Fixatives for potpourri

[Poppy4lee]

Can anyone tell me what the best fixative is for potpourri? I don't mind what type it is i.e. powders, resins, gums etc. What I actually want to make is a sachet to put in the car. I've found that, 1) because the essential oils are so volatile and 2) because of the high temperatures that can be reach in the car (eg when parked in the sun) the fragrances soon fade. Any help would be MUCH appreciated.

[Sommerwood]

Sorry, not going to be any help but have to say your post made me giggle as I read it to say 'Laxatives for Pot Pourri' !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[craftdancer]

Orris root is probably the most commonly used, although it's not particularly cheap. I think a lot would depend on which oils you are using and what solid/absorbent material you are using as a base.

[removed10]

potpourri fixative

I am just embarking on potpourri making...thought I would try something called FiberFix - has anyone got any experience with it, or opinions of it in general potpourri essential oil use? Thanks!

[ElaineJ]

I've not seen Fiberfix over here I used to use frankincense and myrrh powders or powdered spices - depending on the fragrance required.

For a car sachet try a blend of herbs and crushed spices.

[Poppy4lee]

I've not seen Fiberfix over here I used to use frankincense and myrrh powders or powdered spices - depending on the fragrance required.

For a car sachet try a blend of herbs and crushed spices.

Frankincense and myrrh powders sound great, are they expensive to buy and how much do you use?

[removed10]

arrrrgh, lost my reply....

Maybe I took too long to write it...and timed out or something...

anyway, the cellulose fixative looked like it would add nice texture - little beady blobs...but maybe when soaked with oil it would not look nice at all?

[removed10]

fixative powders

Do they show up at all in the botanical mix, or just disappear into it? So, if you want to revitalize your fragrance, do you just shake on more oil over everything, because the powder is mixed all throughout? Seems like the cellulose blobs would be easier to retrieve for re-oiling, if that's what you needed to do. Or would you soak more fixative powder and shake over the potpourri to rev it up again?

[ElaineJ]

Frankincense and myrrh powders sound great, are they expensive to buy and how much do you use?

I get them from Baldwins Frankincense powder is 75p for 25g Myrrh is £1.89 for 25g - don't know what the postage would be - there's myrrh and frankincense essential oils also but the powders would work out cheaper and you'd only need about half a teaspoon of each to a cup of herb/flower mix.

The old traditional way of reviving potpourri was to sprinkle a teaspoon of brandy over a bowl of the mixture but I doubt whether it would work with synthetic fragrance oils.

[removed10]

brandy reviver

well, I just tried a recipe for home made deodorant that called for vodka...

So, has anyone gathered their own botanicals or just purchased them somewhere?

I am "wild harvesting" (love that phrase!) some smaller pinecones from my trees, some leaves from my sweet bay tree and my sage and rosemary bushes, and will gather some juniper berries later on, also tips of new growth juniper fronds...I have lavender buds from my bushes from last fall....very well dried and VERY aromatic (lav. provence). And I have a few dried dark maroon "cattails" from my millet grass. My rose bushes will be budding out at the end of Feb. when everything does, so it can all get killed in a "surprise" blue norther in March...ahhhh, gardening in Texas. It ain't fer sissies! But I don't know if I will be able to bring myself to pick those beautiful little pink rosebuds! All my vermilion rose hips went mushy...

So how do all these natural botanicals sound to you who are more experienced? I think they'll all look pretty together, if they dry nicely. The pine cones are a little biggish - maybe i'll cut them in half from point to base? How does anyone think that would look?

Then add lavender and rose geranium essential oils? Whatcha' think?

[ElaineJ]

The mix sounds attracive - but personally I'd leave out the pinecones as you have a basically floral mix rather than a woodsy one.

I'd be tempted to add a few dried cloves to the mix and perhaps a smidgin of clove essential oil.

[removed10]

pinecones

Good point! Thanks!