What Is Potpourri and How To Make It?

Modern day home fresheners are a requisite if you want to keep your home fresh as a daisy. Whenever you expect guests at your home or just like to have a tidy and neat home, the primary thing which concerns you is the odour of your home. The smell of a home is probably the first thing anyone notices when they walk inside the house, which is why home fresheners have become an essential. Home fresheners have many varieties or you can say, a wide range of options. 

If you are big on decor and aesthetically pleasing halls then you must know about Potpourri. Find every bit of meaningful information regarding Potpourri down below in this piece of blog. 

What is Potpourri?

Potpourri is simply a bowl with a mixture of dried flowers, spices, natural herbs, essential oils etc. Potpourri can be placed in rooms, offices, homes and they serve the purpose of natural room fresheners.   The idea evolved from French culture as French people used to hang big bowls of dried flowers as natural fresheners. 

Potpourri can be used in the following ways to enjoy that beautiful aroma.

1. Centre table: This is a no-points for guessing location for your potpourri. It is the most effective way to use your potpourri because of its central location and placing, it captures everybody’s attention and perfectly lightens the mood. 
2. Perfume: Potpourri can be an amazing alternative to perfumes. You can pack the potpourri in small cloth bags or boxes and place them in drawers, closets, suitcases etc and give your clothes that natural fragrance. 
3. At the doorstep: You can place a potpourri at the front gate of your house to give it a simple yet beautiful look. Whenever someone walks inside your home, they will be welcomed with a soothing smell to please their senses and calm their soul. Try this and become the best guest host possible by hitting all the marks correctly. 

How to make Potpourri?

Now that you’ve perfectly understood what a Potpourri is, let’s get over the basics of how you can make this beautiful and pleasant decorative bowl which will light up your home with its breathtaking smell. 

To make the perfect Potpourri, you will need a few important things which are used to make this bowl of happiness. 

We have listed down a bunch of items, you will need to make Potpourri:- 

• Knife:- To cut those flowers and fruits into pieces to create the beautiful and perfect Potpourri. 
• Plastic bag:- To mix the materials immaculately together to attain that beautiful aroma. 
• Decorative jar:- Wouldn’t want to put all of your hard work in a not-so-attractive bowl or jar, right? Pick out a jar and decorate it properly and get creative while doing it. 
• An orange:- Because you need a tangy fruit to spice up your home with the smell. 
• A lemon:- The orange and lemon fusion will turn up the feels for you.
• Bay leaves:- It is an aromatic leaf usually used in cooking to give it a mesmerizing aroma. 
• Cinnamon:- It is another thing used to give aroma to the food and make it more special.  
• Apple:- Who doesn’t love apples? The taste, the smell, everything!! 
• Cloves:- Another aromatic spice used to give a scent to food. Usually added in curries and biryani, cloves will make your Potpourri more special.
• Essential oil:- Necessary to mix your fruits and other items.

These are the prerequisites for a beautiful bowl of Potpourri, now let’s get over the steps which are necessary to be followed to make a Potpourri. 

Dry-fruits:- To start, you will have to dehydrate the fruits which you have picked for the Potpourri by baking them in the oven and flipping them every 30 minutes.  Make sure you cook them till they are totally dry. Cut the slices of the fruits and put them in the oven rack and check every once in a while.  

Post drying:- After cooking them in the oven, wait till the slices cool down and then place them in a plastic bag. 

Once you have them inside the plastic bag, add a tablespoon of cinnamon, dried bay leaves and cloves and a drop of orange essential oil. Mix them well and see the magic. 

Jar:- Congratulations! Your perfect Potpourri is ready now. Put the Potpourri in a jar or a bowl of your liking and close it. Keep it like that till you are ready to use the Potpourri. You can even gift this beautiful Potpourri to a friend or a family member if you like to. 

These were a few simple steps that you can also follow to make a splendid Potpourri. 

What are the uses of Potpourri? 

Apart from beautifying your home, this pleasing bowl of mesmerizing essence of flowers and fruits can be used for many reasons. The primary usage of Potpourri is freshening up rooms by the captivating essence they have from the dried flowers. Besides, it can also be placed inside your kitchen, dining room, living room and even in the washroom. Decorating your office can also be a good and neat technique of making yourself love your work. 

How long does the smell of Potpourri last? 

If you are wondering (as you should) whether the Potpourri is a good option for freshening up your home instead of the usual home fresheners which are highly used by everyone or if it will last longer? don’t worry, because we got you.

