A Guide To Making Your Own Potpourri

by prestigeflowers

Potpourri is not just a popular gift but it is one of the best ways to both decorate a room and give it a beautifully fresh smell.  Many people choose to send flowers for occasions like Mother’s Day, birthdays and as house warming gifts but, how about sending a different kind of floral gift next time?  Home made potpourri will not only impress the recipient but they will also realize just how much time and effort you put into creating this gift.  Yes, that’s right, it will take time but the steps are very simple and you can even play around with your very own recipes to create different scents.

What you will need:

  • A variety of flower petals, herbs and leaves of your choice
  • Essential oils of your choice
  • Fixative
  • Container(s) with lid(s)
  • Ceramic dish

Instructions:

  • The first important step is to select the right plant material.  While there are no actual rules when choosing between different flowers, leaves and herbs, it is important to note that different plants have different properties and they also dry at different rates.  Rose petals are a top choice as well as mint leaves since they also dry out very well.  Find what works best for you and what you think the intended recipient will like best.
  • If you aren’t sure about where to look for plant material, you could look around in your own garden or perhaps you have a bouquet of flowers in your home that has started to wilt.  Alternatively, you could even approach a neighbour or your local florist and ask them for anything that they would be willing to spare.
  • Once you have gathered the necessary plant material, you just need to allow it all to dry out.  There are a few ways in which you can do this.  You can pluck the petals from the stem and then allow them to dry.  Another method involves hanging the flowers upside down until they dry out and then removing the petals.  There are even some ways of drying plant material in your microwave to help speed up the process.  Select a method that suits you best but take care not to let the plant material dry out too much or they will become too brittle to handle.
  • You can store any dried plant matter that you have in jars.  Make sure that you fit the lid on tight and keep them in a cool, dry an dark place.  You should also store different flowers or plants in different jars.  Older plant material should not be mixed with newer batches either.
  • When you want to make your potpourri, simply select a little bit of each type of dried plant material and place it all into another container together.
  • Add a fixative like orris root or oakmoss to help the dried petals really absorb the essential oils.  This will help them hold the scent for longer.  The amount of fixative needed will vary depending on the amount of potpourri you are making.  For instance, 2 cups of potpourri will require 1 heaped tablespoon of chopped orris root.  Another tip to remember is that chopped fixatives hold the scent of the oils much longer and better than powdered varieties.
  • Now you can add the essential oils of your choice.  This is the fun part and you can experiment with all sorts of smells.  Create a few small test batches to find out which ones you like best.  When mixing them up, remember to toss the mixture gently while adding the oil in order to ensure even distribution.
  • No you will need to seal the container with the fresh potpourri inside and let it stand for about a week so that the scent can penetrate the plant matter more deeply.
  • When you are ready to use your potpourri, you can then place it in a ceramic dish and place it wherever you like in your home.  If you want to present it as a gift, you can place the potpourri in a little fabric bag and make sure that you give the lucky recipient a ceramic bowl to place the potpourri inside.  Aside from this, you should also give some of the essential oils mixture that you used on these petals.  That way, the recipient can add a few drops now and then to freshen them up a little and make your gift last that much longer.