How to Make Lavender Water

Using Lavender Flowers

Gather your supplies. Lavender water made from lavender flowers won't smell as concentrated as lavender water made from essential oil. Essential oil is the distilled, concentrated essence of lavender made from the flowers. When you use the flowers themselves, the resulting water is very light, but still quite aromatic. Here's what you'll need: A bunch of lavender stems fresh or dried (for a total of 2 tablespoons of buds) 1/2 cup water Glass bowl Spray bottle Funnel Fine-mesh strainer

Strip the lavender buds from their stems. Lavender flowers grow as little buds along straight stems. To make lavender water, you don't need the stems; the buds contain the floral scent. To remove them from the stems, hold a stem over the glass bowl. Gently pinch the stem at its base, and run your fingers from the base to the tip. The buds will fall off into the bowl. You can also buy dried lavender buds that have already been removed from their stems. Look in gourmet food stores or herb shops. This is a great way to use lavender plants that may be growing in your yard.

Bring the water to a rolling boil. Pour it into a small saucepan and place it over high heat. Heat the water until it comes to a full boil. Don't leave it unattended for too long, or the water will begin to evaporate.

Pour the boiling water over the lavender buds. Carefully pour it over the buds so that the buds can begin steeping in the hot water. The heat will draw out the oils from the flower, and the water will become scented with lavender.

Cover the bowl and let the buds steep. Leave the buds to steep for a few hours or overnight. The process is similar to making tea. Let the buds continue steeping until the water cools.

Strain the buds from the water. Set the fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour the water into the strainer to strain out the buds. Discard the buds; they won't have a scent now that their essence is gone.

Funnel the water into the spray bottle. Place the funnel over the opening of the spray bottle. Pour the lavender water into the spray bottle. The water is now ready to use on your linens, as air freshener, or as a tool for aromatherapy. If you want the water to have a longer shelf life, you can mix in one ounce of either witch hazel or vodka. Shake the bottle well to distribute it throughout. You may also store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Using Lavender Essential Oil

Gather your supplies. Lavender water is so easy to make that it only requires a few basic supplies. Most of these can be found at craft stores or health food stores. If you have trouble finding anything, check online and consider ordering it. Here's what you'll need: Lavender essential oil Distilled water Witch hazel or vodka Glass jar with a lid Spray bottle Funnel

Add your ingredients to the glass jar. When you're making lavender water, the most important thing to get right is the ratio of the ingredients. Using just the right amount of lavender will ensure that your water smells divine but not overpowering. Mix up the following ingredients in the glass jar: 3 ounces of distilled water (you can use tap water if you don't have distilled) 1 ounce of witch hazel or vodka (this acts as a preservative and helps the lavender oil distribute throughout the water) 10 drops of lavender essential oil

Shake up the jar. Make sure the lid is tightly screwed on, and shake up the jar to mix the lavender oil with the water. The witch hazel or vodka will help the oil mix well with the water.

Funnel the lavender water into the spray bottle. Place the funnel over the opening in the spray bottle. Carefully pour the lavender water through the funnel and into the bottle. If you have extra lavender water that won't fit in the bottle save it in the jar until you run out of liquid in the bottle.

Use your lavender water. Spray it on your linens, your clothing, your furniture or your pillow. Lavender water has a calming effect, and using it is an excellent way to freshen up your environment and relieve stress. Using lavender water is also a good natural way to relieve headaches. Spray it on our skin before going outdoors as a natural insect repellent.