How to make Potpourri in three Easy Steps?
Method 1 of 3: Making Classic Potpourri Download Article
- Gather petals, cloves, and orange peels to create a spicy potpourri. All of your ingredients will combine to create a great smelling and looking mixture.
- Choose pine cones, pine needles, and peonies for a winter potpourri. The winter holidays almost have their own specific smell.
- Create your own combination of ingredients to experiment. ...
How to make your own Christmas potpourri?
To Make the Christmas Potpourri
- Gather all the potpourri ingredients and mix them carefully together
- Place in a decorative bowl and display in the room.
- Extra tip – if you have a golden colour spray, you can paint the cinnamon, orange or the star anise in gold to add a festive colour.
How to make potpourri from Dead Flowers?
Method 3 Method 3 of 3: Preserving Flowers as a Bouquet Download Article
- Trim the flowers to remove any excess. Take off any excess foliage from flowers and shape stems to your desired length.
- Hang the dead flowers upside-down. You can use string, clothespins, or tacks to secure the flowers, just make sure that they are pointed completely down.
- Spray flowers with one light coat of hairspray. ...
- Leave them to dry for three days. ...
How to choose fixatives for making potpourri?
Making Potpourri From the Garden . When choosing flowers for potpourri, look for those that hold onto their color and still look good when dry, like bachelor buttons, calendula, Echinops, geraniums, larkspur, lavender, peonies, pinks, roses, and yarrow.
How do I make my own potpourri?
After the dried fruit is completely cool, place it in a sealable plastic bag. Add dried bay leaves, a teaspoon of cinnamon, cloves, cinnamon sticks and a few drops of orange and clove essential oils. Seal and shake the bag to mix all of the ingredients.
Can I make potpourri with dead flowers?
Today, potpourri is known as a medley of dried flowers, herbs, and spices, often scented with oils to enhance the aroma. If you don't have fresh flowers to make your own potpourri, you can choose any combination of orange slices, cinnamon sticks, dried apples, cloves, or other spices.
How do you make real potpourri?
To make potpourri, add 2 tablespoons of orris root and2 tablespoons of powdered spice to a small bowl to act as a fixative. Then, add 2-3 drops of the essential oil of your choice to the orris root and spices, and mix them thoroughly with your fingertips.
How do you dry fresh potpourri flowers?
Dry flowers by hanging them upside down in a dark, cool room. Allow between one and three weeks for flowers and other plant materials to fully dry. Remove stems, leaves, and any material from plants before air-drying them. Keep flowers, leaves, and other materials away from humidity to ensure they dry.
What flowers are good for potpourri?
Some plants you can use for potpourri include roses and rose buds, lavender, any member of the mint family, calendula, pansies, violets, lemon verbena, strawflowers, larkspur, scented geranium flowers and leaves, rosemary flowers and leaves, thyme flowers and leaves, angelica, gomphrena and statice -- just to name a ...
How do you make potpourri smell stronger?
Add drops of the matching oil to your potpourri any time you want to make it smell stronger. Other tips for preserving the scent: Gently move your potpourri around in its container every so often. If it's in a sachet, squeeze the bag once in awhile to release the scent.
How do you make decorative potpourri?
0:002:39How to: Make Potpourri Easy DIY Home Decor Air Freshener - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI make sure to pluck the petals off the stem. Before they shrivel up and dry. In order to save timeMoreI make sure to pluck the petals off the stem. Before they shrivel up and dry. In order to save time I take the entire rosebud and lightly twist it off the stem.
How do you make herbal potpourri?
Ingredients4-5 cups organic mixed bulk herbs.1 Tbsp. organic orris root powder.5 drops organic geranium essential oil.5 drops organic ginger essential oil.5 drops organic clove bud essential oil.2 drops organic Douglas fir essential oil.2 drops organic lemon essential oil.
What herbs are good for potpourri?
The best herbs for potpourri are lavender, scented geranium leaves, lemon verbena, lemon balm, and mints. Dry them, and then make your own mix. Sprinkle with essential oils to extend the life of the potpourri.
How do you dry flowers and keep their color?
Hang them upside down in a dark, dry, well-ventilated area. Keeping the flowers out of direct sunlight will help them retain their color. The drying process will take about two to three weeks. Once dried, take down the flowers and spray with unscented hairspray for protection.
Do dried flowers keep their smell?
Dried flowers and preserved flowers should not smell. However, if the flowers haven't been properly dried out or preserved, excess moister can form when the flowers are packaged which can cause a bad odour.
How do you preserve flower smell?
