6 Intoxicating Fall and Christmas Stove-top Potpourri Recipes (2024)

Holiday stove top potpourri is wonderful way to bring the smell of the holiday season to your home. Whether you're searching for fall scents, or Christmas aromas, these 6 holiday recipes will have your home smelling wonderful and welcoming, without any added toxic chemicals.

How to Create These Wonderful Holiday Stove top Potpourri Recipes

Simmering potpourri are a great option in that they are non-toxic and can last for a few days. Using the best ingredients possible will ensure the most potent aromatic qualities of the potpourri.

Tips for Simmering

When simmering ingredients for your stove top potpourri, it's best to keep your pot on low/med heat. This allows the smell of the ingredients to escape without being cooked through too quickly. If the heat on your pot is too high, the scent will be strong but won't last more than a few hours. These recipes can also be used in your crock pot on high!

Keep an eye on the potpourri every so often. If water gets low, just add more water to pot, enough to cover the ingredients. These simmering pots can be used for a couple days on low heat.

Citruses can be swapped for other citrus options. Oranges have a very distinct scent, however, other citrus smells will still provide a wonderful aroma. If you don't have a certain citrus on hand, swap it out for another one.

Fall Stove Top Potpourri Recipe

2-4 cinnamon sticks
2-3 orange slices (or the orange rind from 1 orange)
1 vanilla bean (or 1 tbsp of vanilla extract)
3-5 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
1 tbsp whole cloves

Place all ingredients in a pot and cover with water (about 2-3 cups), simmer on low to medium heat. This is a very aromatic potpourri, so adjust the amounts if it becomes too strong. I always start on the lower end of the ingredients and add more if I think the smell needs to be stronger.

Apple Spice Stove Top Potpourri

2 small apples
4 cinnamon sticks
8 anise stars
1 tbsp allspice berries
1 tbsp cardamom pods
Lemon rind from 1 lemon (or slices of one lemon)

Cover all ingredients with water and simmer on low. This recipe is sweet and spicy, a perfect option for fall and slightly different that the more common potpourri options.

Pumpkin Spice Stove Top Potpourri

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp vanilla extract (or one vanilla bean)
2 cinnamon sticks

This recipe is easy and smells really pleasant, simmer on low in a pot with water (about 2-3 cups). If you're looking for a little more spice, feel free to add a little nutmeg or clove to the simmering pot.

Coffee Cake Stove top Potpourri

2-4 cinnamon sticks
1-2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean)
1 cup coffee grounds

This recipe is great for those who love the smell of baking but aren't wanting to bake anything. The coffee cake potpourri smells delicious and homey.

Christmas Stove Top Potpourri Recipe

1 orange rind (you can also use orange slices too)
1 lemon rind (just like the orange, you can use lemon slices instead of the rind)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole cloves
Small Christmas tree branch
Cranberries

Place all ingredients in a pot, add enough water (about 2-3 cups) to cover the ingredients and simmer on low/med heat. If you don't have any pine or Christmas tree branches available, you can substitute the tree branches for a couple sprigs of rosemary.

Christmas Tree Stove Top Potpourri

Small pine tree branch
1 lemon rind (or slices of fresh lemon)
2 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
1 tsp nutmeg

The pine and the lemon really deliver a beautiful clean smell, much like that of a Christmas tree. Although you can substitute rosemary, it won't smell as authentically Christmas as it would if you kept the pine branch. This is one of my favorite scents because it smells wonderfully delicious without becoming overwhelming.

Gift Giving

Holiday potpourri recipes can be placed in cute little Christmas or Fall-themed baggies and given as seasonal gifts. Simply place each ingredient into a clear bag or mason jar and add a cute little bow and handmade gift tag! Fresh orange or lemon slices look better in gift backs than old rinds, however, they would need to be used right away.

These wonderfully scented stove top potpourris offer non-toxic, holiday themes aromas. Remember that they can be changed and substituted to fit your preference. If you don't like clove, use cinnamon instead, citruses can be swapped, and rosemary makes a great substitute for pine branches. Play around with the ingredients to make the stove top potpourri perfect for your home.

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST: Be sure to check out these lovely Homemade Vanilla Extract. Also feel free to read this great post on DIY Christmas Gifts in 15 Minutes or Less.

