How to Make Naturally Scented Potpourri for Christmas

The scents of Christmas can bring back great memories. With these simple instructions, you can make potpourri inexpensively that will fill your home with wonderful memory-making scent.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pine cones
• Cinnamon sticks
• Dried peppermint leaves
• Whole cloves
• 2 oranges
• Juniper berries
• Fresh cedar (small bunches from a cedar tree)
• Pine needles
• Bay leaves or fresh laurel
• Containers
• 18 inches of 1/4-inch ribbon

1. Insert whole cloves into the skin of one orange. The sharp ends of the clove pierce the skin easily. Use at least 30 cloves. Sit the orange on the ribbon. Bring the ribbon ends up to the top of the orange. Tie a bow. Sit this orange in the middle of the main container for the potpourri.

2. Peel the other orange with a sharp knife, cutting only the very outer orange skin. Cut these peelings into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside. The orange has no other use, so enjoy!

3. Break the bay leaves in half, and mix with all the other ingredients (except cinnamon sticks and larger pine cones), including more of the whole cloves and the orange peels. Place the mixed ingredients around the orange in the container.

4. Place the cinnamon sticks and pine cones in an attractive manner on top of the potpourri.

Tips & Warnings

• To stir up the scent, use one of the cinnamon sticks. You can also purchase essential oils that you can use to liven up the scent.
• Adding a few pinches of potpourri into a cup of steaming water will quickly diffuse the scent throughout the house.
• Keep out of the reach of small children.