DIY Inspo: How To Stock Your Own Herbal Medicine Cabinet

Back in the olden days, a stillroom was a necessity in every rural home. It was a designated space (think a pantry of sorts) that housed herbs, jars, recipe books, tinctures, teas, and preserving agents where people created cosmetics, homebrews, preserves, and at least a year's worth of herbal medicines.

Imagine traveling back and just stepping foot into one of these medieval distilling rooms: herbs hanging from the rafters and intriguing bottles and jars of every size holding remedies long forgotten. I figure everyone who makes their own herbal remedies dreams of having such a place of their own.

Then, begin to gather recipes into one place. Consider cross-referencing by herb and what the recipe is used for. That way, the next time you want to make a cold and flu remedy, it's as easy as flipping to that section of the recipe book and seeing what your options are.

In my stillroom, I also keep my collection of herbal books. These include wild-crafting books, identification manuals, and pretty much every book on herbs that's ever resonated with me. When I had an actual room for my stillroom, I put up drawings and photos of herbs, little sayings that inspired me, prayer flags, candles, interesting packaging (in case I was crafting gifts), a hot plate, and a selection of cooking vessels. Eventually, I added soap molds, candle-making equipment, carrier oils (such as almond, apricot, olive, and jojoba), and essential oils.

From there, the sky's the limit. If you're new to herbalism, I'd recommend starting with a few basic tea infusions. Blending something as simple as rosehip and ginger tea, placing it in a recycled jar, labeling it, then stocking it in your kitchen can give you a great feeling of independence.