This easy Christmas Simmer Pot is so fun for the holiday season. This easy stovetop potpourri will make your house smell wonderful. It’s a great way to bring the scents of the holidays into your home in a natural way. Make your home smell like the holidays using natural ingredients right on the stovetop with this festive idea.

Why we love this recipe-

This simple simmer pot recipe is such a fun way to get that Christmas smell throughout the entire house, without using candles or wax. It also makes a great gift!
We like to prep one of these on Christmas Eve, and Christmas morning I’ll put it on the stovetop for a great Christmas stovetop potpourri that makes our whole house smell great.
Our favorite part is that there are no artificial scents in this recipe, and you can skip the holiday candles and still have a great, inexpensive way to add the scent of warm spices and the smells of Christmas to your home.

Simmer Pot Ingredients:

4 cups water
1-2 orange slices
1 cup fresh cranberries
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. Whole cloves
2 sprigs of rosemary

Directions:

Step 1: Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan.

Step 2: Heat over medium-low heat, until the mixture begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, adding additional water as needed, when the water begins to evaporate. Be sure to keep an eye on the water level, and turn off the stovetop when you are finished with the simmer pot.

FAQs & Tips

Can I make a simmer pot in a slow cooker or crock pot?

Yes! To do this, add the ingredients to the crockpot and heat on high (without the lid) until the mixture is nice and steamy and you get that pleasant aroma. Lower to the low or keep warm setting, refilling any water as needed. You can also bump the temperature back up, if needed, to get more of the smell. Use caution not to let the mixture burn inside the crockpot.

Can I make this into a Christmas potpourri gift?

This potpourri recipe as an easy DIY Christmas gift- add the orange, cranberries, cinnamon, cloves, and rosemary to a large mason jar with instructions to add the water and enjoy. This idea makes great neighbor gifts. If you aren’t giving this gift soon after putting together, skip the whole fruit for more fruit peels and stick to dry ingredients in your jar. Add a printable gift tag for the perfect final touch.

What can I simmer for a Christmas smell?

The ingredients we suggested are great- oranges, cranberries, cinnamon, cloves, etc.. Of course you can customize your pot to smell just how you would like.

You can add any ingredients to this Christmas potpourri that you like, these ideas would all make a great addition-

Star anise or other whole spices like cardamom pods
Orange peels
Other citrus fruit
Other seasonal fresh fruit- apple slices, pears, etc…
Fresh pine needles (easy if you have a real Christmas tree)
Juniper berries
Lemon peel or lime peels
Bay leaves
Vanilla extract

We hope you enjoy this wonderful smelling holiday simmer pot this Christmas season. What else would you add to create the perfect Christmas scent?

You might also like these other fun Christmas DIYs-

Homemade Gingerbread Playdough

Homemade Christmas Crayons

Yield: 1

Christmas Simmer Pot

This easy DIY Christmas Simmer Pot is a great way to add the smells of the holidays to your home without any chemicals or artificial ingredients.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $20

Materials

4 cups water
1-2 orange slices
1 cup fresh cranberries
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. Whole cloves
2 sprigs of rosemary

Tools

Medium Saucepan

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan.
Heat over medium-low heat, until the mixture begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, adding additional water as needed, when the water begins to evaporate. Be sure to keep an eye on the water level, and turn off the stovetop when you are finished with the simmer pot.