gently onto damp skin in small, circular motions. Allow it to dry on the skin for a minute or so, then rinse off.

Dream Pillows

These are herbs that have traditionally been used to encourage vivid dreams and clear recall. Combine whichever of them you have available in a combination that smells pleasing to you. You can fill small muslin bags with the mixture, or for a more luxurious version, sew small sachets of rich fabrics. These can be tucked under a pillow or hung from a bedpost. You can also make fairly flat sachets that can be slipped in between pillow and pillow case.

Rose buds or petals
Mugwort
Cloves
Hops
Mint
Lavender
Chamomile

Bath Bags

Any of the herbs within the categories below can be used singly, or combined to create your own unique blends. There are many more herb possibilities for baths. The ones listed below are my favorites, and the ones I happen to have on hand year round. I have included only herbs that are fragrant as well as healing.

Use them to fill drawstring, cotton muslin bags. They can also be piled onto squares of cheesecloth, terrycloth, or cotton fabric (try clean pieces of an old white shirt or sheet) with the ends tied so that it makes a compact bundle. The bath bag can be simply tossed into a hot bath, or hung from the faucet while the bath water is running through it. It can also be used as a body scrub. My favorite, more potent, version is to brew a "tea" by placing the bag in one quart of water brought to a boil then removed from heat. Cover and steep for 10-20 minutes. Add the infusion to a full bath. 

Relaxing Bath Herbs

Lavender, Chamomile, Rose Petals, Hops, Catnip

Sore Muscle Relieving Bath Herbs

Mugwort, Chamomile, Juniper, Ginger, Rosemary, Birch Leaves, Pine, Lavender, Comfrey, Yarrow, Marjoram, Lemongrass

Reviving Bath Herbs (morning bath)

Rosemary, Mint, Ginger, Birch Leaves, Lemongrass, Pine, Juniper

Skin Tonic Bath Herbs

Calendula (Marigold), Lavender, Mint, Rosemary, Rose Petals

Cold and Flu Relief Bath Herbs

Mugwort, Chamomile, Ginger, Rosemary, Yarrow, Mint

Dried Fruit
By Brenda Hyde

Dried apples and oranges are easy country accents that you can add to wreaths, swags, baskets, or any craft using dried natural items. On their own you can use them to make ornaments, garland and much more. Be sure to dry several sizes of apples and oranges.

Dried Apples

You will need:

apples; green or red
lemon juice
salt
knife
wire racks
matte clear acrylic spray
paper towels

Slice apples 1/4 inch thick, leaving in the core. Soak the slices for 20 minutes in a mixture of 2 cups lemon juice and 3 tablespoons salt. Be sure to cover completely. Remove slices and pat dry with paper towels. Place on wire rack placed on cookie sheets (for easy removal) in a 150 oven for approximately 6 hours until dry. If they start to curl, turn them over. When done, the slices should have a leathery type feel. Spray each slice with 2 coats of acrylic spray, drying between coats.

Dried Oranges

You will need:

Oranges
knife
wire racks
matte clear acrylic spray
paper towels

Cut each orange crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Discard end pieces. Place on wire racks which have been placed on cookie sheets in a 150 degree oven. Dry for about 6 hours, turning over if edges start to curl. When dried, they should be pliable.

You can use the slices whole or cut in half, depending on what you use them for. Spray either with 2 coats of spray, allowing to dry between coats.

Crafting Ideas:

Simple ornaments can be made of either dried fruit by threading clear fishing line through the top of the ornament for hanging. You can accent the ornament with twine or raffia bows.

A grouping of apples and/or oranges with a raffia bow make wonderful package accents for gifts. Create your own gift tags and use stamped brown craft paper for wrapping paper.

Add small orange or apple slices to a wooden napkin ring for a unique napkin ring.

Once you have your fruit dried you will think of more and more uses as your imagination runs wild. They are a wonderful natural accent!

About the author
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer, bookseller and editor of Seeds of Knowledge. For recipes and cooking tidbits subscribe to Tea Time Tidbits by sending any email to 
teatimetidbits-subscribe@egroups.com

The next few recipes are courtesy of proflowers.com - our affiliate 
(may be found on the home and garden pages)

Fresh Flower Wreath

Before making the wreath, you will first need to “condition” the foliage. To do this, just re-cut the stems and place them standing in water that contains floral preservative. Let the roses drink the water for several hours. Meanwhile, you can also begin preparing the wreath base by soaking a circle of florist foam (“Oasis,” etc.) in water and floral preservative until the form floats just below the water line.

Once your flowers have been conditioned and the base is ready for use, you can begin attaching the foliage and flowers to the wreath base. Floral pins or pins made with shaped wire were used to attach wet moss to the wreath form shown. The next step is to attach the background greens. Push the stems of the greens into the foam so that a frame is formed inside and outside of the circle. Next, insert the main flowers pleasingly on the wreath, accenting with secondary flowers which can contrast in form or color. Any remaining spaces can be filled with remaining flowers or greens.

For a classic touch, add a six or eight loop bow of florist ribbon. To do this, make loop bows with wide florist ribbon and tie with long chenille wires leaving enough length to wire the bow to the wreath. Before final placement, hang the wreath over a protected area to allow excess water to drip, then place your fresh floral wreath

Rose Pomander Ball

Before making the pomander, you will first need to “condition” the roses. While this sounds complicated, it's not. Just re-cut the stems using a clean, sharp knife and place them standing in fresh clean water with floral preservative. Let the roses drink the water for several hours.

