As we were putting together the Summer 2023 Issue of Willow and Sage, we realized how the vibrant colors throughout the magazine stood out and naturally grew our excitement for the coming season, filled with outdoor adventures and new homemade bath and body recipes to try. Many of the articles also highlight florals and how to incorporate them into your daily skin-care routines. Here are three of my favorite articles from the upcoming issue.

Also, be sure to grab your copy of our Summer 2023 Issue that’s now available on newsstands or directly from our publisher’s website).

Naturally Dyed Packaging For Bath Bombs

Editor-in-Chief Christen Hammons has recently become a big fan of dyeing various papers and fabrics with natural materials. Here, she experimented with red cabbage to make captivating shades of blue and purple, and wrapped the dyed materials around bath bombs.

You Will Need

• Red cabbage
• Stockpot
• White vinegar
• Water
• Coffee filters
• Twine
• Towel
• Flowers

Chop up leftover red cabbage remnants from the refrigerator crisper, put it in a stockpot, add a bit of white vinegar, and fill the pot with water. Bring the water to a boil, cover it with a lid, and turn it down to simmer for several hours. When satisfied with the color, turn off the heat, remove the cabbage from the water, and add the coffee filters and twine to the dye bath. Let this sit overnight. Remove the materials from the dye, and place them on a towel to thoroughly dry. To package bath bombs, place a bath bomb in the center of a dyed coffee filter, gather the filter edges around the bath bomb, and secure it with twine. To finish, tuck small flowers behind the twine.

Flower-Filled Perfume Oil

In the Stampington & Company office, Johanna Love is known for her aesthetically pleasing creations, whether bath and body recipes, jewelry, or styling setups. This perfume oil is no exception, utilizing petals collected on her daily commute and inspiring a stress-free ritual for her day.

You Will Need

• Sustainably harvested flowers
• Plate
• Glass rollerball w/ screw cap: 0.5-oz.
• Scissors
• Toothpick
• 0.5 oz. carrier oil
• 10 drops essential oils
•Dish soap & warm water

To Make

Collect a few flowers and petals from a variety of plants. Spread them all out on a plate in the shade for about an hour on your doorstep or patio to give all the little insects a chance to evacuate. Bring the plate inside, uncap and fill the rollerball with petals, using scissors to cut away extra stems and carefully reshape any petals that are too big. Fill the bottle without crushing petals together too much, but a little bit of crushing with a toothpick assists the scent extraction. Fill the bottle halfway with a carrier oil that’s liquid at room temperature, then add 10 drops of essential oil (less if the petals are highly fragrant, more if the petals are unscented), and fill the top half with more carrier oil. Snap on the roller cap, and screw the lid on tightly. Thoroughly wash the outside of the bottle with soap and warm water to remove any spilled oil. Dry thoroughly, and stash in your purse for your next commute.

Herbal Cleaning Solution

Summer often brings with it dirty feet and hands tracking an unwanted mess into the house. This beautiful yet effective cleaning solution utilizes the power of lavender to naturally disinfect surfaces.

You Will Need

• 2 TB. dried lavender
• Peels from 1 orange & 2 lemons
• 1¼ cups apple cider/white distilled vinegar
• Glass jar w/ plastic lid
• Strainer
• 1 cup hot water
• ¼ cup vegetable-based liquid soap
• 1 TB. borax
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• Glass spray bottle

To Make

To infuse the vinegar, place the lavender, citrus peels, and vinegar into a clean glass jar. Cover it with a plastic lid. After a couple of days, check the jar to see if you need to top it off with more vinegar. Let the mixture infuse in a cool, dark place for one month. Strain the liquid, and discard the leftover materials. Combine 1 cup of the herbal vinegar with the hot water, soap, borax, and baking soda. Mix until the minerals dissolve, and pour into a glass spray bottle. Shake before spraying and using it to clean your house.

Want to see more? Peek inside our NEW Summer 2023 Issue!

Danielle Williams is the managing editor for Willow and Sage, The Natural Home Issue, Mingle, and Art Quilting Studio. She lives with her growing family in Orange County, California.