Just received a bunch of flowers, and want them to last longer? Give your flowers a new lease of life and turn them into potpourri! They double up as charming home decor, plus you get to personalise it with your favourite scents.
There are two ways to make your own potpourri—one by sealing it in a jar, and two by baking it in an oven.
Method 1: Seal it in a jar (Great for already dried flowers)
What You’ll Need
- Flowers (Dried)
- Air-tight jar/container
- Scissors
- Your favourite essential oil(s)
- Fresh herbs (optional)
- Whole spices (optional)
Directions
Step 1: Gather the flowers you will be using to make potpourri. Any flowers will work. Cut away the flower stems (snip right below the bloom heads) or carefully remove individual petals and place them in an airtight sealable jar/container.
Step 2 (Optional): You can include any other spices you want as well. Some commonly used herbs and spices are sprigs of rosemary, lavender, thyme, or whole cinnamon sticks or cloves.
Step 3: Add a few drops of essential oil to the mixture in the jar (feel free to concoct your own blend) and tightly seal the jar.
Step 4: Let mixture sit for about two weeks. The longer the jar is sealed, the stronger the scent of your potpourri!
Step 5: Open the jar and place your scented flowers and spices in a bowl or in small sachets. There you have it! Your very own potpourri.
You can place the bowl of potpourri on your coffee table as a centrepiece, in your bathroom, or on your bedside table. Feel free to arrange them with rocks or other trinkets you’ve chosen as well. Otherwise, you can fill up little sachets with the potpourri and hang them in your wardrobe.
Recipe from Angie’s List. Images by The Spruce Crafts and The Spruce, in order of appearance.
Method 2: Bake it in an oven (Great for fresh flowers)
What You’ll Need
- Fresh flowers
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Scissors
- Your favourite essential oil(s)
- Spray bottle
- Citrus fruits (optional)
- Fresh herbs (optional)
- Whole spices (optional)
Directions
Step 1: Gather the flowers you will be using to make potpourri. Any flowers will work, either as individual petals, or whole bloom heads.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 93ºC. Cover a sheet tray with parchment paper. Cut away the flower stems (snip right below the bloom heads) and place them on the tray. Or carefully remove individual petals and place them on the parchment paper. Try to scatter the petals around the tray.
Step 3 (Optional): If you would like to beautify or add some additional scent to your potpourri mixture, you can toss in thin slices of apple peels or citrus fruits (like lemon or orange), or include sprigs of rosemary, lavender, or thyme. Whole spices such as cinnamon sticks or cloves are commonly used as well.
Step 4: Combine 10 to 15 drops of your favourite essential oil (feel free to concoct your own blend) with one tablespoon of water in a small spray bottle. Evenly spritz the potpourri tray of ingredients. Then pop the potpourri into your oven.
Step 5: Dry in the oven for at least two hours, or until the flowers are brittle but not burnt. Once the potpourri is ready, remove from the oven and give it another spritz of the essential oil mixture.
Step 6: Let it cool to room temperature, and gently mix the potpourri. Place it in a bowl or in small sachets, and there you have it! Your very own potpourri. To refresh the scent, simply spritz the potpourri with the essential oil mixture.
You can place the bowl of potpourri on your coffee table as a centrepiece, in your bathroom, or on your bedside table. Feel free to arrange them with rocks or other trinkets you’ve chosen as well. Otherwise, you can fill up little sachets with the potpourri and hang them in your wardrobe.
Recipe from POPSUGAR.
Looking for more Mother’s Day ideas? Visit here for related content.
