My husband's been bugging me about wanting a "holiday smell" in our home. By that, he means something along the lines of cinnamon, pine and oranges. We don't have a tree set up yet (for us, that waits until after my early December birthday) and seasonal cooking and baking only creates a holiday scent for a limited time. So, how does one imbue their home with seasonal scents? Here are three ideas that don't involve anything artificial:
- Simmering potpourri: From Notes from the Republic, this is an all-natural, homemade potpourri that simmers on the stove top. Sends a great smell throughout the home and even puts a little moisture in that dry winter air. This can be done in a crock pot, too.
- Essential oils: Try adding a little essential cedar oil to your humidifier.
- Pine cones: Bring some pine cones into your home and place them around in bowls. They don't have to be store-bought ones that are strongly scented with cinnamon - they naturally smell of pine.
What do you do to bring that holiday smell into your home?
Image: Notes from the Republic
Find Your Style: 20 Classic to Contemporary Kitchens to Add to Your Inspiration Board
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How to Cook Moist & Tender Chicken Breasts Every Time
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
make mulled wine
i just actually read the post in full about how you wanted something more long lasting then what you get from cooking.
We make pomanders. You get an unpeeled orange and stuff it with as many cloves as you can fit. Roll it in cinnamon when you're finished and, if you're feeling crafty, pin a few bay leaves to the top. Repeat 'til you've got as many as you want and make sort of a fruit bowl before your fingers start to hurt.
I usually save any citrus peels and make potpourri on the stove. My favorite additions are allspice and cardamom. I also like to burn beeswax candles, since they sweeten and purify the air.
cinnamon broom from tjs!
candles.
another TJs cinnamon broom fan chiming in :)
Wintery essential oil blends in a diffuser or unscented candles. Yummy stuff on Etsy.
I have always chosen the simmering potpourri. Pine, berry & unnatural smelling cinnamon turn my stomach (I can barely go into any stores at all this time of year), so citrus & cloves do the trick!
Thank you so much for featuring my stove top potpourri recipe!
If you live in SF the Herb Store on 14th street has everything toy need to make your own, super cheap too. I also get their essential oils which a a quarter of the price of most places.
I recently started using the Mrs. Meyers orange clove counter spray which smells great.
http://www.sfherb.com/store/potpourri-ingredients,category.asp
I cut greenery (cedar, cypress, pine, boxwood, yew), put it in water, and put containers of them all over my house.
@commitments --
That's what my family did in the winter - tho we used clementines which are smaller, more fragrant and quite plentiful this time of year.
Until I purchased a humidifier, I'd keep a big stockpot of water on simmer in the evenings, and I'd throw in some ground cinnamon and cloves for fun.
I use a light bulb ring and put essential oils in it. It's easy and fills the air more evenly than a candle.
Clove balls are great too! Punch cloves into an orange or lemon - and glue a ribbon to hang it! There is a great picture of a minimal clove ball on the back of a chair here (http://olivesanddaisies.blogspot.com/2010/11/farmers-market-thanksgiving-table.html)
but google it and you will see all different designs
I'm just wondering, has anyone tried to dry oranges and apple slices at home? in a oven maybe?
TJ's has mulling wine spices in a canister that you can just simmer on the stove. Scent is amazing and lasts for hours.
I make a spicy, sweet iced black tea with orange peel, cinnamon sticks and star anise. The scent lingers for a day or so and you get to enjoy the tasty treat for several days.
@diridi - I've dried herbs in my oven before, which was about 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour with the oven door open. I'd imagine the process is same for produce.
why do you have the stove on? surely there are things to do that dont waste power?
We find a real christmas tree (after my mid december bday) is all that is needed.
Mind you, it's summer by then, so a different range of scents are better.
williams sonoma makes a wonderful mulling spice. simmer it in water or cider on the stove. it is amazing how it permeates the house with holiday aromas.
I bought some pine cones in the store, thankfully not those artificial cinnamon scented pine cones. They actually smell like pine, but they've been preserved of course. Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping that smell as long as possible?