Essential Oils & DIY

DIY- Dried Potpourri Traditional Dried Botanical Potpourri Grab a copy of our DIY Natural Potpourri Fact Sheet here  Gather together: To make 4 cups potpourri Essential oil of choice 1 litre of dried botanicals . Select from:  Bark, roots, seeds, leaves, herbs. Orange., lemon and other citrus peels Gums and resins like frankincense, myrrh, eucalyptus gum Spices, herbs eg lavender sprigs, star anise, cinnamon sticks, rosemary sprigs, vanilla bean pods etc Method: Dry your botanicals Dry any botanicals that are fresh or contain moisture using one of the following methods: - Place flowers bark etc on newspaper. Leave in a sheltered area that gets the sun over several days, turning daily until dry. - Place botanicals on a lined baking sheet in a very slow oven (around 100 -120C)  for several hours until all moisture has been removed. - Use an electric dehydrator to remove the moisture from the plant material. Re-use bunches of flowers: A lovely way to give new life to a wilting bunch of flowers is to make them into potpourri . Just tie the stems together with some string and hang them upside down in a bright airy space for a few weeks until fully dried out.  Putting it together Mix 5 ml of essential oil blend of choice into the botanicals.  Store in a large ziplock bag  for at least 2 days to allow the scent to permeate the potpourri. Place potpourri into bags, bowls or other suitable containers and place in room. Re-invigorate the potpourri by adding in 1 or 2 ml of essential oil as needed..  

There is nothing nicer on a cool winters evening than coming home filled with the scent of spices and autumnal fruits.   We can achieve this bysimmering a pot of sliced fruit mixed with spicesi on the stove, heater or slow cooker.  Once gently boiling away this pot of spicey goodness with fill your home and hearts with its comforting goodness.   Grab a copy of our DIY Natural Potpourri Fact Sheet here  What goes into a Simmering Potpourri? There are no hard and fast rules as to what tio include in your potpourri . it really depends on your own personal taste and sense of smell as to what goes into it. Some possibilities include: Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, bay leaves,. citrus peel- orange /lemon /lime, apples – apple peel & cores are great, fresh ginger, vanilla bean, whole black peppercorns, mint, rosemary, eucalyptus leaves, chai tea spices (tea bags work fine), coffee beans   Method : : Choose a suitable pot to heat your simmering potpourri in.  e.g. small saucepan or pot to go on your wood heater, stove top or you can use a slow cooker if you prefer. Add your selection of ingredients to the pot.  Add at last 2 cups of water – more if your container can take it. Bring pot up to boiling point and reduce heat until a slow simmer. (Steam slowly coming off the surface. Leave uncovered to allow the scent to flow through your home.  Top up with water as required.  Replace the ingredients every 4 days - Place used goodies in the compost, they make wonderful food for your garden.