How to Make Lavender Potpouri
The flowery, slightly astringent aroma of lavender has a soothing effect and, according to tradition, a range of healing properties. Its scent makes lavender a popular addition to a wide variety of products, including soap, lotion, bubble bath, household cleaners and candles. Fill your home every day with this scent with lavender potpourri. Make homemade lavender potpourri from dried lavender and lavender oil. Customize the potpourri by mixing lavender with complementary flowers, spices and oils. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Flowers
- Spices
- Rubber bands
- Paper bags
- Mixing bowl
- Essential oils
- Glass jars
Instructions
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1
Cut enough stalks of fresh, flowering lavender to result in approximately 4 cups of dried flowers. Keep in mind that flowers will reduce in size slightly, once dried. Leave several inches of stem on the flowers when cutting.
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2
Cut one to two additional types of flowers to add to your potpourri to create undertones to the lavender. Cut enough for about 1 cup of dried flowers. Possible complementary flowers include roses, chamomile, jasmine, carnations, violets, hibiscus and dianthus.
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3
Collect up to 1 cup of of spices to add complexity to your potpourri. Spices that complement lavender include sage, juniper, mint, rosemary, orange peel and lemon peel.
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4
Bundle the flowers and fresh herbs into small bunches, securing the stems together with rubber bands. Hang the bunches upside down in a dark, ventilated environment to dry. Place spices that cannot be hung, such as citrus peels, in paper bags. Place a large sheet under the flowers to catch any that fall. Space the bunches a few inches apart to allow for airflow between. Leave the flowers for at least five days, or until sufficiently dried, then remove the flowers from the stems.
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5
Place the flowers and spices in a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl. Dust the flowers with 1/2 cup of powdered orris root, which is a natural preservative used as a base for frangraces. While stirring gently, add 10 drops of lavender oil. Add a couple of drops of one to two other oils that will add pleasing hints of other smells to lavender potpourri. Appropriate choices include vanilla, frankincense, fir, pine, cedarwood, eucalyptus, fennel and ylang ylang.
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6
Place the potpourri in glass jars with the lids on and leave it to mellow for about four weeks.
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References
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