Make your house smell amazingly festive with this EASY Christmas potpourri recipe! Use natural ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen to create the smell of Christmas in your home in a simmering pot over the stove.
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season are the wonderful smells that I associate the holiday with- bright citrus, cozy cinnamon, woody greens, and spicy cloves.
Combine all these scents and it is pure holiday heaven!
My diy fall potpourri recipe is a big hit with my family and my readers, so I adapted it to make a fabulous Christmas potpourri.
Why You’ll LOVE This Christmas Stovetop Potpourri
Makes a natural fragrance made from natural ingredients–
You won’t find any toxic artificial fragrances or sickly sweet smells with this Christmas potpourri.
This recipe will make your home smell like Christmas naturally, unlike those heavily scented candles and room sprays.
Try these natural Christmas room sprays that are easy to make with essential oils + print FREE printables to go with them!
Takes just 5 minutes to make–
Yep, that’s it! Make it once in 5 minutes and enjoy the aroma for a few days.
Only uses 6 ingredients you probably already have–
You’ll love how simple this recipe is!
Will make your home smell just like Christmas!
True story. My daughter came home from work and asked me what I was cooking that smelled so good!
She was slightly disappointed when I told her it wasn’t edible…
Makes an easy Christmas gift idea–
You can make this Christmas stovetop potpourri for yourself, or you could bottle some up for friends and family to make a thoughtful gift.
VIDEO- Christmas Simmering Potpourri Tutorial
Want to see exactly how to make this easy recipe?
Just watch the above video and keep reading for the exact recipe and instructions!
What’s in Our Christmas Potpourri?
Cranberries
Fresh cranberries add some beautiful color to the mix, as well as a delightful smell.
Orange
A sliced orange adds such a bright, uplifting scent that adds so much to this Christmas stovetop potpourri.
Cinnamon Sticks
One of the coziest smells to me is cinnamon, so I made sure to add some fresh cinnamon sticks.
You can find these with the spices at the store. You can also buy in the bulk section if you only want a few sticks.
Whole Cloves
This warming spice adds more depth and warm spiciness to the recipe.
Fresh Rosemary
I add fresh rosemary from our yard to this recipe to give it a slightly herbal scent.
You could also add a very small pine branch or some pine needles too.
Vanilla Extract
Adding vanilla gives the homemade potpourri a sweeter, deeper scent.
What Else Can I Add to This Simmering Potpourri?
Our recipe is perfect just the way it is, but feel free to mix it up if you’d like!
This recipe is very flexible. You can swap out ingredients or add more from this list if you want.
- Lemon slices
- Grapefruit slices
- Apple slices
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Allspice
- Star anise
- Pine needles
Can I Make Potpourri in a Crockpot?
Definitely!
Just add all the ingredients to a slow cooker with enough water to cover them.
Let all the ingredients simmer on the low (or simmer setting) for easy Christmas potpourri in your crock pot!
Just be sure to occasionally check the water level in the crock pot and add more water as needed, just like when you’re cooking any other simmering potpourri over the stove.
Easy Homemade Christmas Gifts
Want to turn this Christmas simmer pot recipe into a homemade Christmas gift?
Just place a whole orange, fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and rosemary into some mason jars (skip the vanilla) for easy gift giving.
Tie some ribbon into a bow around the top of the jar, then add a gift tag with the directions on it.
Friends, neighbors, family members, and teachers will all love their natural potpourri gifts this holiday season!
Ready to add some holiday spirit to your home?
Try these favorite holidays treats–
Easy Christmas Potpourri
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
Materials
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 orange
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 Tbsp whole cloves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp vanilla
- water
Instructions
- Slice the orange in thin slices. Add the cranberries, orange slices, and the rest of the ingredients into the bottom of a medium-sized pot.
- Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Place pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Gently push on the ingredients with a wood spoon to break them down a little and to help release their oils.
- Simmer the Christmas potpourri mixture over low heat, checking it often to make sure there is still enough water.
- When the water gets low, add more to keep your house smelling like Christmas. You can also turn it off and throw the ingredients away or add them to a compost pile. Discard the mixture after 2-3 days.
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