Potpourri is a multi-million dollar industry that helps people make their homes more beautiful and beautifully scented. But a lot of people don't even think about making their own potpourri at home. With Valentine's Day coming up, you may be looking for a craft where you can use the flowers you receive. Making your own potpourri is an excellent use of those flower petals. These tips and ingredient suggestions can help you make your own potpourri out of dried Valentine's Day bouquets.
To begin, you will need to display your flowers differently. The point to displaying flowers is to keep them fresh and beautiful for as long as possible. The point of making potpourri is to dry them out as quickly as possible. So this craft is something that you will probably have to decide beforehand. If you have displayed your flowers and there is no way to use them for potpourri, or if you have not received enough to make your potpourri, you can still use the directions below to make a nice potpourri for your home or apartment. Just omit the first step.
To dry your flowers, there are several methods you can use. First, place them in a food dehydrator. This warm dry air will suck the moisture out, and dry them very nicely. The downside is that you have almost no time to display them. You can place them a shoebox with silica gel, but this also means that you will not be able to display them. You can try a mixture of these drying methods by displaying them for a few days and then drying them. This will give you a few days to enjoy their beauty, and you should be able to still dry them without much difficulty. You can hang them upside down, staggering their length so that each one can get some air. This lets you display the flowers, although they are displayed very oddly. Probably the best solution that maximizes your time that you can enjoy them and also allows you to dry them sufficiently is to fill a vase with silica gel. Then, place the stems in the silica, as if it was filled with water. The silica will help dry them somewhat, as will the lack of water. When they start to wilt, move them to a shoebox. Trim the stems so they will fit, and then cover the head of the flower carefully with silica.
Next, you will want a nice flower to complement your own. Try a craft supply store, or visit www.sfherb.com. They have a large selection of potpourri making ingredients. Remember that you do not need much, so order the smallest size possible. Choose things that match your decor, and that look nice with the flowers you received. While you are at the store, pick a fragrance oil. This will be the scent for your potpourri.
Some things that make an especially beautiful potpourri that is suited for Valentine's Day will give it texture. Don't be afraid to use large items, and pay attention to the season. Whereas a fall potpourri might use gourds and a summer potpourri would use small sunflower heads, one for Valentine's Day would be out of place using these items. Angel Wings (Oroxylum Indicum), Belani Apples, Cockscomb, Pintado Hearts, Moneta Leaves, and Tulips can provide an interesting mix. Also, you should be aware that your scent will hold better if you use a fixative. The problem is that none are very attractive. Orris Root and Cellulose Fiber hold the scent extremely well, but they make the potpourri look cheap. If you decide to use them, do so sparingly.
Next, you have to decide how you want your potpourri to look. Most potpourris take the ingredients and mix them up. If this is the route you choose, you should get a very large ziploc bag and place the ingredients in it. Make sure to leave especially delicate items out, and items that have been dyed should be added after you add the fragrance, because the color can bleed out onto the other items. Put a few drops of fragrance oil, and shake the bag until everything is mixed well. If the scent is not strong enough, you can always add a little bit more fragrance. There is another look for potpourri that is more sophisticated, although it takes more time. You will need several ziploc bags that are big enough to hold some of the potpourri. Say you have six ingredients total. Put them together in groups of two, according to how well they complement each other. The size, color, and shape of the items should be taken into account. After these are in groups of two, place those two items in a bag with some fragrance, and then shake them each separately. This will leave you with three distinct groups of potpourri. That is when you move on to displaying them.
You will now be ready to display it in a large glass jar. If you are using the second method of preparing it, place the bags in the jar one at a time. This gives it a layered, sophisticated look. Because you chose all the ingredients to work well together, they will all complement each other. And because each layer has more than one type of flower or item of interest, it also has some complexity.
If your potpourri ever needs the scent refreshed, here are some things you can do. If you have the layered arrangement, obviously you will not want to disturb it because it will mix it together. Use a spray bottle filled with the fragrance oil, and spray it over the top of the flowers.
Hopefully these tips have given you ideas of your own. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients, and make sure to add different textures to give your potpourri a classy, unique look. There are many different ingredients you can use, and specialty stores will carry them in many different colors to help you match your home decor. By using the Valentine's Day bouquet you received, you can enjoy your flowers throughout the entire year, instead of just in February.
By L. Brown
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