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Lavender, Calendula, and Chamomile Oil Infusion for Soap Making
Hello friends,
I've been collecting our lavender, calendula, and chamomile flowers all summer, with the intention of making my own cold-pressed soap with an olive oil infusion from the flowers this autumn. Years ago, when I lived in Wellington, I attended a cold-pressed soap making course, and I have been making my own for years since then. It's an interesting combination of gardening and crafting, with a big splash of science, and it's a lot of fun to make once you know how to take the safety precautions.
The first step was to gather the flowers I dehydrated over the summer. I store them under the stairs in our home, the temperature is cool and dry there, so it's perfect for storing dried flowers.
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_0766.jpeg)
I then filled a glass container up as high as possible with the dried flowers.
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_0771.jpeg)
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_0772.jpeg)
Once the container was full, I filled the jar with olive oil.
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_0774.jpeg)
I usually use olive pomace oil, but I didn't have enough to fill the entire jar, so I had to go out and buy some mellow olive oil. The cheapest olive oil is the best to use, as I hate using extra-virgin olive oil for soap making, when it could added to meals.
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_0776.jpeg)
Once the olive oil was filled up to the top, I removed as many air bubbles as possible, and used a spoon to ensure the flowers were mixed evenly.
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_0778.jpeg)
After putting the lid on the jar and dating it, I stored the jar in a cool, dry place for two weeks while it infused.
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_0779_1.jpeg)
When the time was up I passed the olive oil infusion through a cheese cloth to remove as many flowers as possible. The olive oil had taken on such a beautiful orange colour, and smelled like lavender.
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_1040.jpeg)
I've now stored the oil infusion away for couple of weeks until it's time to make the soap.
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_1043.jpeg)
![](http://www.craftygardener.co.nz/rw_common/plugins/stacks/armadillo/media/IMG_1046.jpeg)
This was such a fun project to do, and I can't wait until soap making day in a couple of weeks.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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