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    Home » DIY Projects

    Homemade Potpourri Made With Natural Apples, Oranges and Cinnamon

    September 27, 2017 by Patti Estep 6 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Two images. Top is a close up of dried orange and apple slices and bottom show the in a large wooden bowl with cinnamon sticks

    Make your own homemade potpourri with natural apples, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks. It's a great way to bring a little beauty in and have your home smell wonderful.

    Homemade potpourri made with natural apples, orange slices and cinnamon sticks in a wooden bowl.

    A while back I showed you how to make potpourri from your garden flowers. Today I'm sharing an easy way to make homemade potpourri with oranges, apples, and cinnamon sticks.

    Perfect for fall or as a Christmas potpourri, these scents offer a warm and cozy feel to your home.

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    Orange slices drying in the oven.

    How to Make Homemade Potpourri

    • Slice your fruit about 1/4 inch thick. 
    • Pat off any excess juice with paper towels
    • Place them on the oven rack for 2 hours at 200 degrees, flipping occasionally. You can also use an oven safe cooling rack (as shown above) to prevent the fruit from falling through.
    • After about an hour flip them over on the rack.
    • Since ovens vary this may take a little longer or a little less time. Just keep an eye on the fruit and make sure it doesn't burn.
    • Next, remove them from the oven and place them in a cool dry spot to completely dry out. This may take another day or two.
    • Place the dried orange and apple slices in your favorite bowl with some cinnamon sticks and enjoy.
     Apple star slices

    Once when my daughter was very little, she showed me how pretty the center of an apple is, with the star or flower shape in the middle from the seeds.

    Dried apple slices

    This shape shows up beautifully in the dried apple slices. Here I used red delicious apples, because of their pretty dark-colored skin. I love the way the edges curl up while drying in the oven.

    Cellulose fiber and fragrance oil

    Homemade Potpourri Tip

    The dried fruit and cinnamon sticks are fragrant. But after a while, they may lose some of their scent. You add more fragrance or freshen up the potpourri, by adding some cellulose fiber as a fixative and some essential oils or fragrance oil to the bottom of your bowl.

    Homemade potpourri made with natural apples, orange slices and cinnamon sticks in a large wooden bowl.

    Recipe Options and Substitutions

    • Use other dried fruit such as fresh cranberries, lemons, limes, and grapefruit
    • Try other spices such as star anise, or whole cloves.
    • Add some texture with pine cones or bay leaves

    Wouldn't this make a beautiful party favor or a small gift for guests? It's very similar to this simmering potpourri project. In fact, you could use these elements in a simmering pot of water too.

    Still, I think I like the way it looks just as much as the way it smells, and will keep it displayed on our coffee table.

    Patti signature

    More Natural Fragrances

    • Dried Orange, Bay & Cinnamon Garland
    • Dried Citrus Ornaments from Clementines
    • Handmade Dried Fruit Wreath
    • DIY Orange Peel Candles
    • Stovetop Potpourri
    Dried apple and orange slices.
    Homemade potpourri made with natural apples, orange slices and cinnamon sticks is a great way to bring a little beautiful and fragrance to your home.
    Print
    5 from 1 vote

    How to Make Potpourri

    Homemade potpourri made with natural apples, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks is a great way to bring a little beauty and fragrance to your home.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Active Time4 hrs
    Additional Time10 mins
    Total Time4 hrs 30 mins
    Course: DIY Projects
    Yield: 2 -4 cups
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $20

    Equipment

    • Sharp knife
    • Oven
    • Oven safe rack

    Materials

    • Red apples
    • Oranges
    • Cinnamon sticks
    • Cellulose fiber optional
    • Essential oils optional
    • Fragrance oil optional

    Instructions

    • Thinly slice apples and oranges.
    • Use paper towels to pat off any excess moisture.
    • Set the sliced fruit directly on oven rack or an oven safe rack.
    • Heat in the oven on low heat around 200 degrees for 2 - 4 hours flipping occasionally or until dry.
    • Toss dried fruit slices with cinnamon stick together to make the potpourri.
    • You can additionally add some fragrance oil to cellulous fiber and place it under the potpourri for added fragrance.

    Notes

    Ovens and fruit sizes will vary. It may take less time or more for the fruit to dry.

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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Annette Wilcox

      April 21, 2020 at 11:27 pm

      How do you keep the apples and oranges from sticking to the cookie sheet? Mine stuck.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        April 22, 2020 at 6:43 am

        Annette, I did not have this problem but I do have a couple of suggestions. Make sure that you get most of the just off the fruit with a paper towel first. Make sure that you flip the fruit even more often, perhaps every 20 minutes. You could also try parchment to see if it helps prevent the fruit from sticking.

        Reply
    2. Joanna

      November 19, 2019 at 9:57 am

      What kind of apples & oranges would you suggest to use?

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        November 19, 2019 at 12:12 pm

        Joanna, I used red delicious apples because they have beautiful dark skin. The oranges I used were navel oranges mostly for their size.

        Reply
    3. Carole

      September 27, 2017 at 8:10 am

      Love the idea of making this for gifts, especially now through winter. After we get settled though I think I'll just make some for my office. Great idea!!!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        September 27, 2017 at 8:21 am

        Hi Carole,

        It would make great gifts. Natural and pretty and doesn't cost a lot. My kind of project. It would be great for your office.

        Reply

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