Homemade Holiday Potpourri Recipes

Growing up, we always had potpourri in the house, all year long, but more so during the holidays. My Mom would leave the potpourri all year long, so we would have a Christmas potpourri smell in July if you walked by the place on the table where it was sitting. As I got older, I realized holiday potpourri makes a wonderful gift idea for those on your list. I’m not talking about the store-bought potpourri though, I’m talking about homemade potpourri that leaves a wonderful home smell for all those who enter. This is an easy and thoughtful gift for friends, family, and neighbors who may be alongside a bottle of wine or liquor.

Homemade Holiday Potpourri Recipes

Before we get too much into the holiday potpourri recipe making, I wanted to let you know I do have some affiliate links here that keep me being able to do these posts for you 🙂 So if you click on something and make a purchase, I do a little dance with my girls in appreciation and gratitude!

Making holiday potpourri is a delightful holiday activity that will scent your home during the holiday season. Most of its ingredients are found in your kitchen, can also be purchased online, and in the supermarkets.  Spices and packs of mixed nuts are also readily available throughout the holidays at supermarkets and specialty markets. Ingredients like juniper berries, whole nutmeg and allspice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks, when blended together, offer you a holiday potpourri that is pleasant in appearance with a wonderful festive scent.

 

Stovetop Potpourri: What is it?

Potpourri is a fragrant blend of spices and fruits. It can be stored in a bowl in dry form, with dried flowers, herbs, and

spices. The alternate version is to make it on the stove by simmering the ingredients. It’s frequently created around the holiday season.

 

Stovetop potpourri, often known as “simmer pot potpourri,” is created by combining naturally scented components in a small pot of simmering water on the stove, filling your home with a delightful and all-natural fragrance. Generally, when you want the potpourri to have a scent around the home, the stove will need to be on. 

Safety is one of the most critical issues. Even though the potpourri is simmering, you should not ever leave it alone and always turn off the stove at night or whenever you leave home. Keep in mind your stovetop potpourri shouldn’t fully dry out. Setting an alarm will remind you to monitor what’s happening with the stovetop potpourri and, if required, replace or add more water.

 

How To Make Stovetop Potpourri For Gifts

Cooking holiday potpourri in a slow cooker or on the stovetop will make your house smell like the holiday season. Just add printable gift tags to your package for holiday gift-giving.

5 minutes to prepare | 1 package of serving

Ingredients:

▢ 1) 4 cinnamon sticks (crumbled) (to release the scent)

▢ 2) 1 tbsp clove (whole)

▢ 3) 1 tsp allspice berries (whole)

▢ 4) 1 tablespoon star anise (optional, but provides a licorice-like aroma)

▢ 5) 1/2 cup cranberries (fresh)

▢ 6) 1 medium orange (whole) a transparent bag, a 250 (1 cup) Mason jar, or a recycled jam jar

▢ 7) Optional: sprigs of rosemary or evergreens

Instructions:

▢ Step 1

Leave out the cranberries and fresh orange slices when making a dried mix packet. You can also increase the amount of ground cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in the mixture. The aroma of the ground spices will be released more quickly.

 

▢ Step 2

Refrigerate the cranberries and orange until ready to give as a gift. The ground spices will cling to the orange and cranberries, so leave them out.

 

▢ Step 3

In a stove or slow cooker, combine the dried mix, fresh cranberries, and sliced orange with 2 to 3 cups of water (or apple juice). Simmer on a low flame setting.

 

▢ Step 4

Keep an eye on it and add more water as needed only. This recipe can be kept for several days.

How To Make Potpourri Last Longer

If you refresh the water as needed, your holiday potpourri will last 4 or 5 days. If you’re giving your holiday potpourri as a

holiday gift, wrap it in craft paper or burlap and tie it off with ribbon or baker’s twine. 

 

How Long Does it Take for Holiday Potpourri to Simmer?

four (4) days

You can usually get several hours of very pleasant aromas, but if you use the same holiday potpourri, the fragrances can last up to four days. Simply keep an eye on the water level for precaution.

 

What’s the best way to make holiday potpourri smell better?

To enhance the perfume and assure the fragrance’s longevity, add a complementing essential oil to the holiday potpourri mix. For every 5 cups of the holiday potpourri, add up to 8 drops of essential oil.

You can also add dried orange slices or lemon slices, for smell and aesthetics. This addition will add a clean and fresh smell, and your house will smell amazing.

Holiday Potpourri Gift Ideas

You’ll need the following items to complete the assembly:

 

▢ 1) Wide-mouth, Quart Jars, or cellophane gift bags – The jars are obviously more expensive, but they make the most impact. 

 

▢ 2) Holiday Wrapper – Choose wisely between kraft paper and wrapping paper. Kraft paper is stronger, while wrapping paper tends to rip apart easily.

 

▢ 3) Ribbon or thread — I prefer twine for its rustic and aesthetic vibe, but you can use everything you have on hand.

 

▢ 4) Scissors – for cutting. Keep it out for children below 12 years old for safety. 

 

▢ 5) Printer – If you don’t have a printer at home, you may have these printed the free printable potpourri recipe and holiday greetings card for a few dollars at your local office supply store.

 

▢ 6) Paper/Cardstock – I recommend cardstock over paper since it lasts longer. But it’s entirely up to you.

 

Jar Instructions:

Cover the jar lid with brown kraft paper, wrapping paper, or any other paper you want, seal with the jar lid band and put on the free printable gift tag with a ribbon or twine. 

 

Holiday potpourri in a jar that smells like Christmas is one of the most simple holiday gift ideas that can be made ahead of time. So, this homemade craft is a great idea if you want to start making homemade holiday gifts early. This gift can be created year round as the seasons change with different items which are popular during the season, not just during the winter holidays!