How to make potpourri from dried flowers
Homemade potpourri is natural and easy to make. It takes cheap and affordable ingredients like dried flowers and aromatic herbs
A pleasantly scented home certainly makes it possible to bring friends and family together in a more joyful and inspiring way. There are ways to improve the smell of your home or apartment through natural air fresheners or deodorizers. Another option is to make a potpourri of dried flowers, which can leave a pleasant fragrance in the air.
Often mistakenly called pout-pourri in Portuguese, the word potpourri is French and emerged from the junction of pot (pot or pan) with pourri (rotten). According to the Tresor de la Langue Française, the expression came up in 1564 with the meaning of ragu, meat stew with vegetables, in a literal translation from Spanish hello rotten, of identical meaning. Over time, the word was used to designate mixtures of the most diverse, such as musicals formed by excerpts from various other works and even combinations of dried flowers to give the house a smell. The word pout it doesn't even exist in French, so be careful not to make it ugly by speaking pout-pourri (pronounced pupurri) instead of correct potpourri (pronounced popurri).
If the pronunciation and way of writing the word potpourri raise doubts, the meaning of the expression is well known. And, in the case of dried flowers, the preparation of a potpourri is also very simple and cheap. The item can be purchased ready-made in specific stores, but its price is usually not very inviting (apart from the risk of adding preservatives and not being such fresh flowers or herbs).
How to make a potpourri
Check out the fun, inexpensive, homemade and personal way to make a potpourri. Just choose your favorite combination of flowers, herbs and essential oils and follow the step-by-step instructions below to learn how to make a potpourri.
Ingredients
- Dried flowers of your choice;
- Essencial oils;
- Decorative container;
- Herbs or spices of your choice (such as cloves or lavender);
- Decorative stones (optional);
- Costume jewelry (optional).
Procedure
Make sure your flowers are completely dry. The easiest way to dry flowers is to simply tie a string around the bouquet and then hang it upside down for a few weeks in a dry but light place - usually two weeks is enough for them to dry completely.
Once that's done, gather all the ingredients. That's the best part, because that's when you select the scents you prefer. Take the opportunity to choose your favorite essential oil and the complement, which can be lavender, pine or cedar. Among the herbs and spices, some suggestions are: mint, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, cloves or vanilla beans. Apple and lemon peels are also a good choice.
- What are essential oils?
- Essential Oils: A Complete Guide
Place the dried flowers in a canning jar or other sealed container. Add a few drops of your chosen essential oil to this pot, as well as any other spices, herbs, or dry husks you want to add. Tightly close this container and let the mixture act for about two weeks. The longer you wait, the stronger your potpourri smells.
After waiting the minimum amount of time, you can open the container and add the mixture to a decorative pot. If you like, organize together with stones, jewelry or other decorative items. Then just enjoy the new aroma provided by your homemade potpourri of dried flowers.
See the video below for another way to make a potpourri.
If you like room flavorings , also check out this video from the channel eCycle portal on YouTube, where we teach another trick to flavor the house in a natural way, using herbs and flowers:
