How to Make Ginger & Cinnamon Potpourri

Making your own potpourri allows you to tweak scents to your liking.

Making your own potpourri lets you create just the right mix of fragrances to suit your personal preference. You can change the quantity of ingredients to suit your mood or even alter the final look of the potpourri by using items that match your own decor. Using cinnamon and ginger as primary scents for potpourri creates a rich and inviting fragrance that can be used throughout an entire house.

Things You'll Need

• Cinnamon sticks
• Dried ginger root
• Vanilla beans
• Pine cones
• Dried flowers or flower petals
• Twigs

Instructions

1. Clean and dry a large plastic container which will only be used for potpourri; you will not be able to use the container again for food storage. Make sure the lid provides an airtight seal and that the container and lid are completely dry, since any moisture will cause the potpourri to rot and mold.

2. Wash and dry a large glass bowl to mix the potpourri in. Have ready measuring cups, a spoon and paper towels to work with. Make sure the items being used will not be used for food preparation later on.

3. Gather all ingredients for your potpourri and line them up on your work space. Smell each ingredient to ensure it has a strong and noticeable scent. Sniff each cinnamon stick to make sure the smell is potent. Break the sticks into 1-inch pieces.

4. Prepare the ginger root by slicing the dried ginger into thin slices. The thinner you slice the ginger root, the more fragrance will be released.

5. Test scent combinations before mixing the entire batch of potpourri. For example, place one cinnamon stick, two to three slices of dried ginger root and a vanilla bean pod in to a plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake the bag. Open the bag and smell the combination to see if the scent pairings work for you. Continue adding extra scents to create the cinnamon and ginger-based potpourri. Keep notes about which combinations worked and which did not. You may need to start over if you add a smell that you do not like.

6. Add one cup of cinnamon stick pieces and 1/2 cup of ginger slices to the large glass bowl. Use 1/4-cup increments of all additional scents such as vanilla bean pods, dried apple slices, dried orange slices or even dried rose petals. Mix all items together and smell the mixture.

7. Add twigs, dried leaves and pine cones to the mixture. Stir again and smell the potpourri. If you cannot detect the cinnamon and ginger smells the most, add more cinnamon and ginger. You can also add essential oils in both cinnamon and ginger scents to enhance the overall smell.

8. Pour the cinnamon and ginger potpourri into the plastic container and seal. Allow the scents to meld together for one week. Open the container, stir and smell the potpourri. Add additional ingredients if the smell is off or you want a stronger scent of cinnamon or ginger. Seal again and allow to sit for one more week. Test the potpourri again and if the smell is right, use the potpourri in glass vases, dishes or containers as you wish.

Tips & Warnings

• Take notes when creating potpourri combinations so that you can recreate batches which worked well.

• Do not taste potpourri, especially when using essential oils.

References

• Texas A&M University: Cutting Roses
• Mother Earth News: Make Your Own Potpourri for Luscious Homemade Christmas Gifts
• Baby Center: Orange Spice Potpourri
• University of Vermont: Capturing Winter With Potpourri