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.

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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.

Related: DIY Cinnamon Scented Pinecones

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Fall Stove Top Potpourri Recipe

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.

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Apple Spice Stove Top Potpourri

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.

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Pumpkin Spice Stove Top Potpourri

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.

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Coffee Cake Stove top Potpourri

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.

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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.

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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.

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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 long does 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.

Can you use dried cranberries for stovetop potpourri? ›

You can be creative with your potpourri mix too. Use whatever fruits/spices/herbs you have lying around the house! Dried rosemary, lemon slices, dried cranberries, bay leaves, etc. You can also add drops of essential oil (like orange essential oil) to your mix for an extra kick.

What can I cook on the stove to make my house smell good? ›

Natural way to make your home smell amazing. For this recipe you need 3 cups of water, one sliced lemon, one sliced lime, 2 cups of fresh Rosemary, one and 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract. and 2 cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to simmer and continue to simmer on low.

How do you make potpourri smell stronger? ›

Add more oil to the mixture if possible, especially high-quality fragrance oil, the more you add, the better the scent. Autumn might be the best flower picking season, so utilize it for your potpourri while it lasts.

Can I use ground cinnamon instead of sticks for potpourri? ›

Do I need to use whole spices? Ground spices will certainly smell delicious as well, but I like whole cinnamon sticks and cloves because I can strain the mixture and re simmer it multiple days in a row. In a pinch, ground spices will be fine though!

How do you make potpourri 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.

How do you make dried potpourri for fall? ›

Thinly slice an orange, lemon, apple and pear, and place them on a metal cooking rack. Using your oven's dehydrate setting, cook the fruit slices until they are fully dried, making sure to flip them every half hour.

How to make cheap potpourri? ›

The potpourri requires just three ingredients, all of which you already associate with the season: cinnamon sticks, cloves and clementines. If you want to make your bundle more attractive and colorful, you can also add cranberries, pine cones and fresh greenery of some kind.

Can you use dried cranberries in Christmas 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.

Does stovetop potpourri need to be refrigerated? ›

On the Stovetop

Be sure to keep your pot uncovered over low heat. Simmer for up to 2-3 days. Keep refilling the water every few hours as needed. You can prolong the lifespan of the potpourri by storing it in the fridge when not simmering.

What is a substitute for cranberries in potpourri? ›

Besides citrus (orange slices), you can also swap out the cranberries for diced or sliced apples, use ground spices instead of whole, or add a splash of vanilla to the pot for some sweetness.

What makes your home smell like Christmas? ›

The holiday season is filled with nostalgia and notes of spice, evergreen, and peppermint. To infuse your home with natural, clean fragrance that speaks to this time of year, look to foraged items such as pinecones, citrus fruits, whole cloves, and balsam boughs.

What essential oils make it smell like Christmas? ›

Cinnamon bark, fir, orange, and clove essential oils can turn your space into a festive haven, recreating the magic of those special holiday moments.

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