A good craft for kids and adults is to make potpourri from all the plant material gathered and dried in the summer. This is a good way to use up dried flowers and herbs and make the environment smell good when the windows all have to be shut tight in the winter.
Equipment
Some equipment is needed to make potpourri. Wide mouth canning jars with lids and rims are used to store and mix the potpourri. Disposable plastic spoons are needed to mix in the ingredients. Metal can cause the scent to change so never use metal spoons or metal containers.
Miscellaneous Materials
Potpourri is made with dried plant materials, but there are other things that can be included to add interest to each potpourri. These do not have to be natural substances, but they do have to be dry. Any moisture, except essential or scent oils, cause mold to form in the potpourri. Miscellaneous materials are thin ribbon, lace, fabric, and fabric trim that have been cut into small pieces. Beads make a nice addition to make the potpourri look pretty. Natural items can include dried seedpods, small pine cones and dried ornamental grasses.
Oils
There is limited scent to a dried flower or herb. In order to make potpourri have a stronger scent, essential or scent oils are added and mixed in. The longer the potpourri sits out, the less scent it has, but it can always be renewed with a few drops of oil. Find oils in craft stores and in places that sell herbs. It only takes a few drops to make potpourri smell great for a month or longer.
Fixatives
A fixative is a substance that retains the scent of the oils. It is necessary to have a fixative in potpourris so that the scent does not dissipate in a few days. Powdered or chopped Orris root is a good fixative, as is calamus root and oak moss. Fixatives can usually be found in craft or herb stores.
Displaying Potpourri
There are endless opportunities for displaying potpourri. After making a recipe, add some miscellaneous ingredients and put it in an open bowl. There are potpourri holders that have covers that allow the scent to come out. If there is a problem with a toddler in the house wanting to eat the potpourri, place it in a wide mouth vase and rubber band a fabric doily over top covering the doily with a ribbon.
Recipes
Each of the following recipes creates about 2 cups of potpourri. Store them in a canning jar until ready to use. They should keep their scent for several months.
Floral
Ingredients
- 1 cup rose petals, any color
- ½ cup lavender buds
- ¼ cup chamomile flowers
- ¼ cup rose geranium leaves
- ¼ cup rosemary
- 2 tablespoons Orris root
- 5 drops rose essential or scent oil
- 5 drops lavender essential or scent oil
Directions
- Place all flowers and herbs in a canning jar. Shake to mix.
- Add Orris root and shake well.
- Add scented oils and shake well or mix with a plastic spoon.
- Add any miscellaneous materials and place in a bowl to scent the room.
Spice
Ingredients
- 1 cup cinnamon sticks, broken in pieces
- ½ cup cloves
- ¼ cup bay leaves, broken in pieces
- ½ cups small pine cones (hemlock cones work best)
- ½ cup lambs ear leaves
- 2 tablespoons dried orange peel
- 2 tablespoons Orris Root
- 5 to 8 drops clove oil
Directions
- Cut the peel off an orange and place it on wax paper.
- Fold the paper loosely and place in a dry area to dry. It should take a week for the peel to dry completely.
- Place all dry ingredients including Orris root in a canning jar and shake to mix.
- Add oil and mix again.
- Add any miscellaneous materials and place in a bowl to scent the kitchen.
Make up your own combinations to make different scented potpourri. Make citrus, pine, rose, lavender, and herb scents to make the house smell luscious.
Deborah Harding - Deborah Harding has developed recipes, worked with herbs and written home school curriculum for over 20 years.
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