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Potpourri

© Vickie Ferguson

Whenever I come across a wonderful fragrance, like fresh baked cherry pie, that "green smell" when working in the garden or fresh sea salt air, I always wonder if it's available in potpourri. These wonderful smells, from evergreen to vanilla bean, add so much to any room by providing a profusion of colors as well as a variety of fragrances. Potpourri can be use in many ways. It can be displayed in a basket or container adding fragrance to any area, sachets placed in strategic locations like a lingerie drawer or hanging in a closet to keep the musty moldy smell at bay, and for me, I use the individual flowers/buds/leaves when creating dried flower wreaths. However you choose to use these fragrant concoctions is entirely up to your unlimited imagination.

From my research I've found that making your own potpourri is a simple and easy process. All you need is a recipe and the following basic supplies: potpourri ingredients (this includes both fragrant and non-fragrant materials), a mixing bowl and spoon (non-metallic), paper bag (from the grocery) and a container (non-metallic) to display the finished product. Optional items include fixative and natural or synthetic oil if the recipe calls for these items. The fixative helps retain the fragrance and the oil(s) enhance it. The use of non-metallic items is to help prevent any reaction the metal may have to the ingredients you're using.

If you're interested in drying your own flowers but don't know where to begin, please see my previous article 'The Art of Drying Flowers'. This article contains four easy methods for drying your own homegrown varieties. Snippet: Remember to apply the following rule when making potpourri or when working with your own dried materials; be sure the items are completely dry before beginning any project.

If you prefer to purchase the ingredients and blend your own, I suggest stopping by http://www.atlanticspice.com/. The company, located in N. Truro, Massachusetts, has a very nice selection of goods. You can order essential oils and fragrances, baking spices, loose-leaf tea, and blended potpourri. They also carry a large assortment of dried flowers for you to choose from enabling you to experiment and come up with some unique fragrances of your own. I wish the computer screen had scratch and sniff capabilities.

Once you're at their home page, click on recipes at the bottom of the page. On this page you'll find a list of 8 potpourri categories covering Christmas to Weddings and everything in between. There are over 50 recipes with suggested ingredients listed for you to decide on. I want to make them all!

The copyright of the article Potpourri in Dried Flower Crafts is owned by Vickie Ferguson. Permission to republish Potpourri in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.