Create a Natural and Fruity-Scented Home: DIY Potpourri

Transform your home with a budget-friendly DIY fruity-scented potpourri! Discover easy steps to create a natural and family-friendly aroma.

Dehydrated orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and star anise potpourri.

Everyone desires a pleasant-smelling home, but the use of chemical air fresheners can be a turn-off. This challenge becomes even more significant in the cold winter months when obtaining fresh flowers can be difficult. However, fear not! I have a secret to share—discover how to make a delightful fruity-scented potpourri for just pennies, using natural and family-friendly ingredients.

Homemade potpourri has several advantages over store-bought options. First and foremost, it allows you to control the ingredients, ensuring a natural and chemical-free fragrance for your home. You can personalize the scent by choosing your favorite fruits and spices, creating a unique blend that reflects your preferences. Additionally, homemade potpourri is cost-effective, as it can be made with everyday kitchen supplies, reducing the environmental impact of packaging. The process of making your own potpourri can also be a creative and enjoyable experience, adding a personal touch to your home decor.

Making Your Homemade Potpourri

Making your own potpourri is super simple. Are you ready to make your own?

Supplies Needed:

  • Fruit (almost any variety works; I prefer apples and oranges, especially when making fruit salad to avoid wasting peels)
  • Sharp Knife
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Cooling Rack
  • Ziplock Baggie
  • Salt
  • Spices (cinnamon, cloves, vanilla beans, and nutmeg work exceptionally well)

Preparing Your Fruits

For the citrus peels, begin by cutting orange and lemon peels into small pieces, ensuring that each piece is no larger than 1/2″ wide. Slice these peels thinly, with a thickness no greater than 1/4″.

As for other fruits like apples, peaches, and pears, slice them into thin pieces, maintaining a thickness of no more than 1/4″. It’s advisable to save the peels for dehydration, as they can be later included in the potpourri mixture, adding an extra layer of fragrance.

Slices of citrus being put in a countertop dehydrator.

Drying Your Fruits

After preparing the fruit, arrange them on cookie sheets and preheat the oven to 250ºF. Let the fruit remain in the oven for approximately 2 hours. If you notice sizzling during this time, consider adjusting the temperature or cracking the oven door to prevent overcooking. Alternatively, if you have a dehydrator, it can serve as an effective alternative for this process.

To ensure the fruits are adequately dried, perform a simple check by squeezing a few pieces. You can set them aside if they feel rubbery with no signs of moisture.

Once the drying process is complete, remove the remaining dried fruit from the oven and allow it to cool on a rack. This step ensures that the fruit maintains its texture and aroma for the perfect potpourri blend.

Assembling the Potpourri

Once all the fruit has cooled and dried, transfer it into a Ziplock plastic bag. Add one tablespoon of salt and another tablespoon of your preferred spice or combination of spices into the bag. Give the bag a good shake to ensure that the spices are evenly distributed over the fruit.

Allow the potpourri to sit overnight, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify. The next day, place the fruit potpourri in a container and revel in the delightful natural aroma that will now permeate your home, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Frequently Asked Questions

When crafting homemade potpourri, you have a spectrum of delightful fruit options at your disposal. Consider the vibrant and zesty notes of citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons, which infuse a refreshing aroma. Additionally, the sweet and subtle fragrances of apples, peaches, and pears add layers of warmth, creating a well-balanced and inviting potpourri blend for your home.

Absolutely! The beauty of making homemade potpourri lies in the freedom to curate a bespoke scent that resonates with your personal taste. Selecting specific spices and fruits allows you to craft a distinctive and entirely customized aroma, transforming your home into a uniquely inviting space.

Introduce fresh herbs or flower petals to the existing potpourri mix. This not only adds new scents but also enhances the visual appeal. You can also lightly mist the potpourri with a mixture of water and essential oils. This can breathe new life into dried-out ingredients.

If you’ve found value in this blog post and enjoyed reading it, why not share it with your Pinterest community? Pin the image below and spread the love!

A pinterest-friendly graphic for my tutorial on making your own homemade potpourri.

Embracing the art of crafting homemade potpourri not only elevates the olfactory experience of your living space but also provides a fulfilling and creative DIY endeavor. By choosing specific fruits and spices, tailoring the drying process, and exploring ways to extend its lifespan, you unlock the potential for a uniquely aromatic home. Say goodbye to store-bought solutions and relish in the satisfaction of a budget-friendly, natural, and personalized fragrance that truly makes your space feel like home.

What fruits and spices would you choose to create your signature potpourri blend, and how do you envision transforming your home’s ambiance with this personalized fragrance? I’d love to hear about your unique combinations and experiences—share your creative ideas in the comments below!

A 1/4 pint mason jar with dried citrus potpourri.
5 stars

Fragrance Fusion: Personalized Potpourri Perfection

With every whiff, experience the personalized perfection that only your unique combination of fruits and spices can bring to your home.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:20 minutes
Dehydrating Timr:2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time:2 hours 50 minutes

This post may contain paid links. If you make a purchase using the links in this recipe, I may earn a commission.

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Fruit any will work
  • 1 tbsp. Salt
  • 1 tbsp. Spices cinnamon, cloves, vanilla beans, nutmeg, etc.

Instructions

  • Cut citrus peels into small pieces no larger than 1/2″ wide. Slice them thinly, no larger than 1/4″ thick. Slice apples, peaches, pears, and similar fruits into thin slices, keeping them no larger than 1/4″ thick.
    Fruit
  • Place the prepared fruit on cookie sheets and set the oven to 250ºF.
  • Leave the fruit in the oven for 2 hours. Adjust the temperature or crack the oven door if sizzling occurs to prevent overcooking.
  • Check for dryness by squeezing pieces. If they feel rubbery with no moisture, set them aside.
  • Remove the remaining dried fruit from the oven and cool on a rack.
  • Place all cooled, dried fruit into a ziplock plastic bag.
  • Add one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of your chosen spice(s) into the bag.
    1 tbsp. Salt, 1 tbsp. Spices
  • Shake the bag to distribute the spices over the fruit evenly.
  • Allow the potpourri to set overnight.

Notes

Place the fruit potpourri in a container and enjoy the natural aroma that permeates your home.
Keyword: Dehydrator
Servings: 1 bag
Cost: $4

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8 Comments

  1. Can this be put into cellophane bags to be given as gifts or will the scent fade?

    1. Jessica Lane says:

      The scent lasts quite a long time. I think if you sealed the bags they would work great as gifts.

  2. Noor Weaver says:

    Hello, Can Dried slices of Peaches be mixed with Flower Potpourri that has essential oils in it for aroma? I was concerned about mold or the mixture of fruit, flowers and scent not working together due to natural chemical changes. Thank you

    1. Jessica Lane says:

      So long as the peaches are properly dehydrated, I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. If they were packed in syrup I would rinse before drying them just so you don’t attract ants.

  3. Kaye amor says:

    I absolutely have no kind of spices nothing but brown sugar will that work?

    1. Jessica Lane says:

      I’d avoid sugar just because it might attract ants or other creepy crawlies and no one wants that lol.

  4. Wow…this is SO neat! I honestly had no idea how to do this! FUN! Pinned!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

  5. Rebecca | LettersFromSunnybrook says:

    In the Winter, we tossed our orange peels and a couple cinnamon sticks in a metal bowl with water, and place it on the wood stove. Such a lovely aroma!