Wake Up and Smell the Sachets

What are those small objects that resemble miniature pillows and smell like roses that have been residing in your underwear drawer forever? They are called sachets and have been serving our scents for centuries, freshening storage areas of our homes. In general a sachet is any small disposable bag (even a ketchup packet is considered a sachet). However, in this case, sachets are fabric bags containing scented powders or pot pourri. Colonists made sachets by using their homemade pot pourri to fill small bags sewn from scrap materials left over from clothing. They were used to keep a pleasant scent in dressers, chests and closets and they also kept the moths away. During the late 1800s, strolling through the marketplace on a hot summer's day could make for a very stinky experience. In a crowded space the scent of body odor was quite strong from a society that may have bathed only weekly and wore heavy clothing year-round. Instead of the scent of gasoline, folks smelled horse droppings on a regular basis. As a result, many women carried sachets in their pockets to place over their noses in case of unbearable foul scent.

Today, sachets are still a great way to keep a chest of sweaters from smelling like mothballs. They vary in style from fancy to homemade and can serve a purpose in every room of the home. While storing clothes in the attic or basement is practical, holes from moths are not. To avoid the dreadful scent of mothballs, sachets of certain herbs can be assembled to serve as a moth repellant that smells good. Combine lavender, wormwood, tansy, patchouli, santolina and rosemary with cinnamon sticks and some cedar chips in a sachet and the clothes will be free of holes and smell nice too. You can buy these items at the store or grow them in your garden.

Lavender or rose petal filled sachets are a perfect idea for the bedroom in the dresser drawers and next to your night stand. They can add to the relaxing feng shui that we all go for in our sleeping quarters. You can easily make them yourself by using dried lavender and a handkerchief. Gather it at the ends and fasten with a ribbon or rubber band.

Sachets can also be placed inside of shoes and serve a dual purpose by helping to keep the shoes' shape and to help the inside of the shoes smell fresh.

To make a shoe sachet take a piece of linen two times wider than the shoe at its widest point plus two inches, sew in a carrot a shape and make a channel at the top so it can be cinched with ribbon after filled. A simpler option for a shoe sachet is to fill a sock with the scent of your choice and tie the end (a sock is the closest fit to shoe shape). This is a great idea to use in the summertime when storing Ugg Boots. The lamb's wool will soak up the lovely scent and also keep the "ugly" shape that has formed to your foot with perfection.

Sachets filled with lemongrass fennel scent or grapefruit go nicely in the kitchen. There are decorative hanging sachets that can be conveniently placed anywhere in the kitchen and sachet pillows can be hidden under the sink or amongst the dishtowels. A country kitchen scent comes from the aroma of the Maine Balsam Fir or a sweet scented pillow with the fragrance of dark vanilla.

The living room is full of places to place sachets. Wherever blankets are stored a delightful scented sachet or two will keep the blankets smelling new after being used and then thrown back into the basket or cupboard from which they came. Trader Joe's has all natural fabric softener sachets that are filled with lavender and easily distributed under the couch or chair cushions.

The nice thing about sachets is that they can be placed anywhere they are needed. Many people stick them under the seats of their car. The ones made with flowers and envelopes slide gracefully between the seats or in the trunk. Any stale space can be brought to life with a delightful smelling sachet.

- Lauren Isenberg

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