| Making your own potpourri is easy and fun. It can be | | | | color. Blend with the fixative. |
| as simple as a bowl of lavender buds, or a mass of | | | | Holiday Pine. Mix a quarter cup of fixative with a |
| different dried botanicals with fragrance oils. Any craft | | | | teaspoon of pine fragrance and set aside. For the |
| store will carry a selection of dried botanicals that you | | | | botanical mix, use 1 cup of miniature pine cones, |
| can use, along with fragrance oils. You can use | | | | quarter cup of rosemary leaves, half cup of rose hips |
| potpourri oil, candle scent or soap scent for your | | | | and colored globe flowers in red and green. For an |
| potpourri. | | | | extra festive touch, spray paint half of the miniature |
| Think about the size of the container you need to fill. | | | | pine cones with gold spray paint. |
| Larger dried flowers such as globe flowers or | | | | Lavender sachet. For this, you need to purchase some |
| strawflowers will take up more space than chamomile | | | | tulle circles or sachet bags at a craft store. Mix an |
| or lavender. You can either use all natural botanicals, or | | | | eighth cup of fixative with half teaspoon of lavender |
| dyed varieties, depending on what you want the | | | | essential oil. For the sachet, you want small pieces of |
| finished look to be. For more inexpensive potpourri, you | | | | botanicals, since they aren't very big. Mix together one |
| can use filler made of wood chips, or wood curls. | | | | cup of lavender buds, half cup of chamomile flowers |
| These will soak up scent and cost less than the dried | | | | and add the fixative. Pour into the sachet bag, or for |
| florals. Common scent fixatives used in potpourri are | | | | the tulle circle, place the potpourri in the center of the |
| orris root, oakmoss or cellulose fiber. These absorbent | | | | circle, gather it up and tie with a pretty ribbon. You can |
| materials will soak up your fragrance and you don't | | | | use these sachets in closets or a dresser drawer. |
| have to worry about oil spots on delicate botanicals. | | | | You can package your potpourri as gifts in either |
| Here are several recipes and design ideas for your | | | | gusseted cellophane bags tied with a pretty ribbon, or |
| own potpourri. | | | | a fancy glass jar with a lid. To get the most out of |
| Rose Garden. Use a quarter cup of fixative (orris root, | | | | your potpourri, keep it in a covered container until you |
| oak moss or cellulose fiber) and mix with a teaspoon | | | | want to scent the room, then remove the cover. This |
| of rose fragrance oil. Let this sit and absorb while you | | | | will preserve the scent for a longer time. As the scent |
| mix the rest of the botanicals. In another bowl, toss | | | | fades on your potpourri, you can place it in a zip top |
| together one cup of whole rose buds (any color), one | | | | bag and add fifteen to twenty drops of fragrance oil |
| cup of rose petals (any color), half cup of chamomile | | | | to the material. Shake well and let it sit overnight |
| flowers, half cup of white statice, one quarter cup of | | | | before placing back in your container. |
| rosehips and a handful of eucalyptus leaves for green | | | | |