Store bought potpourri isn’t cheap. It costs several dollars for a little over two cups of it. And it doesn’t hold its scent for very long, since it has been sitting on the store shelves for months at a time. That is why it is better to make your own homemade version of it using the following easy method.

Prepare the Fruit

Start by thinly slicing three oranges and three apples. Leave the skin on when you do this. Pat the fruit slices with paper towels to absorb any extra moisture. Then, let them dry on racks that allow air to circulate around them overnight. Metal cooling racks that are used for cooling baked goods will work perfectly for this.

Dehydrate the Fruit Slices

In the morning, put the fruit slices on cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper. Bake the fruit in the oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours. Turn the fruit slices halfway through the baking time. When they are done, let them cool. A food dehydrator can also be used to dry the fruit. Or it can be set out on screens to dry in the sun. But this will take much longer than using the oven.

Gather the Pine Cones

Collect some pine cones and evergreen needles from a local pine tree. If you don’t have any in your yard, then go to a park to find them. Pine cones that are found in nature have a more rustic appearance to them, so they are preferable to the kind sold in the stores. Try to choose those that have recently fallen from the tree, so they will still have a scent to them.

Mix the Ingredients

Combine the pine cones and evergreen needles with the fruit slices in a big bowl. Add in some pieces of cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise pods, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Stir the mixture up.

Arrange the Potpourri

Set out a dish of the homemade potpourri wherever you want the scents of winter drifting through the air of your house built by Alair Homes Toronto. It looks pretty in glass vases that have a strand of white Christmas lights curled in them. Store the remainder of the potpourri in a resealable bag. When it starts to lose its scent, it is time to make a new batch.