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6 Intoxicating Fall and Christmas Stove-top Potpourri Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you make dry fall potpourri? ›

Mix Ingredients

Add dried bay leaves, a teaspoon of cinnamon, cloves, cinnamon sticks and a few drops of orange and clove essential oils. Seal and shake the bag to mix all of the ingredients.

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How long does homemade stovetop potpourri last? ›

Keep an eye on the pot and add more water as needed. Your holiday spice stove top potpourri will last 3-5 days depending on how long it simmers. The Mason jars will help keep your dried ingredients fresh and having all the portions ready to go makes this a lovely gift idea.

How long does stovetop potpourri take to smell? ›

How long do I simmer stovetop potpourri? I simmer stovetop potpourri for hours on end, but I prefer a nice strong scent throughout the house. If you are more sensitive to smells, you may find that simmering stovetop potpourri for 30 minutes is sufficient.

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How do you make natural Christmas potpourri? ›

Our Christmas potpourri recipe is a chunky mix of cinnamon sticks and dried oranges, with plenty of Christmas spices thrown in. Place all the ingredients in a thick plastic bag or tupperware box and shake with a few drops of fragrance oil. Leave to permeate for a few hours before using.

How do you make fall scents at home? ›

“Combine two cups of water, a few slices of fresh oranges, two sprigs of rosemary, two cinnamon sticks, two whole cloves, and one teaspoon of vanilla.” Simply combine everything in a crock and set to low heat. To keep the aroma going, add more water every couple hours.

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How do you make homemade fall scents? ›

Make a Simmer Pot

To start, fill a pot about halfway with water. Then add a variety of sliced fruits, spices and essential oils or pure extracts. One fall-favorite combination is apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg—but you can mix and match just about anything that appeals to you.

How do you make potpourri smell stronger? ›

How do you make potpourri smell stronger? Two trusty ways to make your potpourri smell stronger are to add more essential oil to the mixture every so often or to agitate it. Shake the container or stir the potpourri to release more scent.

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What can I stovetop boil to make my house smell good? ›

a cup of water on the stove, then take a lemon or an orange, cut it in quarters, skin on, and put it in the boiling water. If you don't have a citrus fruit, you can use white vinegar. And all you have to do is half a cup of white vinegar. with one cup of boiling water, and it'll take away the odor.

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When should you throw out potpourri? ›

Well-made potpourri can last anywhere from a few months to a few years, although this can differ depending on the types of flowers and other ingredients used.

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Does stovetop potpourri need to be refrigerated? ›

Remove the lid and bring it to a simmer again then next day. Add fresh water as needed so there is always liquid in the pot. For a longer lasting simmer pot, up to 7 days, refrigerate the pot of ingredients (after the liquid has cooled) between uses. Add fresh ingredients and water as needed.

Can I use dried cranberries in stovetop potpourri? ›

Cranberries: You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries when you make this DIY Christmas stovetop potpourri. If you're giving it as a gift, use fresh cranberries, but if it's just for your own home, then by all means use frozen cranberries. Dried cranberries won't provide the same result though.

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What is a natural fixative for potpourri? ›

Suitable fixative may be particular tree resins, flowers, roots, leaves or seeds as well as less volatile essential oils. Here are some you could try: Gum benzoin, myrrh and frankincense. Cinnamon powder and sticks.

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What can I add to homemade potpourri? ›

Assemble the simmer pot

Place whole orange in cellophane bag.
Add a handful of fresh cranberries.
Add spices such as cloves and allspice.
Nestle cinnamon sticks and star anise in front.
Add a sprig or two of fresh greenery.
Tie bag with ribbon or twine, attaching gift tag if desired.

Dec 12, 2022

How to make cheap potpourri? ›

To a pot of water, add a bit of molasses (no need to add a lot, maybe 1/4-1/2 cup depending on how much water you use), sliced fresh ginger, a whole nutmeg that's been grated a bit, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and whole allspice. This smells exactly like my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe.

How do you make dry potpourri smell stronger? ›

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How long does dried potpourri last? ›

How long does the scent last? The scent of our potpourris will last anywhere from 2 months to years, depending on the blend you choose, where it is placed and how it is used. By keeping it in a place that is free from direct sunlight and breezes, it will last longer. A sachet enclosed in a drawer will last for years.

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