French Countryside Potpourri Bag

Add some sweets smells to your home with this precious and subtle little DIY craft.

In the Designer’s Words: “Find some inspiration in the French countryside for this craft. Using soft colors, stamp images of butterflies and leaves onto a strip of unbleached linen. Fill the bag with dried lavender, put the bag in your drawer and add the wonderful fragrance of the French countryside to your bedroom. These bags would also be ideal as wedding favors for a country themed wedding.”
While the idea behind displaying potpourri in your home is charming, the actual potpourri can be a little unsightly and far too strung if you set it out. Plus, it can get dusty as well. If you are looking to make your home sweet-smelling with a little less upkeep, learn how to make bags to keep your potpourri in. Making several of these French Countryside Potpourri Bag patterns will allow you to set out some yummy smelling crafts all over your home subtly.

Estimated Cost$11-$20

Time to CompleteIn an evening

Primary TechniqueStamping

Easy

Project TypeMake a Project

Materials List

14” x 6” strip of unbleached linen
0.1” wide light blue satin ribbon
Acrilex Acrilpen in the following colors: 503 Azul Celeste (azure blue) and 531 Marrom (brown)
Butterfly foam stamp
Small leaf foam stamp
White thread
Standard scissors
Safety pin
Iron and ironing board
Sewing machine
Dried lavender to fill the bag

Instructions

Put the piece of unbleached linen flat on the working surface. Use the butterfly stamp and the blue Acrilpen to stamp butterflies onto the linen. When stamping, the butterflies must face in different directions, as this will create a more interesting effect. Also be sure to stamp right up to the edges of the linen. Allow the stamped butterflies to dry thoroughly before proceeding to the next step.
Now use the brown pen and the leaf stamp to add random small brown leaves to the design.
Finish it off by adding brown squiggly shapes.
Fold the fabric in half and add French seams to the left and right sides of the bag.
With the right sides of the bag on the outside, make a 0.2.” fold at the top and iron the fold to keep it down. Make a second fold 0.4” from the top and sew it to keep it in place and to create the channel for the drawstring. Leave a small opening at the one side seam so that you can thread the ribbon through the drawstring channel.
Thread the safety pin through the one end of the ribbon. Thread the safety pin and ribbon through the drawstring channel until the safety pin comes out at the small opening again.
Fill the bag with the dried lavender. Pull the ribbon tight and make a neat bow before cutting the remainder of the ribbon shorter.