Activity:
Homemade Potpourri
It's hard to find anyone who doesn't love the sweet aroma of potpourri, but your child may be wondering how dry leaves and dead flowers can end up smelling so good. In this project, you'll teach your child how potpourri is made by making your own. You'll end up with a wonderful fragrance that can be placed anywhere in the house, and will even make a great gift for a grandma or an aunt!
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What You Need:
- Rose blossoms (on the stem)
- String or rubberband
- A glass jar, or a piece of tulle netting and a silk ribbon
- Cinnamon sticks
- Optional: rose oil
What You Do:
- Invite your child to help you choose roses just on the verge of fully opening. Let her smell each one before you select it, then cut them and tie a string or tightly wrap a rubberband around the stems.
- Hang the flowers upside down from the stems in a warm, dry, dark place. A closet, unused kitchen cabinet, or an unused corner of the attic would be perfect--just don't forget about them!
- Let the roses dry for two weeks. (Anything less than two weeks and you risk the chance of mold caused by any remaining moisture. Yuck!)
- Cut the stems off the flowers and toss them out to avoid any thorn pricks.
- Invite her to carefully pull off the petals, dropping them into the jar or onto the tulle.
- If the scent isn't outstanding, you can add a few drops of rose oil onto the petals to make it more fragrant.
- Now add some cinnamon sticks, and you're finished! Leave the open jar in a room you want perfumed. For a more stylish look, you might want to get a small decorative bowl to put the potpourri in. Another option is to tie a ribbon around the tulle and tuck the sachet into a drawer to scent your clothing. You could also get a tiny gift box and give it as a present--it's perfect for Mother's Day, birthdays, and holidays!
