How to Make Potpourri in Five Easy Steps
How to Make Potpourri
Have you ever wondered how to make potpourri? It's a fun and simple DIY project that can also double as a great gift for loved ones. Potpourri consists of dried petals and spices, mixed together to create a delectable scent. Adding potpourri sachets to your closet or drawers will give your clothing, linens, and towels an amazing fragrance. On the other hand, adding it to bowls, jars and vases around your house creates a sweet-smelling home decor.
The best part is that you can make it from home! Here is our 5 step guide on How to Make Potpourri:
1. Preheat your oven to 200˚F and gather your potpourri supplies
Turn your oven to 200˚F. While you wait for it to preheat, gather your potpourri supplies! Here is what you will need:
- A sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Flowers
- Orris root
- Essential oils
- Optional mix ins (like fruit slices and spices)
- A jar or bowl to store your potpourri in
2. Prepare your flowers
Prepare your flowers by snipping off the stems, and/or removing the individual petals. (You can use any type of flower, so choose your favorite colors and scents!) You'll want to use either individual flower petals or whole flower heads — either method works. We recommend using a mixture of full flower heads and individual petals to give your potpourri more visual interest.
If you're not sure which flower to choose, roses are a safe choice. Rose petals are incredibly fragrant and are an excellent addition to DIY potpourri. Other popular flower choices include geraniums and lilies. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper, and lay your chosen flowers and petals down in one layer!
3. Add in oils and mix-ins
As you learn how to make potpourri, you'll want to consider the scent that you are trying to achieve. Adding in essential oils can really take the smell of your mixture to the next level. Good essential oils for making potpourri include rose geranium oil, lavender oil, bergamot oil, lemon oil and honeysuckle oil.
In addition to essential oils, consider adding fragrant mix-ins like lemon slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, thyme, mint, and so on. You can even add dried berries, dried greenery, cedar bark, vanilla pods, seeds, or pine cones. Don't be afraid to get creative with it! Not only will these elements add to the fragrance, but they will also make your final product look even more aesthetic.
4. Bake for two hours
Place your sheet in the oven for about two hours, checking on your potpourri often. You'll know that your mixture is done baking when your flowers and petals feel brittle and hard. It's important to make sure the ingredients are completely dry, because any moisture left in them can cause the potpourri to mold.
When the potpourri is dry and done baking, remove it from the oven, and let it cool down to room temperature.
5. Add a fixative, more essential oils, and then mix your potpourri
Now it's time for the key step in our "How to Make Potpourri" tutorial - adding a fixative! A "fixative" is a special potpourri ingredient that keeps the scents in the mixture from evaporating, and helps your fragrance last longer. Fixatives are important if you want your potpourri to stay fragrant for weeks. Orris root (or orris root powder) has a sweet smell and is commonly used as a potpourri fixative. Combine your dried flower mix with some orris root powder, and then add 10-15 more drops of your essential oils. Mix it all together, and place in your container of choice!
Ta-da! Now you know how to make potpourri. This is a great way to repurpose your flowers, and to keep their amazing fragrance in your home for weeks. Your potpourri mixture should last anywhere from four to six weeks. To refresh the scent at any time, stir it, and add in some fresh drops of essential oils.
Place your potpourri in vases, bowls, jars, or sachets, and display it around your house, or in your drawers, to freshen your home with its lovely scent. If you're looking for some flowers to get your potpourri mixture started, you'll want to check out these items:
We offer free shipping on all orders, and send our flowers straight from the farms to the doorstep. Get started, and shop our wide selection of wholesale flowers, or are ready-to-go collection! For more inspiration, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Originally Written by Kristi Kellogg, Updated by Leah Britt
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Photo Credits: Canva
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