This guidance shows you how to make scented pouches which can be an enjoyable activity and the pouches can then be used to stimulate the olfactory glands.  This affects emotions and can contribute to a sense of wellbeing.

What you need

• A sheet of kitchen paper, a square piece of fabric or a small mesh craft bag
• Natural fragrances such as lavender, herbs or for a festive theme pieces such as ground cinnamon, ground mixed spice, cloves, cardamon pods, ground nutmeg, ground ginger and crushed up cinnamon sticks.

If using fabric you will also need:

• Scissors
• Needle and thread

Guidance and instructions

Make sure the person is comfortable and there is a clear, clean space to make the pouches.

You can make individual pouches for each spice, or you can mix some of the spices together into one pouch. Offer the fragrances to the person to find out which they like and which combinations work well together. If there is a negative response the first time, it might be worth trying again another time, unless it is clearly causing distress.

If using kitchen paper:

1. Lay out a single sheet of paper and sprinkle the chosen fragrances in the middle. Ground spices or perfume work best if using kitchen paper.
2. Gently fold the paper a few times so you are left with a small square. You do not need to stick the edges together.

If using fabric:

1. Cut a square of fabric between 12-14cm in width, and in the middle place or sprinkle on your spice(s).
2. Gently fold in half and the using the needle and thread sew around the pouch making sure the spices are securely inside the pouch.

If using a craft bag:

Simply place the spices inside and secure. Crushed up cinnamon sticks, lavender, fresh herbs, or crushed up cardamon pods and cloves work well in the craft bags.

With the completed pouches:

The pouches can be offered to the person to smell. They can be gently and slowly moved around the face, offered to the person to hold, or placed inside or on top of cushions or blankets.

What to observe, assess and record

• Did the person enjoy the process of making the pouches with you? If so, what do you think it was that made it enjoyable?
• Any signs of enjoyment, agitation, like or dislike for a particular smell?
• Do any of the smells appear to make the person more relaxed or more engaged?
• Is there a particular smell they respond to positively? If so, take a note of the scent and use it again in another activity, observing if the person gives a similar response.

Contributor

Contributor

© Fiona Sharp, F Sharp Music Practice

Email: [email protected]

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Created December 2020