Christmas Potpourri
Among the many delights of the Christmas season are the mingled scents of
fresh evergreens, cinnamon-spiked drinks, hot baked Christmas cookies, and
gingerbread houses. Even when there's nothing on the stove, you can fill
your home with the festive aromas of Christmas with a potpourri that is made
to capture the holiday season in both fragrance and visual appeal. For a
special holiday glow, add pinecones that have been spray-painted gold to a
selection of spices, balsam oil, red berries and dried orange slices.
All the materials needed to make this Christmas potpourri are available from
the 'great outdoors' or at grocery, natural food stores or craft stores.
Just be sure to have more on hand than you think you'll need because the
fresh materials shrink as they dry....and you'll want to have plenty on hand
to give as gifts. Cure all potpourri for at least six weeks
Materials;
One cup oak moss
Three tablespoons each of star anise, rosemary, cardamom pods and juniper
berries
20 bay leaves
1/4 cup of one inch cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup of dried rosebuds and petals
1/2 cup of plain pinecones
1/2 cup of gilded pinecones
10 dried orange slices
Balsam oil(or if you prefer a pine, spruce, or fir oil)
Instructions;
Tear one cup oak moss into small bits...ad five drops of the balsam oil and
mix well. Put this in an airtight container and cure for 2 days.
Using mortar and pestle, bruise, crumble and mix 3 tablespoons each of star
anise, rosemary, cardamom pods, and juniper berries. Don't put these in a
grinder of any kind as you want to just bruise them.
After the oak moss has cured, combine the spice and oak moss mixture into a
bowl. Add 5 more drops of oil and mix gently. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon
sticks, rosebud and petals, pinecones and dried orange slices.
Put in an airtight container for six weeks and gently shake every day. The
potpourri will be ready to transfer into pretty bowls or gift bags.
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