DIY Holiday Simmering Scent
Hate it or love it, the holiday season is officially here for the retail world so I’m diving right in to holiday content. I’ve gotten so many questions about my homemade simmering scents since posting about my fall build-your-own potpourri station, so I decided to share another spin on this with a holiday themed scent! This using many of the same ingredients as the autumn scent. plus some new ones, and looks just as good as it smells! This is a must if you are entertaining and want you home to smell AMAZING for all your guests! It also makes such a cute and easy homemade gift for neighbors, teachers, co-workers, etc. I’ve listed all the ingredients you need and step by step instructions for using this and putting it together below!
xoxo
Emily
Oranges (can use naval, clementine, or mandarin- directions or drying below)
Fresh rosemary
Cloves
Allspice
Star Anise
Vanilla
Fresh Cranberries
Bay Leaves
Cinnamon Sticks
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2. Carefully slice your oranges into thin slices (I used a mandoline slicer for both). 1 orange will make you 2-4 batches.
3. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the orange slices in a single layer on top of the parchment paper.
4. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.
5. Remove from the oven and let the dried fruit slices cool.
6. Create a batch of simmering scent by taking a handful of each ingredient: 3-5 slices of orange, 1/2 cup cranberries, 6-8 cinnamon sticks, 1 tablespoon each of allspice, cloves, and star anise, 2-3 small sprigs of rosemary, and 2-3 bay leaves. Top with a couple of drops of vanilla.
7. To use: pour your ingredients into a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer on low heat for as long as you like!
I reuse my simmering scent over and over again! I just leave it on the stove but turn off the heat and cover when I’m not using it. Whenever I want to use it again, I turn the heat back on simmer and add more water if needed. You can use the same batch for up to a month, before dumping the contents and starting over with a fresh mix!
If you’re making these are gifts, click here to open our FREE printable gift tags that you can print, cut, and attach to your jars of simmering scent for easy gifting!
