DIY Seasonal Potpourri

Nothing is more inviting than walking into a home and smelling a tantalizing fragrance in the air. While candles create a warm ambience, they come with disadvantages like fire risk, soot, and localizing a scent to one room only. Potpourri offers an easy alternative, with variable scents for long-lasting fragrance. Read on for potpourri scents you can DIY from the comfort of your Solstice™ home! 

Potpourri has been used since ancient times to perfume living and working spaces. Usually displayed in a bowl, potpourri is composed of dried plant materials like flower petals, herbs, and spices. 

This DIY potpourri recipe uses dried apples and pears as its base for a lush and fruity scent. No need for a food dehydrator — your oven can serve the same function. Many potpourri recipes like this one also use a few drops of essential oils to enhance the plant materials’ scent and longevity. 
 
To dehydrate fruit in an oven, set your oven to 200 degrees and slice an apple, a pear, and an orange as thinly as you can. Arrange slices on several baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for around four to eight hours, depending on the water content. Once your dried fruits are cool, mix them in a large plastic bag with a few essential oil drops and whole spices, then arrange in an open bowl for a fruity winter wonderland. 

Protip: Rather than ordering large individual containers of whole spices online (which may be a tad pricey), seek out a local grocery or natural foods store with a bulk spice section. Bulk spice bins allow you to pick and choose smaller quantities of spices, thus saving you money while avoiding waste. 

Stovetop potpourri (or simmer pots) has popped up in droves on home and design blogs in the past few years, and offers a more short-term scent solution for a special gathering or holiday weekend. Stovetop potpourris use many of the same ingredients as their dried counterparts — but in their fresh form. This stovetop potpourri recipe uses fresh cranberries, oranges, and rosemary sprigs for a spicy, fruity aroma that will permeate the whole house. Simply refresh the water in your pot when it has simmered away and keep the pot bubbling in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. Don’t forget to turn off the stovetop at night, of course! 

The spicy fragrance of evergreens is a classic scent for winter when other trees’ limbs are bare. To gather needles or sprigs for this evergreen potpourri, take a walk through our Solstice™ neighborhood amenities and gathering spaces. Gather small fallen branches from pine, cypress, or juniper trees, plus any pine cones you find. Arrange branches in a glass or ceramic bowl and sprinkle a few drops of pine and cedar essential oils over the top. Your home will smell like a walk in the woods all winter long!

No matter what scent you choose to create, what truly matters is how it makes your home feel — cozy, spa-like, and comforting. To find your next scent haven, browse Solstice™ by Shea Homes® floorplans or schedule a tour today!