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How
to Make Your own Liquid Potpourri and other good stuff! |
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By Arlene Correll
There are often many
items that you see in the stores that are expensive, but charming and a
pleasant addition to ones home such as candles, fragrant potpourri,
sachets, and gel fresheners. They
are not hard to make. Plus
they are pretty reasonable to make. |
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I
cannot imagine the world without out scents and fragrances. The Egyptians washed down their barges with scented water.
We all remember seeing a movie at one time or another with Romans
strewing flowers before a procession.
Even today, some little girl at a wedding might be doing the
same. When
one hears the word potpourri,
one thinks of a mixture of flowers, spices and other fragrant items.
Literally translating the word from the French it means rotten pot! The
French originally made pot-pourri by curing or fermenting layers of salt
with fresh or semi-dried petals and whole flowers in a crock, thus
creating an exceptionally strong and ever-lasting scent. Potpourris
can be made moist or dry and
their main ingredient is traditionally roses. In Colonial times, the
most popular form of potpourri was a moist mixture, consisting of wilted
flowers, mainly roses, layered with salt, bay leaves, brown sugar, and
brandy. After the crock was
filled, a weight was placed on top of the mixture and it was stirred
periodically. The finished potpourri was kept in a rose jar, and when a
room was cleaned, the jar was opened to perfume the air because
ventilation was considered unsafe. One
can make ones own gel fresheners
by using the concentrated liquid potpourri (1 cup) instead of water and
essential oils. You can buy
your concentrated liquid potpourri at the local "dollar" store
so the investment is small and one usually does not have any problems
with mold growing. The
directions are as follows:
Put
liquid potpourri in an old pot and bring almost to a boil. Remove
from heat and add 2 envelopes of gelatin. Stir
to dissolve gelatin and pour into clean decorative jar. Place
piece of plastic wrap over jar and secure with rubber band. Either place
in refrigerator for quick set or leave out overnight on counter. Cover
with piece of starched "lace" and wrap with ribbon to
decorate. Before
using, remove plastic wrap and recover jar with lace cover. You may want
to tie a small ribbon with a card giving the instructions about removing
plastic wrap. If
you seem to be having a problem with mold,
you might try adding 2 tablespoons of salt to the mixture to inhibit the
growth of mold. Another remedy is adding a splash of vodka. And another
suggests potassium sorbate, which is used in food preservation.
It is an organically safe ingredient for hair and skin care and
is a mold and yeast inhibitor, used minimally. Clean baby food
jars, yeast jars, old votive candle holders all make great containers
for gel fresheners. To
use, place the jar on the
stovetop (not
directly on the burner!) while cooking, heat in a
potpourri burner, or simply set out on a table and enjoy the aroma. Should
you give these for gifts, it
is advisable to put instruction tags on them including a warning about
it not being fit for human consumption. Even you can make
your own great smelling gel air fresheners, using liquid potpourri, or
from scratch. They make great gifts! You will need:
Heat 1 cup of water
almost to a boil. Add water, 10-20
drops of oil/fragrance, and food coloring if desired. You can replace food
coloring and oil/fragrance with pre-made liquid potpourri (available at
most craft stores, candle shops, etc.). Just make sure it's the
concentrated kind or it won't retain its smell. The procedure would
be the same. Heat 1 cup of the liquid potpourri, almost to a boil. Stir
in 4 packets of Knox gelatin, until dissolved. Stir in 1 cup cool
liquid potpourri. Pour the mixture
into clean baby food jars and set at room temperature overnight until
"set". You can place the jars in the refrigerator if you need
them to set more quickly, but be aware that the smell will permeate the
fridge. For
gift giving, you can decorate the baby food jars by wrapping with material, or
gluing on wallpaper, stickers, wrapping paper, and remember even a nice
label or tag should be included. To
use, place the jar on the
stovetop (not
directly on the burner!) while cooking, heat in a
potpourri burner, or simply set out on a table and enjoy the aroma. |
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One can use anything
in ones garden to make an aromatic potpourri mixture. Traditionally,
potpourri is a mixture of dried flowers and other ingredients, placed in
open containers, like small bowls or cups and placed to allow their
aroma to delicately scent the room. Sachets are usually small cloth
"pillows" containing potpourri, which can be used almost
anywhere. Sachets have the advantage of being portable, you can place
them in drawers, pin them to pillows, or carry them in your purse
wherever you go. When
you make your potpourri, remember that ingredients should not be finely
ground; petals of flowers should be lightly crushed. Ingredients
such as cinnamon sticks or orange peels should be broken into small
pieces or finely chopped. |
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Some
flowers that are especially good
to use in potpourri are roses, carnations, hibiscus, violets,
sunflowers, and lavender. Some herbs that work well in potpourri are
chamomile, lavender, thyme, sage and rosemary. Eucalyptus leaves are a
nice addition to any potpourri. Don’t be limited by this list. Experiment
by using your imagination and whatever you have at hand. Cinnamon, Cassia, Cloves, Mace Cloves, Allspice, Mace, Cassia Cardamom,
Cinnamon, Anise, Fennel You
should feel free to experiment and make your own blends.
