Homemade Rose Water, Oils, and Potpourris

What do you do with all the lovely bouquets or single roses you are given for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or just because? They are too lovely to toss out even when the buds begin drooping, and have far too much sentimental value, as well as many practical uses in this economy.

Instead of sending those once beautiful remembrances to the trash, why not try mixing these bouquets with flowers from your garden, to make lovely scented floral waters, oils and potpourris. These can make delightful gifts to give, to wear yourself, or create welcoming smells wafting through your home.

Scented Floral Waters & Oils

Snip or break buds off of stems, removing loose petals from flowers which have already bloomed, and simmer in water, to create a lovely scent throughout your home. After simmering and cooling, strain off mushy petals and other debris.

Pour scented water through a coffee filter into a sterilized jar, ready for decorative and/or spray bottles. Keep refrigerated for an invigorating body splash, or gentle facial toner.

For body oils, and to delicately scent inexpensive dollar-store baby oils or off-brands of body oils, simply add the whole buds (only) which you have removed from the steeped floral waters above. Transfer to decorative bottles (buds included) tying a ribbon-bow around the neck for lovely gift-giving.

Potpourri & Gardening Compost

Another way to use your dying gift bouquets and buds, along with garden flower petals, is to dry them upside down to retain color and fragrance. Then combine buds, petals, and a few leaves into large baggies.

Add several drops of specially scented potpourri oil, available from most larger craft stores, and gently toss with each new bouquet addition. For potpourri-on-demand, I also like to add scraps of colorful curling ribbons, and thin satin ribbons to hold onto more of the fragrant floral scents.

Display homemade potpourri in candy dishes throughout the house, but out of the reach of children, for delightfully fresh year around fragrances. Because you will only be using colorful flower petals and buds, use the stems and leaves (chopped into small pieces) added to a homemade compost pile, to put decomposing nutrients back into your garden soil.