When it comes to Christmas, one of the things I enjoy the most are the smells (the nice ones, that is XD)! If you’re lucky enough to have a live Christmas tree or garland, then the fresh pine scent will permeate throughout your house. Or, if you’re a baker, then spending the month baking Christmas treats will ensure a constant stream of sweet & savory, sugar & cinnamon wafting through the air. But maybe you’re like me, and have cats who TRY TO EAT THE CHRISTMAS TREE, or maybe baking’s not your forte, but you want the smells of Christmas in your house, but not via a sickly sweet candle. If that sounds like you, then I have the easiest solution…crockpot/stovetop potpourri!
You may most likely have some of these ingredients in your spice rack or pantry already, so gather up the following, along with a small crockpot or saucepan, and prepare to make some CHRISTMAS SMELLING MAGIC!!!
Depending on your smell preference, you can adjust the amounts, but in the picture above, I used the following in a 1.5 quart crockpot:
– 1/2 cup of FRESH cranberries
– 1 medium orange; sliced in circles
– 4 cinnamon sticks
– 1 tbsp of whole cloves
– 1/8 heaping tsp of nutmeg
– 2-3 cups of water, depending on size of crockpot/saucepan.
All you have to do is place all the ingredients in your container of choice, add the water, stir gently to mix, then heat on a low setting; once the mixture gets warm, you will start to smell the lovely scent of Christmas!
As the water evaporates, just add more to top off; if the scent starts to weaken, just add more ingredients, as needed, to refresh. This is a simple and easy DIY that only takes less than 10 minutes to throw together, but you’ll get hours of Christmas-y aromas to enjoy!
Amanda Leigh 