How to Use Herbs to Freshen the Air
Mix your dried herbs together., Dry herbs from your garden., Find a balance of colors, textures, sizes and smells., Make the fixative mixture., Pour the fixative mixture over the herbs., Arrange your potpourri., Add additional essential oils...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Mix your dried herbs together.
In a bowl, fold together your chosen mix of dried herbs.
Use whatever dried herbs you have on-hand from your garden.
If you don’t have a garden, you could purchase some dried herbs from a grocery store.
For instance, you could choose a selection of the following dried herbs and berries:
Chamomile flowers Myrtle leaf Cinnamon chips Mullein leaf Orris root powder Hawthorn berries Allspice Juniper berries Hibiscus flowers Cedar leaf tips Whole cloves Rose buds Cardamom pods Cinnamon chips -
Step 2: Dry herbs from your garden.
Find a dry, breezy room in your house.
Tie a small batch of herbs together with a piece of string.
Loosely wrap the herbs in a paper bag.
Hang the herbs upside down on the wall or on a clothesline.
It should take about ten days for the herbs to dry.Avoid putting the herbs in a plastic bag, which will encourage mold growth. , A potpourri is an air freshener but is also used as a design element in your home, so you should attend to the visual appeal of the mixture.
Try to find a balance between the different sizes, shapes, colors and smells in your potpourri.Combine fragrant herbs that mix well such as chamomile, dried peppermint leaves, lemon balm leaves, rosemary, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and fennel seeds.
If you like the smell at the spa, try mixing lemon, rosemary, cinnamon and vanilla.Try a mix of cinnamon, cloves, star anise, apples and oranges.Include flowers such as dried rose petals and visual elements such as pine cones. , A fixative will help to enhance and seal the fragrance of your potpourri.
You can use gum benzoin, cinnamon powder, vanilla pods, frankincense powder, myrrh gum powder, angelica root powder, benzoin gum powder or orris root powder for the main ingredient in your fixative.
You can get these ingredients from a spice store.Add an essential oil and mix everything together with a whisk.
Combine three tablespoons of orris root powder and some essential oils.You could try the following essential oil blend:
Ten drops of organic ginger Ten drops of organic geranium Ten drops of organic clove Four drops of organic douglas fir Four drops of organic lemon , Put on some gloves, such as kitchen or gardening gloves.
Pour the fixative mixture over your chosen mix of herbs and berries.
Fold the fixative mixture into the bowl of herbs until everything is thoroughly incorporated.You will need one ounce of fixative per batch of potpourri.
One batch of potpourri is approximately four to six cups of dried ingredients., Put the potpourri in a nice display bowl.
Move the herbs around until you are satisfied with the look of your bowl of potpourri.You could also store the extra potpourri in an airtight container.
There is no guarantee it will last until you need it.
However, you can always freshen it up by spraying the potpourri with some perfume.You could make little gift bags of potpourri for friends.
Put some potpourri in a paper lunch bag and write your homemade recipe on the side. , Smell the bowl of potpourri.
At this stage, you can add additional essential oils of your choice.
Start by smelling your potpourri observing whether or not there is anything missing.
If you feel it could use a hint of vanilla, for instance, add some vanilla essential oil., You could display the potpourri on a kitchen table, on a dining room table or on a side table in your bedroom.
If you are using it at the office, you could place it on a coffee table or on an empty portion of your desk.
Freshen your potpourri with some essential oil every few days.
Sprinkle lavender oil, rosewater or verbena.
You can find oils in health food stores.
Add three drops of essential oil. -
Step 3: Find a balance of colors
-
Step 4: textures
-
Step 5: sizes and smells.
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Step 6: Make the fixative mixture.
-
Step 7: Pour the fixative mixture over the herbs.
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Step 8: Arrange your potpourri.
-
Step 9: Add additional essential oils.
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Step 10: Display the potpourri.
Detailed Guide
In a bowl, fold together your chosen mix of dried herbs.
Use whatever dried herbs you have on-hand from your garden.
If you don’t have a garden, you could purchase some dried herbs from a grocery store.
For instance, you could choose a selection of the following dried herbs and berries:
Chamomile flowers Myrtle leaf Cinnamon chips Mullein leaf Orris root powder Hawthorn berries Allspice Juniper berries Hibiscus flowers Cedar leaf tips Whole cloves Rose buds Cardamom pods Cinnamon chips
Find a dry, breezy room in your house.
Tie a small batch of herbs together with a piece of string.
Loosely wrap the herbs in a paper bag.
Hang the herbs upside down on the wall or on a clothesline.
It should take about ten days for the herbs to dry.Avoid putting the herbs in a plastic bag, which will encourage mold growth. , A potpourri is an air freshener but is also used as a design element in your home, so you should attend to the visual appeal of the mixture.
Try to find a balance between the different sizes, shapes, colors and smells in your potpourri.Combine fragrant herbs that mix well such as chamomile, dried peppermint leaves, lemon balm leaves, rosemary, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and fennel seeds.
If you like the smell at the spa, try mixing lemon, rosemary, cinnamon and vanilla.Try a mix of cinnamon, cloves, star anise, apples and oranges.Include flowers such as dried rose petals and visual elements such as pine cones. , A fixative will help to enhance and seal the fragrance of your potpourri.
You can use gum benzoin, cinnamon powder, vanilla pods, frankincense powder, myrrh gum powder, angelica root powder, benzoin gum powder or orris root powder for the main ingredient in your fixative.
You can get these ingredients from a spice store.Add an essential oil and mix everything together with a whisk.
Combine three tablespoons of orris root powder and some essential oils.You could try the following essential oil blend:
Ten drops of organic ginger Ten drops of organic geranium Ten drops of organic clove Four drops of organic douglas fir Four drops of organic lemon , Put on some gloves, such as kitchen or gardening gloves.
Pour the fixative mixture over your chosen mix of herbs and berries.
Fold the fixative mixture into the bowl of herbs until everything is thoroughly incorporated.You will need one ounce of fixative per batch of potpourri.
One batch of potpourri is approximately four to six cups of dried ingredients., Put the potpourri in a nice display bowl.
Move the herbs around until you are satisfied with the look of your bowl of potpourri.You could also store the extra potpourri in an airtight container.
There is no guarantee it will last until you need it.
However, you can always freshen it up by spraying the potpourri with some perfume.You could make little gift bags of potpourri for friends.
Put some potpourri in a paper lunch bag and write your homemade recipe on the side. , Smell the bowl of potpourri.
At this stage, you can add additional essential oils of your choice.
Start by smelling your potpourri observing whether or not there is anything missing.
If you feel it could use a hint of vanilla, for instance, add some vanilla essential oil., You could display the potpourri on a kitchen table, on a dining room table or on a side table in your bedroom.
If you are using it at the office, you could place it on a coffee table or on an empty portion of your desk.
Freshen your potpourri with some essential oil every few days.
Sprinkle lavender oil, rosewater or verbena.
You can find oils in health food stores.
Add three drops of essential oil.
About the Author
Melissa Clark
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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