The smell of Potpourri can last anywhere from 2 months to a year depending on the materials such as flowers and fruits which you have used to make it. The factors which should be considered are mentioned below:- 

Fruits:- The types of fruits you use in making the Potpourri are very important. Some dried fruits last very long whereas some start rotting very quickly. The fruits which we would suggest you use while making the Potpourri are Apple, Orange, Pear, etc. 

Usage:- How much you use the Potpourri also decides how much it will last. If you only use the Potpourri when you expect any guests at home, the Potpourri will last significantly longer than usual. 

Sunlight:- If you want to increase the duration of the smell of Potpourri, make sure you put it out of sunlight. Placing the Potpourri out of direct sunlight and breeze can significantly increase its life. 

Note:- If you are wondering that the Potpourri will go bad soon, do note that if you make the Potpourri using proper materials and follow the right pattern, it will last longer than usual. 

Is Potpourri safe for all living beings? 

If you are thinking about whether you should use Potpourri around kids or animals you need to think again. Below we have mentioned a few living beings and how they react to this splendid bowl of sweet essence. 

• Birds:- If you ask us, we would not suggest you use or put the Potpourri near birds. They have sensitive airways which are why you should not put them near birds. Apart from Potpourri, we wouldn’t even suggest you use scented candles, home fresheners and perfumes near birds as well. 
• Dogs:- Do not put Potpourri near dogs. The chemicals and dried flowers can get toxic over time and are harmful to dogs. If ingested or even licked it may lead to serious cases of poisoning. The same goes for cats as well. 
• Children:- Now that you know that Potpourri can lead to poisoning if ingested, it goes without saying that you should keep it away from children. 

How do you get rid of the Potpourri smell? 

Getting rid of the Potpourri smell is not a joke, the essence of this arrangement is so strong that it doesn’t go away easily from your home. To get rid of the smell, follow the steps which we have shared below, but before that do note the things which you will need to carry this task out. 

• Spray bottle
• 1 cup white vinegar
• Essential oil
• Cloth

To turn your fresh home you will need Potpourri but when that fresh home turns into a mess that stinks due to the stagnancy of the materials inside, you will need the above tools and the steps mentioned below:- 

• A great way to keep your home smelling fresh and clean all day is by using a natural spray bottle. Just add 15 drops of essential oil, such as lemon or mint for an invigorating smell in the air while you’re out running errands! Place 1 cup white vinegar with 10 squirts into any type of container (We recommend buying a large size because it saves time), screw the lid on the Spray Bottle tightly until firm then shake well before each use.
• When you want to get rid of that pesky, unwanted smell from your home or business space without using toxic chemicals this is the perfect spray for it! Add 15 drops of essential oil like lemon which has been known as an excellent air freshener. The best part about these natural remedies? They are safe and green – no more worries about those toxins in our environment clogging up our pores with their harmful properties anymore, so go ahead and give them a try today!!

Can Potpourri be refreshed? 

If you need to refresh your Potpourri because it has lost its essence, then hear this piece of advice. Add a few drops of orange essential oil, cinnamon and cloves to refresh your Potpourri and make it last longer. You can also add a new Potpourri in the old one to turn it up a notch. 

Looking to lighten up your home with sweet essence? 

If you are looking to make your home feel cosy and splendid, you might want to have a look at the amazing and exclusive collection we have of flower arrangements we have curated to give you an immaculate experience and your home, another reason to be cherished. 

Have a look at the options which we have mentioned below to make your home more beautiful:- 

Adorable amber:- A vase consisting of white roses, soft pink roses, hot pink roses, champagne roses, pink Lilies, and green filler. This flower arrangement will surely lighten up your home and give it an exquisite environment. 

The essence of flowers:- You could imagine discovering the secret of eternal beauty within this enchanting floral gift. A pristine arrangement of 5 calla lilies and 10 roses with some fillers in a beautiful looking glass vase. This is one of the best table arrangements which you can get for your home to make it perfect. 

Pink sky:- Who doesn’t love roses? Roses have been loved by everyone for ages and the symbolic values and emotions attached to them makes them more than perfect. Get this rose arrangement of 2 dozen beautiful pink roses for your home and create an environment in your home you’d have to walk out of. 

Splendid essence:- Make your home game strong and add this flower arrangement to your list.

This arrangement consists of:

– Preserved flowers

– Dried flowers

– Jo Malone perfume – English pear & freesia/Peony & blush Suede perfume – (30ML).

Sweet love:- A basket of mixed roses soap with fillers. If you aren’t a fan of roses like us, Sorry! We can’t vibe together. Get this beautiful basket for your home or for someone you love and care about. 

Get your hands on these beautiful flower arrangements which are available on FlowerAdvisor and delivered around Singapore and overseas with your efficient flower delivery.