How to Make a Keepsake Rose Petal Jar
As far back as I can remember, my mom had a rose petal jar. Whenever she had a bouquet, she would dry some of the rose petals and toss them into the jar. Her jar was very old and had belonged to my great-grandmother. At the very bottom, there was just “petal dust” left over from decades of old petals that had disintegrated. Whenever she opened the rose petal jar, I would lean in for a whiff of the heavenly scent.
When we had our shop, my mom used to make potpourri from rose petals, herbs, spices and other flowers from her garden. We would display the potpourri in glass containers and sell it by the scoop.
With wedding season in full swing, this would make a unique and sentimental gift for a bride. She could add some of her bridal flowers and begin a family tradition of saving rose petals from special events.
If you’re looking for other wedding ideas, check out my DIY Moss Topiary Trees. They would make great reception decor and/or favors!
The first step is to choose a glass container. Keep an eye out for vintage jars at antique shops and estate sales. This one is from my mom’s stash. I absolutely love the rusted green top and wooden handle!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- dried roses
- dried lavender
- other dried flowers (I used hydrangea and amaranth)
- cinnamon sticks
- whole cloves
- rose essential oil (optional)
The easiest way to dry roses is to cut off the stem when they start to wilt and then just leave them alone for a couple of weeks. If you’re short on time, you can dry them in the oven. Place them on a cookie sheet and heat in a 180 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until crisp.
Now it’s time to create a “starter batch” for your recipient. Remove the petals from about five roses and put them in the jar. I used both red and pink roses.
Then add a handful lavender buds. I stripped mine off the stems.
Add some dried flowers.
2 cinnamon sticks…
And a tablespoon of cloves.
I didn’t add any rose essential oil, but you can if you’d like a stronger rose scent. I think it smells amazing as is! And as more petals are added over time, it will maintain the aroma. Now just give it a stir and you’re done!
Write a personal note to explain the purpose of the rose petal jar. If you used petals from your own special event to create the jar, include that in your note. How sweet would it be to include petals from your Anniversary or Valentine’s Day bouquet?
Of course, you can make one for yourself, too!
I’ll be back on Monday with the At Home DIY July Challenge. Let’s see what we can do in just 2 hours!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Rebecca
This is so beautiful. My daughter was married last November. My niece suggested we put some of her rose petals from the wedding in a glass ornament for Christmas. She loved it, and she would love this jar so much, too, because it would be out all year long. Thanks for sharing with us at Thursday Favorite Things!
Hi Rebecca, growing up, the lady that lived across from us dried her rose petals. I can still see myself as a small child watching her lay them out on a screen to dry. When I had my own roses I started doing the same thing. Here I am, years later, with roses and lavender all around me, and I’ve been thinking I need to do this again and talk about it with my tribe!
This idea about using the flowers from a special occasion makes for such a lovely keepsake. And, yes, the dried roses smell wonderful on their own.
Thanks for sharing this post 🙂
Thanks Rachelle! I’m so glad to hear that you have fond memories of dried rose petals from your childhood too. I’m planning to carry on this tradition with my daughter, as well. There’s nothing like opening the jar and breathing in that glorious smell!
What an awesome and thoughtful gift! I love it. I still have potpourri jars scattered about because I like the aesthetic too. Another great post!