Potpourri has to be one of the easiest and least expensive ways to add a bit of sparkle to any gift basket.
How may times have you made a basket or gift item and it needed something to brighten it up or even just fill in that small empty spot.
All you need to make potpourri is a bit of imagination, a fixative and some fragrance oil.
Packaging can be as simple as a clear cello bag that you have poked a few holes in or as elaborate as a small glass dish. Shrink wrap over the dish helps but always poke a few holes this way your scent can come through. Mess plastic bags also work as long as the holes are small enough.
Most soap makers do not make potpourri due to the amount of potpourri you must purchase. You may need only an ounce or two of certain herbs but you have to buy a pound of it. That means you also need quite a bit of space to store all of these herbs. We have taken care of that for you by offering potpourri herbs in smaller quantities depending on the demand for these herbs we will be adding more each month.
The recipes below are on a small scale the reason being is 1 ounce of any dried flower is quite a bit, unlike powders dried flower and botanicals are bulky yet light.
1 pound of powder can be as little as 2 cups where 1 pound of dried flowers can be as much as 16 cups.
To make any potpourri, use a large bowl add all ingredients except your fragrance oil. Using your hands gently mix it all together do not mash it or use a spoon just gently mix from the bottom to the top.
After all is mixed at 1/4-1/2 oz of any essential oil or fragrance oil. At this point pour it all into a brown paper bag. Seal the top and let it cure for the minimum of 2 days to as long as 10 days. Shake the bag each day to mix everything up. You can also mix all your potpourri and keep it in a covered container then add your fragrance oils as needed this way you always have it ready to go. Once your potpourri has cured and it dry you can always toss in some silk flowers or colored glass stones. Feel free to include a small bottle of oil for refreshing the potpourri.
Recipes
Lemon Potpourri
2 oz Lemon Peel
1 oz Lemon Grass
1 oz Lemon Verbena Leaves
2 oz Cellulose Fiber (fixative)
1 oz Whole Rosemary
Lemon Verbena Fragrance Oil or Lemon Essential oil.
Sugar & Spice Potpourri
2 oz Cloves Whole
2 oz Coriander Whole
1 oz Juniper Berries
1 oz Orange Peel
1 oz Lemon Peel
1/2 oz Oak Moss
Orange Clove Potpourri
1 oz Cloves Whole
1 oz Cinnamon Sticks
1 oz Dried Orange Peel
1 oz Cellular Fiber
1 oz Velvet Flower Orange
1/2 oz Coriander
Orange Clove Fragrance oil or Orange Essential Oil
Summer Time