While the roses are being conditioned, begin preparing the ball base. This is done by carving a ball out of floral foam and then soaking it in water. After the water has been absorbed, encase the ball with chicken wire. This will add structure to the pomander and provide a sturdy frame to tie the ribbon on.

Next, attach a loop of ribbon to the top of the ball, through the chicken wire frame. After attaching the ribbon, you can begin pinning moist decorative green moss to the ball using U shaped pins.

Insert your flowers into the rose ball. While doing this, remember to handle the roses with care so as to not damage the petals. Begin by placing the roses into the floral foam ball near the ribbon. Depending on the size of the foam ball, the length of the rose stems should be 1 1/2 - 2 inches – long enough to be held firmly in the ball, but short enough that it doesn't push through the other side. If the stems are too long, just cut them to the appropriate length using a sharp knife.

Keep placing roses in the ball spacing them close together. You can fill in any gaps with complementary greenery or ribbon. For an extra touch, finish off the bottom with a tassel. You can use any flowers for pomanders, not just roses

Staircase/Fireplace Swag

A beautiful flower swag is an elegant way to decorate a staircase. Before purchasing your flowers and greenery, measure the area where you would like to place the swag. For a graceful swag, plan on twice the length of the space to be decorated. Of course, if you want a straight swag for decorating a mantle piece, you will need less base material. We suggest using a hemp rope or black plastic garbage bags that have been tied together. When choosing a base, keep in mind that it must be supple enough to drape and strong enough to hold the weight of the plant material.

After you have placed knots in both ends of the base material, you are ready to begin assembling the swag. Since fresh plant materials are easier to work with, it is best to make your garland as soon as you obtain all of your flowers and greenery. While a finished garland appears to be all one piece, it is actually composed of multiple small bouquets. This is done by placing flowers on top of some greenery and then wiring the bunch together. Continue making the small bouquets of flowers and placing them off to the side.

Before you begin attaching the flowers to the swag base, knot each end of the base. Next, position the first bouquet at the top of the base so that the heads of the foliage cover the end. Wind with paddle wire (but do not cut the wire). Place the next bunch so that the heads cover the stems of the first. Wire again. Each bouquet should be angled slightly to create a full look. Continue this process for the length of the base.

After you have made your garland and attached it to your banister, you can add bows to hide where the banner is attached to the staircase. To do this, make six or eight loop bows with wide florist ribbon and wire with long chenille wires leaving enough length to attach the bow and the garland.

Wild Bird Suet Cakes

Select a medium sized pinecone to fill, or prepare a suet cake. 
Here are recipes for both soft suet and suet cakes.

Soft Suet Recipe

4 1/2 cups ground fresh suet
3/4 cup dried and fine ground bakery goods
      (whole-wheat or cracked-wheat bread or crackers are best) 
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup dried and chopped fruit (currants, raisins, or berries)
  3/4 cup dried and fine ground meat (optional)

1. Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Allow the suet to cool until slightly thickened, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour or pack into forms or suet feeders; smear onto tree trunks or overhanging limbs and branches; or pack into pine cones.

Hard Suet Cake

  1/2 lb. fresh ground suet
  1/3 cup sunflower seed
  2/3 cup wild bird seed (mix)
  1/8 cup chopped peanuts
  1/4 cup raisins

1. Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat. Allow it to cool thoroughly, then reheat it.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Allow the suet to cool until slightly thickened, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour into pie pan or form, or pack into suet feeders.

Soft Peanut Butter Cake

    1 cup fresh ground suet
    1 cup peanut butter
    3 cups yellow corn meal
  1/2 cup white or whole-wheat flour

1. Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Add peanut butter, stirring until melted and well blended.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Allow the suet-peanut-butter blend to cool until slightly thickened, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Mix thoroughly.
5. Pour or pack into forms or suet feeders; smear onto tree trunks or overhanging limbs and branches; or pack into pine cones.

Hard Peanut Butter Mix I

    2 pounds fresh ground suet
  1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
  1/2 cup coarse-chopped shelled sunflower seeds

1. Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Add peanut butter, stirring until melted and well blended.
3. Stir in the sunflower seeds. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour into 9 x 13 cake pan and cool
5. Cut into cakes that fit suet feeder
6. Individually wrap the remaining cakes and store in freezer

Hard Peanut Butter Mix II

    2 cup fresh ground suet
    1 cup peanut butter
    2 cups yellow corn meal
    2 cups fine cracked corn

1. Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat. Allow it to cool thoroughly; then reheat it.
2. Add peanut butter, stirring until melted and well blended.
3. Add dry ingredients to the suet-peanut-butter blend, and mix well.
4. Pour into forms or suet-feeders, and cool until hardened.

Suet Mix II

    1 part peanut butter - smooth or crunchy
    1 part shortening
    1 part flour
    3 parts cornmeal
    1 part cracked corn
You may also add black oil sunflower seeds and/or mixed seed

Here's some info on gardening for the birds

Butterfly Gardens - How To Attract, Feed and Protect

Soaps and Candles, Incense, handmade paper

Really pretty floral and garden prints

potpourri recipes - simmering, dried, sachets, pomanders and more