You simply place your fragrant petals into a high-proof alcohol, let them sit for a few hours (or days), strain the petals, and retain the alcohol.
Choose Potpourri Flowers and Plant Material
The best flowers for potpourri are those that retain their color and shape when you dry them. If they are fragrant too, that is a bonus, but you can always add fragrance. In fact, it's better not to use too many fragrant flowers, as the perfumes can clash when combined.
Potpourri Making Supplies
Purchase a fixative to help your potpourri fragrance last longer. Orris root, made from the rhizomes of irises, is one of the most popular fixatives. The powdered root has a light floral fragrance. Other fragrant fixatives include vanilla beans, oakmoss, angelica root, and myrrh gum.
Moist or Dry Potpourri Recipes
For the most fragrant potpourri, start with freshly picked ingredients you've dried for a few days. The materials should be pliable and not yet brittle. Layer plant materials with coarse salt in a bowl, alternating layers. After a few weeks, stir the mixture and add your fixatives and oils.
Potpourri Display
Choose any type of non-metal container or vessel to display your potpourri, as metals can react with the essential oils. 2 Baskets, jars, and bowls are common potpourri holders. Choose a container with a perforated lid if pets or small children can't resist picking through the dried flowers, which are a choking hazard.
What is potpourri?
According to Merriam-Webster, the name potpourri comes from the French phrase pot pourri which means “putrid pot.” That’s not the most flattering description, I know!
How to Make Potpourri
Before you begin, check out my post on How to Dry Flowers. It has five different methods –yes FIVE–you can try when drying fresh flowers.
More crafts with fragrance oil
You will most likely have fragrance oil left over after making potpourri. You can use the remainder for diffusers, soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs, or room sprays.
More uses for orris root powder
If you have this ingredient leftover, try using it to make orange pomander balls. You can also read more about potential medical benefits below.
How to Make Potpourri with Citrus Fruit
One popular variation to this recipe is using citrus slices mixed with dried florals or spices. For a unique fall or Christmas potpourri, try this combination:
How to Make Potpourri
Learn how to make potpourri to give as gifts or preserve special memories. Get tips on drying flowers for this craft and making it last longer.
FAQs on How to Make Potpourri
Like any craft with dried flowers, you can expect the color of potpourri to gradually fade over time. With orris root powder and high-quality fragrance oil, potpourri can last 2-3 years. To prolong the scent, you can add more drops of scented oil as needed.
Making Potpourri From the Garden
When choosing flowers for potpourri, look for those that hold onto their color and still look good when dry, like bachelor buttons, calendula, Echinops, geraniums, larkspur, lavender, peonies, pinks, roses, and yarrow.
Homemade Potpourri Embellishments
It’s okay to add some extras to your homemade potpourri, too. Your local craft store probably has lots of potpourri standards like sandalwood chips and patchouli. Don't hesitate to look for ingredients that will add some bulk to your potpourri mix.
Adding Scent to Potpourri
As woodsy as fresh potpourri can smell, it’s probably not enough of a fragrance for most people’s tastes and it won't fill a room with its aroma. That’s where essential oils and fixatives come in.
The Easiest Method to Make Potpourri
No matter how you make your potpourri, do not use metal bowls or utensils. These can react with your ingredients and alter the fragrance. Glass, ceramic, and wood are the safest materials. Plastic is fine too, but the scent will linger in the container for weeks.
Using Your Potpourri
Of course, you could display your homegrown potpourri front and center in an attractive bowl on your coffee table. Another option is to make sachet bags and fill them with your fragrant concoctions. Even if you’re not handy with a needle, you can find small, net bags at the craft store.
Warnings
Keep potpourri out of reach of children and pets. Potpourri can be toxic if it is ingested.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Hannah Madden is a writer, editor, and artist currently living in Portland, Oregon. In 2018, she graduated from Portland State University with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. Hannah enjoys writing articles about conservation, sustainability, and eco-friendly products.
Potpourri: What is it?
Originating in France, potpourri began as people hanging dried flowers in bowls in their houses. Now, it’s a mixture of dried flowers, herbs, fruits, pods, spices, and essential oils. People display it in bowls to add beauty and fragrance to their homes.
Homemade Potpourri vs. Store-Bought
Store-bought potpourri is expensive and often loses its scent faster than I would like it to. I have also found that store-bought varieties often don’t contain the types of flower or filler combinations that I prefer.
How To Make Potpourri From Items In Your Garden
The process for making homemade potpourri is simple and straightforward.
How To Restore Scent To Potpourri
You can expect your homemade potpourri to keep its fragrance for around 2 months. After that, you’ll likely notice that you can’t smell it as much.