It is always nice to have a significant scent or fragrance that
is definitely you! |
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If you grow globe amaranth in your garden, they will make a pleasant addition to your potpourri. The globe amaranth, of the same family, has purple, red, pink, orange, or white flowers that retain their beauty for years, and they are a popular addition to potpourris. In ancient Greece, the Amaranth was sacred to Ephesian Artemis: it was supposed to have special healing properties and as a symbol of immortality was used to decorate images of the gods and tombs. The name, from the Greek signifying un-withering, was applied to certain plants which from their lasting for ever, typified immortality. |
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Here
is a list of recipes I have found over the years. |
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Essence of Rose
Ingredients:
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Gently
combine petals and leaves in a large bowl. Scatter drops of rose oil
over the mixture using an eyedropper. Stir gently. Place mixture in a
brown paper bag lined with wax paper. Fold and seal the bag with a paper
clip and leave in a dry, dark, cool place for 2 weeks. Every other day,
stir the contents gently to blend and disperse ingredients and scents.
Place in glass bowls or candy dishes. Top with small white or pink rose
buds. Floral 1 Combine 3/4 cup calamus root, 1/2 cup caraway seeds, 1/4 cup ground cloves, 2 cups lavender flowers, 1 cup marjoram, 1 cup mint, 2 cups rose leaves, 1/2 cup rosemary and 1/4 cup thyme. Mix well. Floral
2 Combine
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Spice |
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| Combine 1/4 cup orrisroot, 4 cups lavender flowers, 3 cups patchouli,
1/4 cup ground cloves, 1 cup deer’s tongue leaves and 1/2 cup ground
allspice. Add 10 drops oil of rose, 10 drops oil of lavender, 12 drops
oil of neroli and 1/4 tsp. oil of sandalwood. Mix well.
Cassie Combine |
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| Processed
Corn Cob Additive - Put some ground corn cob material (sold as
cellulose, or litter material at your Wal-mart or pet store) in a jar.
Or you can make your own providing your corn cobs are clean, good and
dry and you have a way to grind them up.
Add several drops of essential oil, place lid on jar and shake. Shake the jar about once every day or so for about 10 days. Add it to your potpourri to give body and help hold the scent. Potpourri Filler
- If you don't have enough dried flowers to make potpourri, or if you
just need some filler, remember you can use almost anything in your
mixture. Pine cones (whole or just the petals), bark, leaves, etc. Orris
root is commonly used as a filler/fixative In
the event you wind up with bugs in your potpourri,
just bag up your potpourri in freezer zip-locks and place in the freezer
for a minimum of two weeks. This should also kill the adults and eggs.
Afterwards use a colander or large holed strainer to sift out the bugs.
If you use large quantities of potpourri, dried flowers, foliage or
herbs in your crafts storing them in a deep freeze will eliminate this
problem. In addition to the
fragrance of your potpourri, eye appeal is important. You might want
to include small pine cones in your potpourri, for instance, just
because they add an interesting color and texture. Add large seeds or
acorns, or pods and even pussy willow buds. You
can make your own Citrus Peel Thinly pare the rind from the fruits, rub with pieces of orris root. NOTE: Push a whole clove through each piece of peel before drying. Place peel on a on a cake cooling rack
which has been put onto a cookie sheet for better drying circulation.
