One of the ways I keep our house smelling fresh is with fresh herbs and flowers cultivated from the garden. During the growing season, fragrant flower varieties and bundles of herbs are cut and brought indoors regularly to freshen up the air.

After the plants have died for the winter, we switch to sachets, potpourri bags, and dried flower arrangements to keep the house smelling garden fresh. Garden plants such as lavender, lemon thyme, rose petals, and lilac can be dried and packaged in fabric bags to prevent the petals from scattering. If you like the idea of making sachets and potpourri bags but hate to sew, one of these no sew ideas may work for you.

Scrap balls

One low cost method of making a no sew sachet starts with a men's plaid cotton shirt (thrift store bargains work well for this!), scissors, pinking shears, and 1/8-inch ribbon in a coordinating color.

1. Deconstruct the men's shirt by cutting it apart on the seams.

2. Cut the flat, unseamed sections in a 6-inch square using the pinking shears. Cut an 8-inch length of ribbon as well.

3. Place a heaping spoonful of the dried herbs or petals in the center of the fabric square.

4. Pull up the sides and brings towards to center to form a small sac-like bag.

5. Tie the bag shut with the ribbon. Finish up with a pretty bow.

"Wrapped Candy" sachets

For this craft, it's back to the thrift stores to find children's long sleeve, woven cotton shirts. Shirts in a plaid, tiny print, or solid colors work the best. Also needed will be a pinking shears, scissors, and coordinating ribbon 1-inch in thickness.

1. Use the pinking sheers to cut the sleeves of the garment into four inch lengths.

2. Cut two 6-inch lengths of ribbon. Tie one of the ribbons in a tight bow, one inch end from one end of the sleeve tube.

3. Carefully pack the sleeve tube with dried flowers or herbs until 2/3 filled.

4. Close off the open end with the second piece of ribbon, tied one inch back from the cut. The finished sachet should now look like a piece of wrapped candy, but with fragrant pot pourri center.