During the holiday season, I am always looking for gift ideas that are homemade and don’t cost a lot of money. With so many teachers and other people to give small gifts too, a homemade gift is a great option because it is thoughtful but easier to keep the costs under control. This year, I decided to try my hand at making dried fruit potpourri to give as gifts.
I started by drying all of the fruits I would need for the potpourri: oranges, lemons, apples and pears.
To dry them, simply slice them thinly {a mandoline is great for this!} and then put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for a few hours until dried. The amount of time varies greatly based the water content of the fruit. A good starting point is 2-3 hours and then judge from there how long to leave it for. Once they are done, gather the rest of your ingredients
What You’ll Need:
1 dried lemon slice
2 dried orange slices
2 dried pear slices
3 dried apple slices
5 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup whole allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 bay leaves
To make the potpourri, just combine all of the ingredients in an airtight container like a mason jar or sealable plastic bag. Then, label them.
Donna, from Swish Printables, created an awesome printable label for me {and you} that I used on the top of the red polka dot bags I found in the Target dollar spot. The bags are about 6″ across so keep that in mind when shopping so you get a bag that will work with the printable. She also made a 2.5″ round circle that is perfect for mason jars.
I also packaged a few of these into mason jars for gift giving as well.
When you are ready to enjoy your scents of the season, simply add the contents of the bag or jar to a saucepan along with 1 1/2 cups water and simmer on low.
- 1 dried lemon slice
- 2 dried orange slices
- 2 dried pear slices
- 3 dried apple slices
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- ½ cup whole cloves
- ¼ cup whole allspice
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 bay leaves
- Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- When ready to use, pour ingredients into saucepan with 1½ cups water. Simmer on low for up to 30 minutes.
This post is shared at the list of fabulous parties found here.
oh wow, how awesome!! i haven’t ever MADE potpourri but i love having it in the house. super cute idea
What a GREAT idea! Pinned! This is such a great homemade gift!
I never thought that I could actually make potpourri myself. Thanks for providing the instructions!
My sister loves making potpourri, will have to show her this!
I haven’t made any potpurri before but I think I should give it a try. Doesn’t seem difficult!
This is such a beautiful idea ! I love the mix of fruits and spices you used!
OMG I have never made potpourri before but love this idea! What a cute little stocking stuffer also!
ooh i bet that smells delicious!!!
what a great way to give a gift – thrifty and appears to smell nice. Thank you for sharing. Pinning!
This is such a great little gift idea!
We do this a lot to scent our home, but I never thought of making it for gifts! Fabulous!
Oh I love this! I never thought to make my own, I just might try this.
This would make such a great gift. I love DIY gifts that people actually want.
So pretty and I bet they smell lovely! Your photography rocks too! Thanks for joining our Twirl and Take a Bow Party! Hope to see you again next week!
This would make a fantastic gift! You’ve made me want to head to the store to get apples and oranges today!
This is a lovely gift idea for any time of year! Love it. Pinning. Visiting from FB DBB Happy Wed! & Happy Holidays! Theresa
how far in advance can you bag these?
I have bagged them as early as end of October for Christmas gifts and it worked fine.