Do this activity whenever there are fresh flowers blooming. It's particularly fun to do in early fall, to capture a bit of the summer before the cold temperatures arrive.

If you have flowers in your garden, pick a few to snip. If you do not have a flower garden, tell neighbors about your project and see if they will let you take a sampling from their gardens. Always ask permission before snipping.

Here are some good ingredients:

• the petals or the entire heads of flowers such as roses, geraniums, carnations, marigolds, lilies, or violets
• herbs such as rosemary, thyme, lavender or sage
• the lightly crushed needles and leaves from pine, sassafras or sweet gum
• the cut peels from citrus fruits such as oranges or lemons
• household spices such as broken cinnamon sticks or cloves

It may take a few weeks for the plants to dry out completely. Once the plant materials are completely dried out, you can put them in a sachet.

To make a sachet, cut the fabric in a square and put a small bunch of dried plants in the center. Fold up the corners and tie with ribbon. Place the sachets in places where you'd like to have a smell of summer.