How to Make Your House Smell Like Christmas (Without Candles!)

Scent your whole home with an easy holiday stovetop simmer!

I’m a huge fan of holiday scented candles. I just love the warm and cozy scents during this time of year! But let’s face it, candles are expensive. 

Even when I buy them, I hesitate to burn them because I don’t want to replace them. 

So when I’m not burning one of my many candles, I’m scenting my home with a stovetop simmer!

What is a pot simmer? 

Simply put, a pot simmer is a combination of kitchen ingredients, typically fruit, herbs, and spices, thrown together in a large pot of water to scent your home naturally. 

I started doing this in the Fall to make our home smell nice and cozy, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. 

The scent lasts all day and still lingers a bit even after you turn the stove off.

Why you’ll love stovetop simmers:

• It’ll get you into a cleaning mood. The aroma gives you the boost you need to power through household chores. 
• It’s a stovetop air-freshener. It helps to get rid of unwanted odors, making your house smell amazing! 
• It’s cheap and easy. Most of the ingredients you’ll use you probably already have on hand making it a lot cheaper than buying candles, and perfect for every season. 

Holiday Simmer Ingredients 

• 1 orange, sliced
• 1-2 rosemary sprigs
• 1 cup fresh cranberries 
• 3-5 cinnamon sticks 
• 1 tbsp whole cloves
• 1 tsp nutmeg

How to Make Your House Smell Like Christmas

First, fill a large pot with water and add all of your ingredients. 

Then, turn the stove on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce to low heat and refill with water as needed. 

I start every pot simmer in the morning and let it simmer all day long. I’ll eventually turn it off once I start cooking dinner because the cooking smells will just overpower the pot scent anyway. 

Can you reuse a pot simmer? 

Absolutely! Put a lid on your pot at night and add fresh water in the morning! 

I can usually use my pot simmers for about three consecutive days before I have to toss the ingredients and make a new one. Happy Holiday Homemaking!

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