Nothing smells better than coming into a home filled with love and laughter that is scented by those familiar holiday scents of orange, clove and cinnamon. It is easy to get that holiday feeling with a few simple items that you have around the house.
Simmering Potpourri can set the mood for your holiday gatherings. It can be used on a stove or in a crock pot on low. Before we go any further let me give you the warnings then it is off to the fun!
- If you use the stove method PLEASE keep an eye on it! There is nothing worse than burned spices, not to mention the time consuming task of cleaning out the pot!
- Fresh potpourri only lasts a day or so. If you forget it on the stove or in the crock pot be ready for a not so great surprise….
- Don’t dump potpourri into your garbage with the water still in it. You will have a huge mess. Strain the bits using a colander or sieve. Let the liquid go down the drain and the solid stuff can go into your trash can or mulch pile.
Now, on to the FUN!
As you bake during the holidays remember that some of the items you use to cook can be tossed into a potpourri. When you zest citrus don’t throw out the remaining peels because they still contain enough essential oils to smell when boiled. The same goes for apples or pears. The cores and peels pair amazingly with the other fruits and spices. If you have only a few spices in a jar don’t throw them out. Rinse the jar with water and put the water into your potpourri pot.
I am always looking for a bargain and nothing is better than an after Halloween, after Thanksgiving, after Christmas….oh heck any time there is a sale is a good time! Look around after the fall holidays for packets of mulling spices. Stores will mark them down because they are a seasonal item. You can score them for pennies and they only need a little brightening up by adding a little citrus. VOILA! You have an inexpensive way to make your house smell divine! Now if you love the smell of citrus but just can’t see paying full price for fruit that will be inedible look in the day old fruit bin. They put out fruit that may have a few blemishes but is still good. Snap those bargains up! No one is looking at the fruit in the potpourri pot, they just want to smell it! You can also dry the fruit for use later in the year. I have a bowl of dried lemons waiting for my potpourri gifts. I paid a dollar for a huge bag because they were not perfect. Another bargain idea is grabbing spices that are at garage or estate sales. You won’t want to eat them but they are perfect for a potpourri. I once got a spice rack full of premium spices for $3.00 and since a little goes a long way with potpourri I am set for YEARS!
Gifting Potpourri
Can’t find a gift for that one person? Need a hostess gift? Make them simmering potpourri. You can give them the dry mix or you can actually mix everything up and add the water so all the receiver has to do is open the jar and put it in a pan. When packaging your potpourri you can reuse a jar that held a food item or a Mason jar. You can also use the little plastic cookie bags or a Ziploc bag. Dressing up the gift is easy. You can make tags on your computer or purchase them in the dollar bin at stores like Michael’s. Add a little curling ribbon and there you have it, an expensive looking gift for not much money. Remember, it is the thought that counts!
There are countless recipes out there. HERE are a few recipes in a printable version. They will open in a different window. If these don’t get you going jot over to Pinterest and it will spark your imagination! There is no end to what you can put in a potpourri pot so be creative!
Shelley Brian is a teacher, wife, pet mom and blogger. You can read more at her blog Love Where You Live. Follow her on Pinterest.
