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HOW TO MAKE ORANGE CINNAMON CLOVE POTPOURRI

I enjoy all the beautiful smells that come with the holiday season.  Right as the air turns chilly and the leaves start to change I love to fill our home with a rich spicy aroma.  Normally I burn a lot of candles this time of year, but with all the beautiful pinecones around our property I decided to make potpourri.  Making your own potpourri is a great way to keep your home smelling great while on a budget.  Today I’m excited to share with you how to make this orange cinnamon clove potpourri.

Why orange, cinnamon, and clove you ask?  Because those are my favorite fall and winter scents!  Every time I enter the room with this lovely potpourri scent it reminds me of a cup of spiced apple cider.  It’s such a warm comforting smell!  Below I’ve listed supplies needed and I’ll show you how to prep the ingredients and assemble the potpourri.

SUPPLIES NEEDED

2-3 oranges sliced – preferably with a mandolin

20-25 pinecones depending on size

8-10 cinnamon sticks

a large handful of wood chips

*Pure Orange Oil

*Pure Clove Oil

*Pure Cinnamon Oil

Baking sheet with a cooling rack on top

A large bag to mix everything together

*I used Now Essential Oils which are very affordable and sold at Amazon and grocery stores such as Sprouts.

HOW TO PREP THE PINECONES

If you live nowhere near a pine tree and you purchase pinecones from a craft store then they are ready to use.  Hopefully, though, you can find your own pinecones outdoors, but if you collect your own you’ll need to prep them to kill off any mold or bugs and to burn off the sap.  If you do get sap on your hands, hand sanitizer works like a charm to take it off.  Place your pinecones on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper to avoid getting sap stuck to your pans – trust me that’s not fun.  Bake at 200 for 30 minutes then let cool.  If your pinecones are wet they’ll need to bake longer.

HOW TO DRY ORANGES

It’s fun to dry oranges for a variety of crafts, the oranges take a little longer to prep but it’s well worth it.  You’ll need 2-3 oranges sliced uniform and thin, using a mandolin is ideal.  Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray.  Arrange oranges in a single layer and bake at 200 for about 4 hours.  I live at high altitude so mine took a little over 4 1/2 hours.  You know they’re done when the center of the orange feels dry and stiff.  Let cool and store the dried oranges in an open container until ready to use.

HOW TO MAKE THE POTPOURRI

Once the pinecones and oranges are prepped place them in a medium to large sized bag and throw in a handful of wood chips.  This is optional but I love the visual texture it added.  I used leftover mesquite wood chips from our grill.  If you decide to use wood chips or twigs from outside be sure to prep and sterilize them the same way as the pinecones.

Next add a package of cinnamon sticks, or about 8.  Cinnamon sticks get expensive so I limited the quantity.  You can find them cheaper around the holidays or in the bulk food aisle.  Now it’s time for the good stuff, the essential oils!  Mmmm.  The amount you use is strictly up to you but I love strong smelling potpourri.  I sprinkled the oil directly into my bag with ingredients.  I did 20 shakes of orange oil, shook the bag, 20 shakes of clove oil, shook the bag, and then 5-6 shakes of cinnamon oil.

I say shakes not drops because several drops came out at once.  I prefer a more subtle cinnamon scent with stronger orange and clove, but the amount and ratio is up to you.  I used new 1 ounce bottles of oil and I used maybe 1/8 of the orange and clove and much less of the cinnamon.  You should have enough potpourri to fill 2 smaller containers or one larger one.

You can use any brand of essential oil you like, but I used Now Essential oils which are affordable and easy to find at Amazon and some grocery stores like Sprouts.  You can also purchase a variety pack for around $40 it includes all the oils you need plus several extra oils to experiment with.

Just a warning, if you get any oils on your fingers, especially the cinnamon or clove, be sure and wash your hands.  Don’t be like me, forget and then accidentally touch your eye.  That was a bad experience!

How easy was that?  Haha… I’ve been watching Ina Garten lately so I’ve got all her catch phrases stuck in my head.  Seriously you gather and prep your ingredients…making this potpourri is so easy!

Not only does this fresh potpourri make your house smell incredible, but it looks so festive on display, it’s perfect for the holiday season don’t you think so?  Even better you can gift your potpourri.  Simply place the potpourri in a clear bag, secure the top with a rubber band, and then add a bow or twine.  It makes a great Thanksgiving hostess gift or Christmas gift.

As time goes by your potpourri will naturally lose a bit of scent.  You can easily freshen up your orange cinnamon clove potpourri by occasionally adding a few drops of oil.

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Interested in more pinecone projects?  Check out my guide on how to bleach pinecones, my snowy berry pinecone wreath and my sugar plum fairy pinecone garland.  I definitely love my pinecones!

 

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