Karon Grieve talks home fragrance.

Posted on February 22, 2012

I was first introduced to Karon through a mutual friend, Nick of Mood Flowers. She is just a super lady with a million and one top tips on almost every subject. So when she offered to do a guest post I obviously jumped at the chance. However, when she suggested doing something on pot pourri I was a little concerned as the only person I know who still uses pot pourii is my Great Aunt and though I LOVE her dearly I’m not sure i want my home to smell like hers. But after reading her tips on how to making my own, I’m now a convert. Read this, and prepare to be converted too.

February is always a wee bit dismal, all the hoopla of New Year is well behind us and Spring seems a long way off. So it’s a good time to add a bit of cheer to your home with a really bright and invigorating fragrance.

Pot Pourri gets a really bad press as being something old fashioned and a bit too messy and dusty. All those bits of dried petal and wood shavings and very often a chemical smell too. But in four simple steps you can make your own version with anything that will hold the smell of your essential oils. This includes paper, fabric, wood, unglazed pottery etc. Here’s how you do it:

1. Gather up some old wooden clothes pegs (or anything else made of wood, like toggles, drift wood or twigs), some shells, sea glass or broken earthenwear and pebbles, a few sprigs of dried lavender if you have any and throw them all together in a plastic bag.
2. Add your refreshing mix of essential oils, about 5 drops of each, and shake well. Always use pure essential oils for home fragrance. Those ‘fragrance oils’ that you see everywhere contain lots of chemicals and can give you a nasty headache. Essential oils may be more expensive but they last of ages and have so many beneficial uses, you won’t regret the expenditure. I like to mix lavender, rosemary and peppermint essential oils together to get a really fresh and uplifting scent. This is completely different from the cozy cinnamon and orangy fragrances that speak of winter and is not a flowery smell that would be too summery.
3. Seal the bag and leave it for a week to let all those lovely oils soak into the wood etc and to give the fragrances a chance to meld into eachother.
4.Tip the gorgeously fragrant goodies in to a bowl, basket or glass jar. The fragrance should last for a few months and then just top up with a few drops of oil again. I added some wooden buttons, braided fabric beads and faux pearls to give mine a seaside look.

TOP TIP: Put a few drops of essential oil on to a cotton ball or paper tissue and tuck it behind your radiators. Whenever the heating comes on the scent will come out. Perfect for hallways and by the front door as smells are something people notice right away, and you want them to welcomed into your home with a wonderful and not something you’d rather not be reminded of.

Enjoy a breath of fresh air all around the house.

Karon Grieve appears regularly as Homecraft Expert on BBC Radio Scotland and Scottish Television. Author of So Easy Herbal and So Easy Christmas. Visit her blog at www.soeasylife.com