Are you big on home décor and fragrances? If so, you must have come heard of potpourri. It is dried flowers with scent and they look amazing when displayed in different corners of the house. Along with an aesthetic appeal, potpourri brings you the smell of pure nature inside your home. The fantastic aroma can instantly lift your spirit and put a spring in your step. Keep reading to know everything about potpourri that has taken the home décor world by a storm.
First and foremost, what is potpourri?
As mentioned, potpourri is simply a mixture of dried flowers, natural herbs, essential oils, and spices. All of these are mixed and placed in perforated containers or open bowls so that the scent is allowed to escape and fill the room that they’re placed in.
The fragrance is typically achieved by adding substances known as fixatives. Essential oils are also mixed with dried flowers for the fragrance. These bowls or containers can be placed anywhere inside your home or office. They will be a natural room freshener and make the space smell great.
It is said that the idea of potpourri originated from the French people who were in the habit of hanging bowls consisting of dried flowers inside their homes. With time, this idea gained momentum among gardening enthusiasts. People who love gardening began to experiment by picking various leaves and flowers and making their pot potpourri. Today, you can either attempt a DIY potpourri or simply purchase it from dried flower manufacturers.
If you are a DIY enthusiast, the next part is surely going to catch your attention.
How to make your own potpourri?
If you enjoy experimenting and always look for opportunities to show off your creative flair, you will have a lot of fun making DIY potpourri. Below you’ll find how to make a basic potpourri, but you can use your imagination to make a summer-scented or winter-scented potpourri.
To get started, you need these basic ingredients –
- Dried flowers – You can choose flowers according to your preference. If the flowers you have chosen have a striking appearance, but a light fragrance, you can use fixatives and oils with a strong odor. For highly-scented flowers, on the other hand, you can use subtle essential oils. Some of the flowers that work well in a potpourri are tulips, rose, calendula, lavender, marigolds, and so on.
- Leaves, spices, and herbs – Choose spices that smell fantastic and you can also sprinkle roots, seeds, and other things. Don’t get a lot of leaves because they dry quickly. Get aromatic herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, or eucalyptus.
- Fixatives – Fixatives arrest the scent of the mixture and help to release it slowly. Make sure to use a good fixative so that the fragrance lasts longer. You can use cellulose, Vetiver root of sweetgrass plant, and so on.
- Essential oils – Essential oils help to add aroma to a potpourri. You can mix two or three essential oils of your choice. Don’t be afraid to experiment because that’s the only way to know what works for you. And if your experiments fail, you can always turn to Global Dried Flower and get the best-smelling, visually appealing potpourri for your office or home.
Now, the steps to make potpourri –
- The head of the flowers has to be separated from the stem. Place the flowers in a bowl, along with the herbs, spices, etc.
- Add fixatives to the mixture, which is 2 tablespoons for 4 cups of the dried mixture, and sprinkle a little bit of the essential oils
- Let the mixture dry naturally for about 3 weeks or you can place the bowl/tray inside the oven and leave it there for 2 hours. But, make sure not to burn the mixture
- Take out the mixture from the oven and sprinkle a few drops of essential oils
- Once the mixture is completely dry, you can place it inside a decorative bowl and keep it on the center table or somewhere inside your home to let it spread its goodness
Ways to use potpourri
- Enhance the appearance of your coffee table
This is a complete no-brainer location to place the jar or bowl of potpourri. While they look amazing, their aroma will refresh your guest or you while sipping on coffee or tea.
- Place it near the entrance of your home
You can place potpourri near the door or hang it so that whoever enters your home is visibly surprised by the beautiful sight, as well as, the whiff of aroma. This will help you to create an enriching experience that appeals to the senses of your guests.
- Use it as a perfume
You don’t need expensive perfume when you have dried flower potpourri. Yes, this use might seem a bit odd, but potpourri has a naturally wonderful fragrance and you can use that to make your clothes smell wonderful. You can place small sachets of it inside your closet or in the pocket of your trousers.
- Potpourri in the vacuum
To make your home smell great, you can put potpourri in the vacuum sweeper bag before using the vacuum. So, every time you use the vacuum to clean your home or office, it will leave a pleasant odor.
- Potpourri can make your bathroom smell heavenly!
Potpourri lasts much longer than commercial air and room fresheners. This means that you can think of switching from your bathroom air freshener to keeping potpourri so that you always get a fresh-smelling washroom.
Other ways to use potpourri are stuffing it inside your pillow, keeping it in the dashboard of your car, and placing it on top of your lampshade. No matter how you use it or where you place it, be assured of getting rid of all bad odor from that space.
So, if you want a great smelling home, office, or even car, potpourri is what you should consider. Try it right away to know what you’ve been missing.
