Homemade Potpourri: An Easy DIY for How to Make Potpourri

Homemade potpourri is the perfect way to keep your heart and home warm, cozy, and delightfully aromatic this season—and it can even double as a creative Christmas gift. So start gathering your favorite fruits, herbs, and spices and learn how to make potpourri in just a few easy steps!

God designed scent as an incredibly powerful tool of the human body that can affect our mood, emotions, and cognition and is especially good at sparking memories. Engaging our sense of smell with delicious seasonal fragrances within our homes can create a peaceful, welcome environment for our family and guests, and even have a lasting effect. This DIY homemade potpourri is the perfect way to keep your heart and home warm, cozy, and delightfully aromatic this season—and since it’s so simple to make, why not assemble extra to give away as sweet-smelling gifts?

There are two types of potpourri: dried and simmering. Gifted potpourri is dried by dehydrating ingredients in the oven. This seals in fragrance and ensures fruits and herbs won’t rot or mold. Simmering potpourri can be done on the stovetop or in a slow cooker for a burst of rich, pleasing perfume that will fill your space all day. So, gather fruits, herbs, and spices and enjoy creating your favorite scent combinations of homemade potpourri with just a few easy steps!

MATERIALS

3-5 Seasonal Fruits (such as apples, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, cranberries, or pomegranate)
2-3 Jars Whole Spices (such as cinnamon sticks, all-spice, cloves, or star anise)
1 Bundle Fresh Herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, pine, or sage)
Glass Jars for Dried Potpourri Storage and Gifting

Engaging our sense of smell with delicious seasonal fragrances within our homes can create a peaceful, welcome environment for our family and guests.
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INSTRUCTIONS

For Simmering Potpourri:

1. Fill a pot or slow cooker halfway with water and dump in potpourri ingredients.

2. Next, set to the lowest temperature and allow to simmer slowly.

3. Be sure to continually check the water level. If the water completely dissipates, your ingredients will burn on the bottom of the pot. Simply refill with water until all scent has been diffused.

For Dried Potpourri:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, slice fruit (with the exception of cranberries) in thin, uniform pieces.

3. Next, place fruit and herbs in a single layer on lined baking sheets.

4. Bake for 5 hours or until ingredients are completely dehydrated, but not burnt.

5. Remove from oven, then allow to cool completely before assembling jars.

6. Place a varying amount of dried fruit, herbs, and spices into jars until full.

TIPS and TRICKS

Use a mandolin to get perfectly even fruit slices.
Do not allow any ingredients to overlap on the pan, as they may not dry out sufficiently.
Add personalized labels or gift tags to your jars for a special touch.
Dried potpourri can also be used on the stovetop to extend its life before disposing of, or spritz with essential oils.
Try adding a little apple cider to your simmering potpourri water for an extra burst of fragrance.
If utilizing a slow cooker, consider plugging in your simmering homemade potpourri in different areas to diffuse scent all throughout your home.

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