Scents for the Home: Potpourri Ideas

I've blogged about aromatherapy and essential oils before as an option for scenting your home. The thing against aromatherapy essential oils is that its a little bit expensive. As a cheaper alternative, you may also use potpourri. Potpourri is very affordable and can be easily found in our department or home/living stores.

Potpourri is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials. Potpourri is used to give the air a pleasant smell. By mixing oils, leaves, or dried flowers to your taste, you make potpourri.

The word potpourri comes from the French word "pot-pourri," which was the French name for a Spanish stew with a wide variety of ingredients called olla podrida. In English, "potpourri" is often used to refer to any collection of miscellaneous or diverse items.

In ceramics manufacturing, a potpourri vase is a vase specifically designed for holding potpourri. In the traditional designs a potpourri container is provided with a pierced fitted lid, through which the scent may slowly diffuse.

To scent an area, potpourri is usually placed in bowls or in sheer fabric. But there are a lot of creative ideas you can come up with to how you can use potpourri to scent your house.

• Use "sinamay". This native fabric is light and the gaps between the thread would allow the scent of potpourri to be released more. Cut sinamay in rectangles and put a handful of potpourri in the middle. Roll and tie the ends with ribbon. (You can buy sinamay from native handicraft stores or if you ever visit Bicol, buy lots of them its so much cheaper there and you can use it for creative projects!)
• Sheer Fabric. Sew a pouch, stuff this with potpourri. Close the pouch with a string of beads, ribbons or sequins.
• Old fabrics from bandannas. Sew small pillow from fabric, stuff with potpourri.
• Tulle. Cut tulle in square. Put potpourri in the middle. Pull together the sides and crumple in the middle. Tie with a ribbon or string of beads.

I've also tried putting potpourri in my linen cabinets. Trust me, it smells so much better than mothballs . :) I hope these ideas can get you started..