Autumn potpourri you can make yourself

Different scents, like flowers, suit different seasons. We tend to appreciate different types of smells depending on the weather conditions. Potpourri is great for making your home smell fresh, and you can make your own autumn potpourri with just a few ingredients!

Collecting materials

First, take time to walk around and collect dried plant material such as twigs, pine cones, nuts, acorns and bark. You can also save some red or orange flower petals and dry them. Make sure all plant material is dry before making the autumn potpourri.

Heat your orange peels

Place some paper towels on a plate and place orange peels on these towels before covering with more paper towels. Microwave on medium power for about five minutes. Remove the peels and let them cool before storing them in a cool, dry place until completely dry.

Spice it up

Place some cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and whole cloves in a paper bag. Close the bag and crush the ingredients with a hammer. This helps them release their wonderful aromas throughout the autumn potpourri mixture.

Combine your ingredients

Now measure 10 cups of dry plant materials and mix them with 2 cups of spices and orange peels. Mix all these ingredients thoroughly with your hands or large spoons. Store this mixture in a covered container for two weeks and be sure to shake it (gently) once a day.

Time to enjoy

Pour some of this mixture into a bowl (preferably ceramic) and enjoy your meal! You can also add other flavours to this blend in the form of essential oils. Essential oils are not like regular fragrance oils. Essential oils not only smell good, but they also have health benefits. When you apply oils to these dried plant materials, the oils will be absorbed and the aroma will be released over time. You can enhance and refresh your autumn potpourri medley by adding essential oils of cinnamon, clove, orange, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom or cassia.

Some other oils you can pair with these scents include black pepper, cedarwood, cypress, coriander, mandarin, and rosemary. Try various scent combinations to find the perfect match for your senses. Some scents are also more suited for specific times of the year like cinnamon and the festive season, for example. When blending oils for autumn potpourri, consider the smells you often associate with this time of year.