Dry in a low over (200 degrees F) until crisp. |
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Moist Method for Making Pot-Potpourri Moist pot-potpourri does not look as pleasing to the eye as the dry method; however, the scent should hold up to five years, and if well made, it could last decades. Rose petals form the base of a good moist pot-potpourri. Later, crushed or ground spices, a fixative and dried herbs are added at which time the mixture is left to cure. You will need one cup of salt to every three cups of petals. The petals, when measuring should be tightly packed. Starting with fresh petals first, layer with salt in a large crock |
| pot until approximately two thirds
full. Weight down and leave for two to six weeks - the longer the
better. Moist pot-potpourri can be made over a period of time as well. If you don't have enough petals, add as they become available from your garden over the next few days. Better yet, find a large crock and continue the process throughout the summer using petals from a variety of sweet smelling flowers. Be sure to stir well before adding another layer of petals. After you have added the last layer, leave for at least two weeks. If your mixture starts to bubble or ferment, stir it every day and do not add any more flowers for about a week. If excess moisture forms in the crock, carefully pour it off and add to your bath water. The end result of this process should be should be dried out and caked. When the petals have formed a dry cake, empty onto a large clean surface and break into smaller pieces. Add six tablespoons of dried herbs for every gallon of caked petals plus not more than ten ounces of mixed spices, other fixatives or citrus peel. Store your pot-potpourri in an opaque or clear container. NOTE: Old recipes called for Bay Salt. Today, you can use non-iodized sea salt. Create a mixture of equal parts of coarse and fine salt. Dry in a low oven for several hours before using. You might even want to experiment with Kosher salt, which is a nice course salt. |
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While on the subject of salt,
one can get Salt Crystals and the ones I found are Rio Salt Crystals
which are pure Atlantic sea salt in its raw form. The crystals are solar
evaporated from the clear blue waters off the coast of Brazil. It is
minimally crushed and left in large pieces. Rio is semi-transparent and
can be rinsed to create a clear shimmering crystal. Rio has the same
mineral composition as high-end bath salts making it very versatile.
This is the ideal size to be used in Salt Potpourri. The large crystals
are semi-porous which enables them to be infused with color and essence
oil. When heated the crystals slowly release the scent into the air.
Crystals can be re-scented every 3-5 months. |
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Sachets are easy to make and charming to
have. Very popular in the Victorian era, they are becoming more
popular again. You can get
great netting at Wal-marts at a very low price.
I personal use a lavender sachet to inhale from, the minute I
feel a headache coming on. These sachets are quick and easy. Make a great little gift from your scrap stash.
Materials needed: |
Directions Sew the trim on to one end of the fabric. Fold the fabric in half with the right sides together, lining up the lace end. Make a narrow seam down both edges. Turn so right sides are out. Loosely fill pouch with potpourri, leaving room at the top to tie closed with a piece of ribbon. Get creative if you like and add extra loops to the bow. Glue or stitch on a one or two ribbon roses. Sachets are great for anyone who has an herb garden. Here
are some good recipes for blending your dry sachets. Pillow
Talk 1
ounce each of Lavender and Rose Petals 1/2
ounce Lemon Verbena 1
tablespoon Rosemary 2
teaspoons crushed Cloves 1
tablespoon Orris Root Comfy
Country 1 ounce of Woodruff 1/2 ounce each of
Agrimony and Southernwood 3 crumbled Bay
Leaves 2 teaspoon Rosemary 1 tablespoon Orris
Root Dream
Time 2 ounce Mugwort 1 ounce Rosemary 1/2 ounce Spearmint 1/2 ounce Calendula 1/2 ounce Sage 1/4 ounce Lavender Sachet
Hop 4 ounces of Hops 1 ounce each of
Woodruff, Agrimony and Southernwood 1
ounce each of Rosemary and Lemon Verbena 2
tablespoons Peppermint 1
ounce crushed Lemon Peel 1
ounce Orris Root These
sachets can also be made into small pillows or into hot pads that give
off wonderful scents when hot dishes or pots or pans are put on them.
One can be really creative and use a good piece of colorful
material and cut your patterns into designs such as small hearts for
Valentines Day, or green shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day.
The designs are limitless. The
paintings in this article are done by Arlene Correll and these and many
others can be seen and purchased by going to http://www.learn-america.com/stories/storyReader$158
"You have not lived a perfect day, even
though you have earned your money, unless you have
done something for someone who cannot repay
you." ..- Ruth Smeltzer |
