Last Updated on January 11, 2025 by Vannessa Rhoades, Three Bears Home Staging
You know we love simmering potpourri recipes (read our posts about Simmer Scents for Autumn and Summer). Today we’re sharing our holiday simmer pot recipes! They’re a simple, cost-conscious way to make your house smell warm and comforting for the holidays using fruits and spices and without the use of harmful chemicals! They’re especially useful for anyone planning to put their home on the market soon — research shows that potential buyers can find overly complex fragrances too distracting. These natural fragrance recipes are super light and clean, a great way to make your house smell welcoming to anyone who visits this holiday season!
How to Make a Simmer Pot or Stovetop Potpourri
Add ingredients to a small saucepan or crockpot. Add water until ingredients float. Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately turn the heat down to a low simmer and enjoy your holiday simmer scents! Add more water as needed, typically about every 30 minutes (otherwise, you’ll end up with the smell of scorched food wafting through the house–YUCK).
Our Easy Holiday Simmer Pot Recipes
Try these aromatic combinations for your holiday simmer pot (measurements don’t have to be exact so adjust according to your taste):
Rosemary + Vanilla + Orange
Combine a few springs of rosemary, a few teaspoons of vanilla, and the peel of an orange
Watkins All Natural Original Vanilla, 11 Fl Oz
Apple + Cinnamon + Clove
Slice up an apple (or just the rind), add a few cinnamon sticks, and a tablespoon of cloves
McCormick Cinnamon Sticks, 8 oz
Juniper + Lemon + Orange
Mix a tablespoon of Juniper berries, along with the peels of some lemon and orange
Frontier Whole Juniper Berries, 1.28 oz
Orange + Clove + Star Anise + Lemon + Nutmeg
This one’s a bit more complex but delicious-smelling nonetheless! Peel an orange and a lemon, and add peelings to the pot. Add a teaspoon of cloves, a couple of star anise, and some nutmeg.
CeylonFlavors Organic Hand Picked Whole Cloves, 3.5 oz
Soeos Whole Star Anise, 4 oz
Coffee + Cinnamon + Cardamom + Allspice
To the water in your simmer pot, add a handful of coffee beans, a few cinnamon sticks, some vanilla, and a few cardamom pods and allspice berries.
Spicy World Green Cardamom Pods 3.5 Oz
Spicy World Whole Allspice Berries, 1 LB
A Word of Warning…
Once again it should probably go without saying, but being the conscientious home stager that I am, I’m going to say it anyway: don’t leave anything burning on the stove unattended including this holiday simmer pot. Another (safer?) alternative is to simmer the entire mixture in a miniature slow cooker, uncovered on the “Low” setting. We like this one:
Crock-Pot 16-oz Little Dipper, Chrome
Save the mixture in a glass jar in the fridge when you’re done (can last several days). Just reheat the next day to re-scent your home.
Need a Little Home Staging Advice this Holiday Season?
If you’re selling your home this winter and need more tips on how to freshen up your home, Three Bears Home Staging can help! Take a look below at some of the ways we’re helping home sellers all across the country
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Vannessa Rhoades
Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive, empowering virtual consultations that help homeowners and real estate agents all across the country sell more quickly and for more money.
