How To Make Perfume From Flower Petals

Making your own perfume is fun and easy. You do not need to spend a lot of money on department store fragrances when you can wear the perfume that you make yourself. Consider giving gifts of perfume made from flower petals.

1. Step 1: Gather your equipment.

   Pick out your flower petals. Be sure to use flower petals that are not sprayed with toxic chemicals. Roses are traditional but you can experiment with other types of petals. You will also need a perfume bottle, distilled water, a funnel, salt, cheesecloth and a glass or aluminium pot and a large bowl.

2. Step 2: Draw the moisture and fragrance out of the flower petals

   Place the flower petals in a large bowl and sprinkle with some salt. Mix well with your hands. You can use a meat pounder to smash the petals if you'd like but it is optional. Let the flower petals rest for an hour.

3. Step 3: Cook the petals

   Put the flower petals into the pot with about 2 cups of distilled water. Bring the mixture to a boil by turning up the heat to high. After it's reached a rolling boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer on low for 2-3 hours.

4. Step 4: Turn off the heat

   Turn the heat off completely and allow the mixture to become cool.

5. Step 5: Strain the petals

   Put the cheesecloth inside the funnel. Pour the petals and water through the funnel and into the bowl. Do this until there is no more flower petal parts left behind.

6. Step 6: Transfer to a bottle

   Transfer the perfume to a perfume bottle using a funnel. Put the cap on the bottle and store in a cool dark place.

7. Home-made perfume does not have preservatives so it will not last a long time. Expect your home-made perfume to last a couple weeks. If the water begins to look funky, do not use the perfume. Be sure to discard the perfume if mould occurs in the bottle at any time.