Want to make your house smell like you’ve been baking all day, but don’t want to actually bake all day? This simmering potpourri recipe is for you! Your house will smell amazing with hardly any effort.
I simply love the smells that go along with Thanksgiving and Christmas: pine, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, hot apple cider, etc. The smells are so warm and inviting. Today I’m sharing a recipe that will make your home smell like you’ve been baking all day, but it only takes a minute to throw together.
What You Need for Simmering Potpourri
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- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Tbsp. Whole Cloves
- 1 Naval Orange or 2 Cutie Oranges (you can use the whole orange and cut it into slices, or just use the peels)
- 1/2 Cup Cranberries
- 1 Vanilla Bean (or 1-2 tsp. Vanilla Extract)
- Stock Pot
This is what I am using for my simmering potpourri, but you could certainly experiment with other items as well. Lemon would add a brighter note to the mix. Pine, rosemary, or bay leaves would add an earthy scent. Toss in some nutmeg and/or allspice. Throw in some sliced apples, or use apple juice (or cider) instead of water. Lots of possibilities.
How to Make A Simmering Potpourri
Put all the items into a stock pot. Fill the pot with enough water to come one inch from the top of the pan. Heat on high until the mixture starts to simmer, then turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer as long as you’d like.
*Keep an eye on the potpourri as the water will burn off, and you will need to add more as time goes by. Never leave the house with the potpourri simmering.
You can continue using the same potpourri throughout the season, just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you use it again. (Remember to add more water each time you decide to simmer).
Looking to add a little more Christmas scent to your home? Check out this recipe for DIY Room Spray!
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Hi Erin!
Can you tell me if these wax melts really smell up the house? I have been buying wax melts for years and this past year
none of them, and I mean none of them, seem to have the fragrance they had years ago.
Thank you!
I love the smells of Christmas and have been trying to find candles or melts that will give me this as I live in Australia and I could not stand the stove going all day. Any recipes for Christmas melts?
Hi Margaret- I do have a recipe for wax melts that you can find using the link below. However, instead of using rosemary and lavender essential oils, you could replace them with orange and thieves essential oils (Thieves has both cinnamon and cloves in it and smells amazing!) Also, if you have a diffuser for essential oils, you could just add these 2 oils to it and it would work as well. Hope that helps 🙂
Here’s the link to the wax melts: https://www.lemonslavenderandlaundry.com/rosemary-lavender-wax-melts/
And here are some affiliate links to the oils if you are interested:
Orange Oil: http://amzn.to/2bQKZf7
Thieves Oil: http://amzn.to/2bixzax
Thank you I will be trying these this Christmas
OMG! I love this recipe. I often have one simmering when I’m making fish or frying anything. I love this aromatic combination and am thinking it’ll be simmering on my stove this Thursday for Thanksgiving!! Pinning and sharing. 🙂
Great idea to simmer something wonderful when you’re cooking not so pleasant smelling food, like fish! I have been using this recipe every day recently. Gotta love the smells of Christmas!