Making Potpourri | What You’ll Need
I use to think potpourri was a granny thing, but here we are. I’m now loving all things grandma. And making potpourri couldn’t be easier. Or more fun! It’s also a great craft to do with kids.
Sourcing Flowers
I’m planning on growing a small cut garden this year, and I’ll be making sure to set aside and dry several flowers and herbs to use in potpourri mixes for next fall, as well as in dried floral arrangements.
If you want to know the top eight flowers I recommend for growing and drying, make sure to check out this article.
And for drying, I share how to dry herbs in this article, but you can take the same premise and apply it to flowers as well.
other great options for sourcing flowers
When you get a bouquet or flower gifts, dry them! Find some roadside queen annes lace? Snip some off and take them home to hang. Dried flowers are truly beautiful in every stage of the process, and your house will be so cozy and delightful with them hanging off in a corner or proudly displayed from a rafter over your kitchen.
Also check your local florist. They might have old bouquets they’ll sell you at a discount so you can take them home to dry. Or, online is also a great resource. Because I didn’t have any this year, I purchased these off amazon.
They came in several different kit sizes, with different prices. However, a word of caution. They do come from overseas, and because we don’t 100% know the growing process or chemicals used on them, I would avoid them in body products or items for consumption, such as tea. Stick with using as decor.
Your custom potpourri mix
The great thing about making you own, is you can custom it to your look and favorite smells. I love a lot of rose petals, peonies buds, lavender, calendula, and gomphrena. Dried figs also lend to some romanticism in the mix, as well as the beautiful and sweet anise star. Get creative, mix and match, and create different batches.
Add together your favorite dried floral and spices. Some of my go-to’s are:
• gomphrena
• peony
• calendula
• roses
• lily
• figs
• lemon
• lavender
• anise star
Other items you’ll need
To keep the mix potent and also customize the smell, you’ll need a few of your favorite floral essential oils. Add your favorite oils to the mix. Be liberal with the amounts. I love to add rose, lavender, geranium, and orange for a bit of citrus zest. (Lime would also work.)
Place all in a large bowl and toss to evenly mix.
Fixative for longer life
The last ingredient you’ll need is a fixative, to help retain smell for a few months.
As a fixative, sprinkle over orris root powder (easily found on Amazon) to help the scent last longer. Toss again to evenly distribute the powder, then place in a container and enjoy!
When you feel the jar is losing it’s aroma, shake a bit. After 3+ months though, you’ll want to discard and make a new batch.
Do similar to me and place in a wide mouth quart jar with thin material for the top, or get more ornate with the options listed below.
