Bulk Herb Store

A Basket of Good Ideas

by Shoshanna Easling of Shoshanna Gardens.com

January 2005

Spicy Herbal Gift Baskets

Handmade things have always been my specialty. Growing up we lived out in the country and didn’t have much reason to go to town. Birthdays and weddings would come, and I would want to give the very best gift, which would mean I would need to make gifts with what I had on hand. Dried herbs and flowers, material scraps, old bottles, baskets, bags, soap, candles, and whatever else I could find would be put to use to create a gift.

It is amazing what nothings can turn into a basket full of goodies. Do you have a natural flair for making things look good? If so, then you have been blessed with the ability of taking a mite and turning it into beautiful gifts. Herbs and spices in bulk are very inexpensive and can be packaged in a delightful array of ways. Here are a few herb and gift ideas that your children will enjoy helping you make, which can be used to create beautiful and useful gifts.

Good Idea!

I like to give small teapot size servings (6 tablespoons) of premixed herbal teas. I divide my tea blend into small plastic baggies, and then tie the tops with tiny colored ribbons. The labels can be small pieces of paper that have Bible verses, special sayings, or just what the tea is and how to use it.

One of my favorites is Sleep Tight Tea, which is a mixture of Catnip, Chamomile, , Lemon Balm, and Passion Flower.

Another is Rise & Shine Tea. It has a wonderful aroma and a fantastic taste, plus it is soooo healthy. When I was young, I often heard Dad asking Mom to make him some of that "good tasting tea". She combined Ginger, Cloves, Green Tea, and Peppermint, using Cinnamon sticks to stir.

Both of these pre-mixed teas are best brewed in a teapot or percolator rather than just a cup at a time, because it gives the herbs more time to steep. Hot water can be added to the teapot or percolator several times so the tea can be steeped again and again and thereby getting the most out of the herbs.