It’s summer and that means more time spent outdoors. On those really hot days, your family may decide to wait until the coolness of the evening before heading to the back yard. And, that means: MOSQUITOES!
Protecting your family from bug bites can bring up conflicting emotions. Of course, you want to save them from being bitten (especially if you have a child that reacts to bites). But, all the chemicals in commercial bug sprays can be scary.
Did you know that sage is a natural mosquito repellent? I am blessed with a sage plant that threatens to take over the garden every year. If you don’t have sage in your yard, it’s so worth it to buy a small pot. It will grow and multiply its way into your heart!
If your family is like mine and loves a good fire in the fire-pit (even in the summer) or if you’re a camping family, I have a fun project for you and the kids: sage sticks! Toss them in a fire to ward off bugs! Plus, they’re so quick and easy to make that they’re done before the kids get bored!
I start with a basket and some scissors and head out into the yard to forage. I cut some sage and then add lavender, wheat, fir and whatever else happens to catch my eye (but, you can stick with sage if you want to).
Then, you grab some string, twine or even embroidery floss and get to work. Make a small “bouquet” of a few stalks of sage and whatever else you’ve decided to add. Tie it together at the bottom with your string (leaving a small tail at the end of your knot). Then, simply start winding your thread of choice around the stems moving up towards the top (pushing the leaves up as you go). You can stop short like I do and allow the tops to fan out, or you can wrap all the way to the top. Whichever way you choose, once you’ve reached your stopping point, wrap your way back down to the bottom, tie the long end to the tail you left at the beginning and snip the ends.
I then leave mine to dry in the sun.
Kids love to help with this. You can get as fancy as you want. Wind the thread angled one way on the way up and the other way on the way down. Or, break out some easy macramé moves to use. Tuck in some dried flowers and grasses. Tie the thread ends in a bow. Or, simply wind some plain string around a few sprigs of sage and call it good.
Whichever path you choose to take, wouldn’t a basket of these make a cute gift for your camping friends?
