Ready to make your whole house smell like Christmas, without having to plunk down dollar after dollar for holiday candles? With less than one minute of prep you can whip up one of these easy DIY Christmas simmer pot recipes and create an all natural seasonal air freshener (that also makes a beautiful DIY Christmas gift, too).
Raise your hand if you have a holiday candle addiction… because I totally do, so you’re in the right spot! When I think about the holidays, a big piece of that involves the way the holidays smell.
It turns out that you can actually recreate those special Christmas smells quickly, easily and using all natural ingredients.
All you need are some of these simple ingredients and small saucepan to recreate the holiday and winter scents you love. Not only does it make a great addition to your home for the holiday, but it also makes beautiful and easy DIY gift.
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What can I boil to make my house smell like Christmas?
Wondering “What can I simmer for Christmas smell?” A Christmas simmer pot is a great way to scent your home in a natural way. These all-natural ingredients combine to make your home smell like the holiday season any time of year:
- Orange slices or orange peel
- Whole Cloves
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Rosemary
- Evergreen branches (or a small, fresh Christmas tree branch)
- Pinecones
- Apple
- Vanilla Extract
- Nutmeg
- Pine needles
- Peppermint and other essential oils
I also like to add cranberries, because they look beautiful even though they don’t add to the scent.
The best thing about these easy Christmas Simmer Pot recipes are the flexibility. Get creative with herbs, spices, plants, extracts and even fruit!
Have some leftover apples from baking? Add those in! Hate the smell of oranges? Don’t use it, or try swapping it with another citrus fruit like grapefruit, lemons or tangerines! Make your easy Christmas stovetop potpourri exactly the way you want.
No evergreen or pine trees in your yard? Stop by your local Christmas tree lot (or anywhere that sells fresh Christmas trees) and grab some of the loose branches or pine needles off the ground!
I also recommend a small slow cooker, like this one. This way you can simmer the ingredients safely on the countertop, without having to keep the stovetop going.
Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed for three different Christmas simmer pot recipes. Feel free to tweak these as you would like!
Traditional Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe
Peels from 1-2 oranges or 4 orange slices
2-3 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp whole cloves
A few small fresh evergreen tree branches or pine needles (or a few sprigs of rosemary if you are unable to find either)
1 cup cranberries
Cinnamon Citrus Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1 large apple cut into chunks
½ lemon, cut into quarters, peel on
1/4 grapefruit cut into chunks, peel on
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 cup cranberries
A few small fresh evergreen tree branches or pine needles (or a few sprigs of rosemary if you are unable to find either)
Juniper and Citrus Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe
3-4 slices of orange
2-3 lemon peels or ½ lemon cut into quarters, peel on
1 tablespoon dried juniper berries
How to Assemble an Easy Christmas Simmer Pot
Assembling the following easy Christmas simmer pot recipes is so easy and you’ll love how the seasonal scent quickly fills the entire house.
First, add the ingredients for the recipe you chose to a medium saucepan, and pour enough water over to fully cover them. Bring the pot of water to a boil, and then lower to low heat to simmer.
If you want to transfer the Christmas stovetop potpourri to a small crockpot, just set it to low and be sure to push it back from the edge of the counter so little hands can’t accidentally touch it.
Otherwise, let the mixture simmer on the stove for as long as you would like. Pay attention to the water level (check it every couple of hours), as you will need to refill as needed.
Don’t forget to save the mixture in a glass jar (or medium glass bowl) when you’re finished! Just pop it into the fridge and reheat the next few days to make your home smell cozy like the holidays over and over again.
Other Holiday Posts You Might Enjoy:
35 Easy Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes
How to Clean Pine Cones for Crafting
How to Start a Santa Sack Tradition
Easy DIY Gift for the Holidays
Looking for a great gift to give this year? These easy Christmas simmer pot recipes are also a beautiful homemade gift to give during the holiday season. Add a Free Printable Christmas Gift Card Holder to it for a simple but thoughtful gift, or draw your own with some cool pens (learn how to use micron pens here).
You can also add a candy cane to your jar and use one of these Candy Cane Holder and Gift Tags.
Just take a glass mason jar or clear gift bag (these cellophane bags are great!) and add the ingredients to make the Christmas simmer pot recipe you love. Then stick on or attach a seasonal label with the directions for the recipient and add a few beautiful ribbons to finish it off.
Easy Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe
Yield: 1 simmer pot
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ready to make your whole house smell like Christmas, without having to plunk down dollar after dollar for holiday candles? With less than one minute of prep you can whip up one of these easy DIY Christmas simmer pot recipes and create an all natural seasonal air freshener (that also makes a beautiful DIY Christmas gift, too).
Materials
- Peels from 1-2 oranges or 4 orange slices
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tsp whole cloves
- A few small fresh evergreen tree branches or pine needles (or a few sprigs of rosemary if you are unable to find either)
- 1 cup cranberries
Tools
- Medium pot
- Small slow cooker
Instructions
- Add the ingredients for the recipe you chose to a medium saucepan, and pour enough water over to fully cover them. Bring the pot of water to a boil, and then reduce to low heat to simmer.
- Transfer to a small crockpot and set on low, or allow the mixture to simmer on the stove for as long as you would like.
- Check the water level every couple of hours and refill as needed.
- Pour into a glass jar to save and reuse for 2-3 days. Store in the refrigerator when not using, and reheat to make your home smell like Christmas again and again.
Did you make this project?
I want to see! Tag @simply.siobhan and #mimosasandmotherhood on Instagram or share this project to Facebook!
Homemade Christmas Potpourri is So Easy to mMake
Deck the halls with one of these easy Christmas Simmer Pot Recipes! Not only are they easy to assemble and scent your own home, but they make a beautiful and festive handmade gift, too.
Fill your home with the smells of Christmas with items you can find at your local grocery store. Whether you chose to create one just for yourself, or bottle the ingredients to give as neighbor gifts or teacher gifts, these beautiful simmer pot ingredients make a wonderful gift too.
Which recipe is your favorite?? If you love one of them, please pin this on Pinterest or share with your friends so they can create a cozy holiday scents in their own home this year, too.
