Repurposing Diwali Flowers and Garlands into a Homemade Potpourri

The bouquets you would have received as Diwali gift might be lying in some corner now, almost ready to get dumped as they start losing on their sheen and freshness. The garlands and dozens of flowers you have used as Diwali décor and puja have also their fate sealed. Until, you decide to shake things up and make potpourri of them.

Extremely easy and user-friendly, this DIY can be done with the help of things available at home! And most importantly, it is 100% natural!

Just follow these methods step-by-step and create DIY potpourri at home.

Dry the Petals:

This is the building block of your potpourri preparation. The more varied flowers, the better.  Different flower types look extremely elegant in a potpourri mix.

Gather the petals and dry them. It is very important that the flower petals are completely dried to prevent the growth of fungus and mold. If some flowers are wet and some of them dry, it is advised to arrange them in different layers. Use baking sheet or silver foil to dry the petals.  Please note that the petals should not touch each other, so as to avoid them become a soggy mess. So, have patience and dry them in parallel lines. You can also use orange peels for citrus blend.

Pro Tip:  The petals dry from the edges.  From the edges to end, hence, take a cue from the crispiness of the petals.

The surface, on which the sheet is spread, should be smooth and properly ventilated. It should be dark and dry. If you are drying them outside, keep them in shade and covered with a sieve to avoid dust. Ventilation is the key aspect as we need to dry the flowers as soon as possible. A moist corner will be hazardous and reduce the petals to nothing else but mere compost manure.

Usually, petals take about 2 to 3 weeks to dry completely.

Making Potpourri Mixture:

Ingredients:

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• Dry petals
• ½ teaspoon of essential Oils of your choice such as rose water or lavender oil
• You can use herbs like sage and rosemary too
• Spices like clove and ground cinnamon can also work wonders if you like spicier scents
• Mixing bowl and wooden spoon
• Sealed container
• Ribbon, if you want to make potpourri for gift

Method:

Take dried petals in one mixing bowl and mix it well.  Pour essential oil drop by drop and keep mixing.  Be gentle while mixing otherwise petals can break and won’t look aesthetic.

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Place the mixture in a sealed jar or a paper bag for six weeks.  Shake the bag or jar on a daily basis to let the petals absorb the oils perfectly.

Phew! Good to Go!

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Within six weeks or less, the potpourri will be ready to flaunt!  Put the mix in sealed plastic bags to place them in wardrobes or keep them in large bowl as a decorative tabletop arrangement.  Potpourri also makes for a fantastic gift option. Put the mix in a mason jar and wrap a nice ribbon!