1.Select ingredients for your Potpourri "recipe" - choose for visual appeal even if it doesn't contribute to the scent, and then select your scent combination using essential oils.
· Gather bulk materials, (flowers, pine cones, rose hips, various dried citrus peels, sweet spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, interesting seeds)
· Essential oils for scenting the potpourri.
· Preservative or "fixative" that preserves scent such as Orris root
· Glass bowl with air tight cover for mixing all the materials and curing for six weeks.
· Metal spoon (wood spoon absorbs the oils)
2. You must dry flowers, citrus peel or any other fruit if not already dried before creating potpourri.
(All my ingredients will be dried already for the segment)
· For flowers- Air dry or use a dehydrator.
· Citrus slices and peels can be put on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and placed in an oven at 200 degrees for 2-3 hours, flipping every 30 minutes until dry.
3. Mix orris root with essential oils in a deep bowl.
· (Exact essential oils to follow-have to buy still)
4. In another glass or metal bowl, gently mix your "bulk materials" beginning with flower petals, dried spices, seed pods, and mix in orris root mixure with spoon or with hands- wear gloves.
TIP: Leave your dried fruit out of the mix until you are ready to display potpourri to retain the best color and keep potpourri dry.
5. Place in a large glass container that has a tight fitting lid. Store covered for six weeks.
· Stir the mixture weekly, but don't uncover! Just turn glass bowl upside down, gently a few times so orris root mixture blends well with materials.
6. In six weeks, your potpourri will be ready to display!
· Place your potpourri mix in decorative or clear glass bowls for display, keep covered in between events!
· Top with dried citrus peel, other dried fruit and any fragile small flowers to keep from breaking!
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