How to Make Sunflower Potpourri

 I love having fresh flowers in the house when I can.  Once they begin to fade and wilt, I have a hard time throwing them out.  So if thy are especially pretty flowers I will make potpourri out of them. This year, I wanted to see if sunflowers would make a good potpourri. I had a few vases in the house, with some that I had picked from the yard and lane, and I had also gotten a bunch from the grocery store. Once they began to wilt, I  hung them so that their petals would dry in the forward position. Once dry, I arranged them with some other fall flowers, leaves and seed pods, pinecones, spices etc. dripped some extra essential oils on them, and made a lovely fall potpourri.

 This bouquet of flowers came from the grocery store. They came bunched with some eucalyptus leaves and a few other flowers that I thought would be nice to add to the potpourri.

 To make potpourri with Sunflowers, dry your sunflowers by hanging them or propping them in a downward position, so the petals will fall forward. Make sure they are out of traffic zones, because the petals fall of easily until they are dried.

 Gather a variety of  flowers, leaves, pods, spices, pinecones, or what ever you have at your fingertips.  Allow flowers and leaves to dry about a week. 

 Once they are dry, trim the stems off of flowers and leaves.

 Pinecones make a nice filler and base. They add texture, and are a lovely way to hold and distribute essential oils. I begin by placing them on the bottom of my potpourri display.

 Next comes a layering of leaves and various pods and flowers.

 I like to drip and spray the layers with essential oils.

 Top with sunflowers and various spices, then add a last drip or spray of essential oils, and you are finished.

Sunflower Potpourri

Ingredients:

• Dried Sunflowers
• Dried fall flowers
• Dried Eucalyptus, Bay leaves or any other leaves 
• Whole Spices, Pods, such as Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Anise Stars, and foraged items.
• Pinecones
• Essential Oils, such as Eucalyptus, Cinnamon, Clove, Rosemary, Lavendar, Orange, Tangerine or Lemon, or any combination of these.
• Scissors
• A bowl for display      

Instructions:

1. Dry the Sunflowers, as well as any other flowers you would like to use,  by hanging or propping flowers in a downward position, so that the petals fall in a forward position.  You can tie the stems with twine or string and hang them from a shelf or a rack that is out of the way of household traffic.  Allow them to dry about a week.
2. Gather all of the ingredients, and a nice bowl to display your potpourri.
3. Layer the ingredients, beginning with the Pinecones. 
4. Drip and spray essential oils on ingredients as you layer.
5. End with the Sunflowers, placing them gently on top, to preserve as much of the pretty shape as possible. 
6. Breathe and enjoy!   

 

 Click below for a few other Potpourri Ideas:

 Cinnamon Pinecones

Rose Potpourri