Easy DIY Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe (+ free printable gift tags)

Warm, cozy, and spicy, this Christmas Simmer Pot is the best way to make your home smell like Christmas! Made with warm spices, citrus fruit, herbs, and essential oils, it is wholesome and also great on a budget. Whether you’re putting up the tree or throwing a Christmas party, simmering potpourri is the best, natural way to scent your whole home and get into the holiday spirit. Turn this into a beautiful gift with these free printable gift tags!

❤️ Why you will love this Christmas Potpourri recipe

• Easy: All you have to do is prepare the orange (sliced or quartered) and add it to a slow cooker or small pot of water (or fruit juice) along with cranberries, whole spices, herbs, and essential oils if desired. Simmer on low heat, topping it up with water when needed.
• Smells amazing: Cozy and spicy, this really makes your whole house smell like Christmas! I always put a pot on when we’re decorating the Christmas tree, and sometimes when we’re watching a holiday movie. It’s my favorite way to kick off the Christmas countdown and make the entire house smell great with this pleasant aroma! This easy gift is also perfect for a holiday party and Christmas morning.
• Natural ingredients: All of the ingredients in this holiday simmer pot are fresh ingredients. You won’t find any artificial scents or petroleum-based paraffin wax in this homemade potpourri. What’s more, all of these ingredients can be found at the grocery store!
• Reusable: This is an awesome hack, you can use the same ingredients 2-4 times! Store it in the fridge for up to a week, and top it up with more water (or juice) and some essential oils to keep the aroma going.
• Gift: The easy Christmas stovetop potpourri ingredients can easily be packaged up in a pretty gift bag or mason jar with a ribbon and given as a wonderful gift to your friends and neighbors. Don’t forget to print my free printables with the instructions!

🗝️ Key Ingredients & Substitutions

These are the ingredients I used this time, however, I’ve listed some great swaps below so you can create your own blend.

• Cranberries: There is something just so Christmassy about cranberries. The color, the season, it just needs cranberries. Use either fresh or frozen. Dried cranberries will not work.
• Orange: I quartered a whole orange. You can add extra peel from fresh oranges or use a tangerine instead.
• Rosemary: Straight from my garden, I recommend adding fresh rosemary. 2-3 springs will do the trick.
• Whole spices: This time I added whole cloves, star anise, and cinnamon sticks. I also love to add green cardamom pods.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract is a great addition to make the scent even warmer. You can also add vanilla pods.
• Essential oils: This is an awesome hack! Add 5-10 drops of your favorite Christmas essential oil. I love frankincense, sweet orange for an extra orange boost, and cinnamon.

🥣 How to make a Christmas Stove Top Potpourri

1. Add water (or juice) to a small saucepan or a crock pot.

2. Slice the orange and add it to the pot along with the rest of the ingredients.

3. Simmer on low for 2-3 hours (or longer if desired).

4. Top up the water as needed.

5. Enjoy the smell of Christmas around your home!

🫙 Storage Instructions

Fridge: You can store this simmer pot in the fridge for up to a week and reuse it 2-4 times. I wait until the pot is completely cool and just place the lid on top before popping it into the fridge. Pro tip: You may want to add essential oils to the simmering pot for a boost of aroma after the first or second time.

❓ What ingredients can I add to a simmer pot?

I typically like to add 1-3 different fruits, up to 5 whole spices, 1-2 herbs, and a few drops of essential oils to my stovetop Christmas potpourri. Here are my favorite additions:

Fruit:

• Cranberries
• Orange (or tangerine)
• Orange peel
• Grapefruit
• Grapefruit peel
• Lemon
• Lemon peel
• Apple slices
• Pear
• Pomegranate

Fruit juice:

Instead of fresh water, try:

• Cranberry juice
• Apple juice
• Apple cider
• Orange juice
• Pomegranate juice

Spices:

I prefer to use whole spices, however, ground spices can certainly be used in a pinch.

• Cinnamon sticks
• Whole cloves
• Star anise
• Whole allspice
• Cardamom pods

Herbs & other fresh plants:

• Rosemary
• Mint
• Ginger slices
• Pine branches or pine needles (smells like fresh Christmas trees!)
• Pinecones
• Bay leaves
• Juniper berries

Essential oils:

• Sweet orange
• Grapefruit
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary
• Frankincense
• Peppermint (sparingly)
• Sandalwood
• Atlas cedarwood

🎁 How do I turn this simmer pot into a beautiful DIY Christmas gift?

DIY Christmas gifts and so special and this is such a great gift idea to give away throughout the holiday season. It makes a great party favor or teacher gifts before the end of the year.

All you have to do is add an orange (or orange peel) to a cellophane bag or small mason jar along with fresh cranberries (not frozen), fresh herbs, and the whole spices. Add a few drops of essential oil onto some of the whole spices if desired. Seal the ingredients and tie the bag or mason jar gifts with a festive ribbon. I like to print off these free printable tag pages (front and back) with the instructions and attach them to the Christmas stovetop Potpourri gift with the ribbon.

😋 More Holiday recipes you will love

• Christmas Truffles
• Chocolate Fudge
• Peanut Butter Fudge
• Christmas Simmer Pot Recipes
• 60+ Keto Christmas Side Dishes

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📖 Recipe