How to Preserve Eucalyptus

woman's hand holding a bunch of dried eucalyptus

In case you haven’t been able to tell yet, we’re big fans of eucalyptus! We love using it wherever and however we can! It looks gorgeous, smells delicious, and pretty much just makes our hearts happy. We had some leftover fresh eucalyptus from our brunch and decided we would try preserving it on our own – because why let some beautiful euc go to waste?!

woman's hands holding branches of dried eucalyptus and pussy willows

woman holding branches of dried eucalyptus in front of her face

How to Preserve Eucalyptus:

Materials needed:

fresh eucalyptus
scissors/gardening shears
vegetable glycerine
water
vase/large jar for eucalyptus

dried eucalyptus next to glass jar and bottle of vegetable glycerine

How to do it:

Cut branches to length, removing any dead leaves or stems.
Trim the end of the branches, cutting at an angle.
Bring water to a boil, you will need 2 parts boiling water, to 1 part vegetable glycerin.
Combine the boiling water with the glycerin and stir until the glycerin has dissolved into the water.
Pour the mixture in your vase/jar, allow to cool slightly, and add the eucalyptus branches.
Arrange the eucalyptus so that all the branches are in the water.
Store in a cool, dry spot, out of direct sunlight, while preserving.
The process will take anywhere from 2-6 weeks, you’ll need to keep checking the progress to see how it’s doing and add more solution if needed.
Once it’s fully preserved, the leaves will be smooth, a little darker, and soft. The water (and end of the branches) may turn brownish (you can change it out if it’s looking too icky).
Once it’s fully preserved, remove the eucalyptus and trim the ends of the branches as needed.

Now you have your own preserved eucalyptus to use as desired…we’ve listed some projects below that you can use it in if you need some inspiration!

woman pouring glycerin into glass jar standing in kitchen

scissors cutting the end of a eucalyptus branch off

tea kettle pouring hot water into clear glass canning jar

woman's hand holding jar of dried eucalyptus

overheard shot of straw hat, amber glass bottles, a pair of scissors and branches of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus looks great on its own in a jar or vase or tied in a bundle and hanging on the wall. But if you’re looking for other ways to use the eucalyptus you just preserved, here are a few of our favorite projects we’ve used it in:

– DIY Leather & Eucalyptus Mirror

– DIY Yarn & Eucalyptus Wall Hanging

– DIY Greenery Table Garland

– Simple Wreaths

Or just go ahead and hold a bundle and snap a euc selfie and share it with us (@themerrythought) – because we never tire of seeing more eucalyptus!