How to Make Potpourri
Homemade Christmas Potpourri Recipe

how to make potpourri

On this page I'll show how to make potpourri with a simple Christmas potpourri recipe. It has delicious warm and spicy scent.

Ingredients for Homemade Potpourri

All you need for this potpourri recipe is:

handful of dried orange slices (see below for how to make or buy)
handful of small pine cones
handful of whole cinnamon sticks
half-dozen star anise

how to make potpourri - ingredients

All quantities of ingredients are approximate. Don't worry about using exact amounts - I promise the potpourri will smell delicious regardless :-)

You can either buy dried orange slices from a craft store, or make your own. I made may own, and it was quite straightforward. The nice thing about making them yourself is that your kitchen will smell amazing while the orange slices are drying.

Drying orange slices:

Slice orange(s) cross-wise into thin slices about 1/4" or 1/8" thick (approx 5 mm)
Press slices between paper towels or kitchen towels to blot away excess juice
Place slices on racks in oven and dry for 3 hours at 140°C (280°F), or 120°C (250°F) if fan-forced. Check on them regularly to make sure they don't burn!
Also you can place the orange slices on top of your radiators for a few hours after baking to get the last drops of moisture out with no fear of burning the slices.

How to Make Potpourri

If you're making potpourri for yourself, just put all the ingredients in a bowl and let the warm spicy scent waft around the room. Don't be surprised if it makes you hungry... it smells a bit like Christmas pudding!

how to make potpourri - finished potpourri in bowl

If you're giving the potpourri as a gift (e.g. as part of a gift basket or Christmas hamper), then it looks nice wrapped in a cellophane bag tied with some raffia or ribbon. On this one I also attached a little cinnamon dough star, which smells lovely itself too :-)

how to make potpourri - wrapping in cello bag

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make potpourri! If you have any questions or comments, or just want to say hi, then please contact me with this handy form.