How to Make Potpourri: Dried Flowers, Herbs and Seasonal Blends

May 23, 2025

2 min read

Updated: Oct 21

Potpourri is a decorative mixture of dried flowers, leaves, peel and spices. Start with fragrant ingredients such as lavender, rosemary and citrus peel, then add petals for colour. It gives a gentle scent nearby; a bowl of dried botanicals will not necessarily fragrance a whole room.

Bowl of homemade potpourri with dried orange, rose petals, lavender, cinnamon and bay leaves — How to Make the Perfect Potpourri Blend

A simple base recipe

2 loose handfuls of fully dried rose petals or other suitable decorative petals
1 small handful of dried lavender or rosemary
A few fully dried pieces of orange peel
1 broken cinnamon stick or 2–3 whole cloves
A clean, dry glazed bowl or glass container

These are proportions for a small display, not a tested fragrance formula. Adjust the colours and textures to your bowl. Essential oil and a fixative are optional; neither is required to make your first blend.

How to mix and display it

Check every ingredient is fully dry and free of mould, insects and unsuitable treatments.
Mix gently in a clean, dry bowl, keeping delicate petals intact.
Smell the natural mixture first. Add no fragrance if you like it as it is.
If adding fragrance, use only a product whose supplier confirms suitability for dry potpourri, at the supplier’s rate. Protect the work surface and do not leave wet oil pooling.
Display a small amount in a protected dish, away from damp, heat, direct sun, food, children and pets.

Learn how to harvest and dry flowers for potpourri

Four seasonal directions

Spring: rose petals, a little dried mint and lemon peel.
Summer: lavender, calendula petals and orange peel.
Autumn: fully dried apple, cinnamon and cloves.
Winter: dried orange, rosemary and star anise.

Storage, refreshing and common problems

Store spare ingredients separately in clean airtight containers only once fully dry. A cool, dark cupboard helps limit fading. Check stored botanicals for moisture; condensation or a musty smell means they are not suitable to keep. Discard mouldy material rather than drying or scenting it again.

There is no fixed fragrance lifespan. Stir gently, remove dusty or deteriorating pieces and refresh only as the fragrance supplier permits. Do not mist a dry blend with a homemade water-and-vodka spray: that adds moisture and does not establish proper oil dispersion or preservation.