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7 Natural Ways to Make Your Home Smell Great for the Holidays

Taryn Williford
Taryn Williford
Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.
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updated May 4, 2019
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

It’s said that smell is the sense with the closet ties to memory. As you prepare your home for the holidays with plenty of love, laughter and decoration, don’t forget about ambiance. ‘Tis the season to dim the lights, put on some soft music and, if you’re so inclined, prepare one of these lovely and fragrant little recipes to fill your home with great memories.

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Aromatic Wax Fire Starters

Toss one of these wax bombs into the fire. The dried leaves and pinecones will keep the fire burning, while cinnamon and rosemary fill the air. From Hello Natural.

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(Image credit: Little House Living)

Olive Oil Candle

Common household olive oil combined with a few drops of essential oil makes for a long-lasting liquid candle. Mix it up at any moment with just a mason jar, wick string and a paper clip. From Little House Living.

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(Image credit: TipNut)

Simmer Pots

A smell-good classic, and it couldn’t be easier. Choose a few aromatic spices, herbs and fruits, cover them with water and heat it up in a saucepan on the stovetop (or in a fondue pot). Don’t know where to start? Here are five of our favorite simmer pot recipes to get you started.

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(Image credit: Julie Blanner)

Homemade Potpurri

The simmer pot’s less-complicated cousin. Mix some great-smelling stuff together, and leave it in a dish. Depending on your ingredients, it will leave behind a subtle smell for weeks. For extra credit, dehydrate thin slices of apples and oranges by baking them in the oven, like Julie Blanner does on her blog.

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(Image credit: Michelle Chin)

Homemade Reed Diffusers

Air fresheners like these go for $30 at a home store, but the raw materials to make your own are really inexpensive. Free, even, if you have bamboo skewers at home in the kitchen. Check out materials and instructions here.

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(Image credit: Hello Natural)

Make Your Own Scented Candles

This is one of those deceptive projects that can really impress. Making your own scented candles is as easy as melting wax chips (available at craft stores) and layering in your favorite natural aromatics. These vanilla and coffee-scented candles are from Hello Natural.

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(Image credit: Fellow Fellow & Our Little Green Dot)

Room Spray

Orange, cinnamon and fir oils combine to make a spritzer bottle you can spray around the house all season. Or, mix up a big batch and give them out as gifts to friends, family, hairdressers and mailmen (with labels from Fellow Fellow & Our Little Green Dot).

Re-edited from a post originally published 11.11.14-NT

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