How to Make Lavender Wands

How to Make Lavender Wands

Equipment:

7-15  lavender buds/flowers, with long stems.

You need an odd number of stems for the weaving to work.

2m (0.5cm) ribbon

Scissors

A toothpick

A spoon... you'll see why in a moment

Step 1:

Lay the lavender stems side by side, with the flowers staggered in two rows. Staggering the flowers like this makes a long slender wand, whereas lining all the flowers up on the same level makes a short fat, fat, wand.

Step 2:

Tie ribbon tightly around the stems at the base of the flowers. Leave at least a 25cm loose end - you'll need it to make a finishing knot later on. Leave the other end of the ribbon attached to the rubber band.

Step 3:

Gently squash the stems with the edge of a spoon, just next to the ribbon. This makes them easier to bend without snapping in the next step.

Step 4:

Bend the stems to form a "cage" around the flowers. Run the loose end of the ribbon along side the flowers, to poke out of the bottom of the cage. See it next to my fingers? Let the end of the ribbon poke out between the bars at the top of the cage.

Step 5:

Weave the end of the ribbon under and over the lavender stems, like this.

Step 6:

If bits of flower stick out between the stems and ribbon, poke them back into place with a toothpick.

Step 7:

Keep weaving until you reach the place where the flowers end. Then go back to the start, and pull the ribbon tight. Take up any slack ribbon and work it all the way through, to make the weaving nice and snug. The lavender will shrink as it dries, so weaving tightly is important.

Step 8:

Wrap the end of the ribbon around the base a few times, then tie it to the loose-end that you left poking through the bottom of the cage in step 4.

Finished!