My sweet niece married this fall and I was fortunate enough to be able to do some of the flowers for her beautiful wedding. Per her request, I made arrangements that showcased blues and purples. The main component of the arrangements were perfectly exquisite white roses. After the ceremony, I pulled all the rose petals off, stuffed them in a bag and brought them home.
My love for flowers is excessive and I couldn’t bear to see all those stunningly beautiful white roses thrown in the trash. As soon as I got home, I spread them out in a couple of roasting pans and dried them with a combination of low oven heat (200 degrees), dry air and lots of patience. The result was a sizable bag full of dried petals which, I’ll admit, had turned a little brown in the process.
Undeterred, I mixed them with some dried lavender, lavender essential oil, rose buds and a sprinkling of orris root as a fixative and voila! Potpourris! Placing a handful of the mixture in the center of thin organza, I tied it up with matching ribbon and made several small bags. I now have the perfect Christmas gift for the bride, her mother and sisters.
Potpourris has been popular since the early eighteenth century. At that time, elaborate ceramic and china vessels were created to hold the dried flower mixtures. If, by the way, you feel “la-dee-da” saying “potpourris.” don’t. The actual translation of the word is French for “rotten pot.”
Poutpourris are not always sweetly scented. They can also be spicy or evergreeny. To make these, use evergreen needles, whole spices such as cinnamon sticks (cut into small pieces) all spice and cloves and an essential oil such as pine or balsam. Just be sure everything is perfectly dry. This is a great craft to do with kids at Christmas time since evergreens are so readily available. Tie up in some thin, sparkly fabric and you’ll have the perfect gift!