Our kava is a botanical craft material for botanical home fragrance and natural textile dyeing. In accordance with EU regulations, it is not intended for consumption.
Instant or traditional?
Reach for the traditional grind when texture matters: sachets, potpourri and décor. Reach for instant when you want a clean, even result: dye baths, ink and paint washes.
Use 1: Botanical home fragrance
Kava’s root carries a distinctive, earthy, woody, gently peppery aroma that has long been valued as a natural botanical scent. It’s a quiet ambient accent rather than a strong fragrance. Each single cultivar has its own character, from soft and gently woody to warm and lightly peppery, so you can choose one to suit the scent you’re after.
- Sachets. Spoon a little kava into a muslin bag for drawers, wardrobes, a linen cupboard, a car or a gym bag.
- Potpourri. Mix 2 tablespoons of kava with dried lavender, citrus peel, cedar or clove in an open bowl, for a soft, earthy room scent.
- Earthy base note. A spoonful added to any potpourri or sachet blend works as a natural base note, its warm, woody, peppery character grounding brighter citrus or floral scents.
- Botanical décor. Display coarse root pieces in dried arrangements or jars, where they hold a gentle aroma as they sit.
Use 2: Natural dye and colorant
Our noble kava ranges from pale cream and beige to grey-green and deep brown. Lighter grades and traditional grinds give soft, earthy tones; darker grades and instant kava give richer browns. Pick to suit the shade you want, and always test a small sample first.
- Dye bath (textiles and paper). Simmer 2 to 3 tablespoons of powder in roughly 1 litre of water for 45 to 60 minutes, then strain. For natural fibres (cotton, linen, wool), pre-mordant with alum, then soak in the warm bath for a soft beige to brown. Also works as a tint wash on paper.
- Wood. Brush the strained bath on as an earthy stain; layer coats for depth.
- Decorative eggs (pisanki). Dip blown or empty shells in the warm bath for a natural tan to brown. Decoration only, not eggs for eating.
- Candle decoration. Surface or outer embeds only, never mix powder into the wax pool (it clogs the wick).
- Ink and paint wash. Disperse a little instant powder in water or medium for an earthy, sepia-style wash for art and cards.
Store cool, dry and sealed.
