Potpourri essential oils are fun to make. You can do it with your family, your children and almost everyone in the neighborhood. They are also a natural way of bringing in essential oils into your home. In the world of aromatherapy, potpourri refers to the use of all possible plant parts – flowers, petals, herbs etc mixed with essential oil blends to scent a room or home atmosphere. The resulting aroma is often a relaxing one and varies, depending on the oils and substances used. You can keep your potpourri blends for a long time and often rejuvenate them by using a drop or two of your essential oils. Its fun to make your own potpourri recipe as you can combine any number of things and try out blends of any volume or kind. You can even dry herbs or plant parts on your own if you are not interested in buying them. This would make your potpourri recipe a fun, craft project for you.

Supplies for potpourri blends: To make potpourri blends, you would need the following ingredients – plant substances and essential oils. Both these can be brought from local craft stores or even via online stores. You can even use your garden, home-made plant substances if you want. Or ask your local florist if he has a set of things he cannot sell on account of some defect or other. Things like flowers with missing petals. If you can get them at an inexpensive rate, you can use the petals in your potpourri. On the whole, try everything you can to get potpourri substances at cheap rates.

Drying plant substances for potpourri: If you are interested in drying the herbs, petals and flowers yourself, you can do so with the help of a dehydrator. This speeds up the drying process and also retains the aroma of the substances used in potpourri. When you use a dehydrator, you need to be careful regarding the safety instructions and use substances in the appropriate way. See to it that all substances are placed properly in the dehydrator, separate from each other. Dry every material thoroughly or else, mold can occur. Ensure that your flowers and petals feel crispy and completely dried. When you are ready with  the materials for the potpourri, you can mix essential oil blends with them and use.

Potpourri essential oil blends: Choose one of the below blends in a dark colored bottle and mix well by rolling the bottle between your hands. Then, add them to your potpourri bowl and use. If you feel the aroma is little depreciating, add the blends again (a drop or two) to rejuvenate your potpourri. Some of the blends that can be used in potpourri:

1. Citrus blend: This is an exotic blend which can be used for scenting any indoor room or space. Combine 3 drops of Jasmine with 9 drops of Sandalwood, 12 drops of Bergamot, 6 drops of Grapefruit and 5 drops of Oakmoss.

2. Floral-Citrus blend: Mix 12 drops of Bergamot, 5 drops of Lemon, 8 drops of Grapefruit, 4 drops of Ylang Ylang and 6 drops of Cedarwood together in a dark bottle and use in potpourri.

3. Spicy blend: To make a warm, spicy blend, use 11 drops of Orange with 6 drops of Ginger, 8 drops of Cinnamon, 1 drop of Nutmeg and 4 drops of Frankincense.

4. Complete potpourri blend: In a large bowl, add the following for a complete potpourri recipe: 8 cups of lemon leaves, lemon verbana, tea tree, lemon thyme, lemon grass leaves, 1 cup of eau-de-cologne, 1 cup of calendula petals, 1 cup of fixative (Benzoin, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Myrrh, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver etc), along with 6-8 drops of Lemon verbena oil and 3-4 drops of Bergamot oil. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 6 weeks to ensure the materials mix well. After 6 weeks, use the materials in a potpourri container and scent your room/living space.