Cinnamon, pine, and everything divine! That’s exactly what we think about when someone talks about Christmas scents. From cinnamon star cookies to the smell of fresh bread pudding baking in the oven, the festive season has so many signature scents that immediately fill you with nostalgia.
As Christmas approaches, we thought it was only prudent to ensure you had a couple of ideas on how to bring the holiday aroma into your home. After all, these scents play such a huge part in creating sweet memories around the season.
Without further ado, here are 15 easy ways you can make your home smell like Christmas!
Bake Some Cookies
You know how you’re told to bake cookies to make the house smell like a home right before an open house? That premise also works at Christmas. The smell of freshly baked goods creates a warm, inviting atmosphere that will take you back to fond memories of your own childhood. With ingredients like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, and cloves, you can make treats like snickerdoodles and sugar cookies that will become a holiday favorite!
Light Scented Candles
Scented candles have this special ability to set a cozy mood and immediately relax you. You can go with classic scents like vanilla, cranberry, cloves, or woodsy notes like cedar or fir that smell like a Christmas tree. Also, when it comes to location, place your candles in key spots like the living room or entryways for maximum effect. Just remember to keep them away from flammable items and never leave them unattended to minimize the risk of fire.
Make Potpourri
The best thing about homemade potpourri is that it’s affordable and very easy to make. You can either go for dry ingredients in a bowl or simmer them on a stovetop. Either way, once everything is assembled, the entire house smells like the inside of Santa’s house in the North Pole! With dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, pine, and a few cranberries, you’re good to go. You can even package some of it as homemade gifts for your loved ones!
Cinnamon-Scented Pine Cones
Cinnamon-scented pine cones are an easy craft you can make right at home with just a few ingredients. First, you will need pine cones. You can easily get these during a nature walk or just order them online. Next, you’ll need cinnamon essential oil and a ziploc bag. To get started, toss your pine cones in the oven for a few minutes to ensure there are no bugs on them. Once that’s done, put them in a ziploc bag and sprinkle some cinnamon oil inside. Leave that for a week or so and then remove them and place them in a bowl as decor!
Get Scentsicles
Scentsicles are scented sticks or ornaments you can use to decorate your home. These brilliant inventions add a festive fragrance to your home when you hang them on the tree or use them in wreaths and garlands. Made from fragranced paper ribbons, scentsicles come in a variety of scents including fresh-cut pine, white winter fir, Christmas berry, cinnamon spice, and so many others. Just place them anywhere that needs a little holiday magic, et voila!
Get Diffusers
Since we’re talking about scents, diffusers were bound to make it to the list. For Christmas time, you can use essential oils commonly used during this season or make your own signature scents by blending a couple of classics like cinnamon, orange, and vanilla or fir, peppermint and eucalyptus. Just add a few drops of the oil to your diffuser with water and it will take care of the rest.
Light a Fire
If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace at home, you can use it to usher in the spirit of Christmas by using scented fire starters to start a fire. If you don’t have these, you can always use cinnamon sticks or pinecone-infused with essential oils to get the fire going. When these natural elements burn together, they release a lovely scent that fills the air with the magic of Christmas!
Bake Gingerbread Men and Use Them as Decor
Few scents are as quintessentially “Christmas” as the spicy, sweet aroma of freshly baked gingerbread. What we love most about baking gingerbread men is that in addition to making your home smell sweet and festive, they also give you more decor options. Once they cool, you can decorate them with cream, sprinkles, and candies however you like. Look up ‘Gingy’ from the animated movie Shrek for a bit of inspo!
Make Hot Cocoa or Fragrant Tea
Now that you have a fire going and all the Christmas decor is up, sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor with a hot beverage. Whether it’s a hot cup of yummy cocoa with a few marshmallows or a sweet cup of spiced tea, a warm holiday-inspired drink is just the perfect treat after a long day of holiday errands. Plus, the bonus is that making these beverages fills your house with a festive fragrance as they simmer on the stove!
Bake Dried Orange Slices for Decor
This recipe can be a bit hard to crack at first, but worry not; we’ve got your back. Orange slices, just like orange peels, are such an easy way to make your house smell like Christmas. To bake the perfect orange slices, preheat the oven to about 200℉ and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the oranges very thinly, place them in the oven, and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, turning them halfway through the baking time. Once done, leave them to cool, and then you can use them as ornaments.
Hide Scented Cotton Balls Around the House
Throughout this list, you will realize that essential oils are, in every sense of the word, quite essential to this season. For this hack, you will need a pack of plain cotton balls and your favorite essential oils. Just add a few drops of the oil to some cotton balls, allow them to dry, and then hide them in a couple of spots around the house.
Mull Some Wine
Spiced wine? Yes please! Mulled wine is usually made by combining wine with a couple of fruits and spices in a simmering pot. These spices include cinnamon, cloves, cedar, nutmeg, star anise, and a bit of honey and orange slices. Can you smell it already? Once you turn the heat on, let the mixture simmer, not boil.
Add Fresh Greenery Around the House
Garlands, wreaths, and Christmas trees are all a huge part of the season. Aside from these classic options, however, you can also add more greenery around the house, specifically, fragrant greenery. This includes things like eucalyptus, rosemary, and bay leaves that will complement the vibe you already have going and release lovely scents that remind you of Christmas.
DIY Fragrance Sachets
If you’re a fan of DIY, the season also offers you a chance to bring your crafty talents out to play. You can make scented fragrance sachets with plain rice that’s been infused with your favorite essential oils. Or, you can use dried botanicals like cinnamon sticks, star anise, pine needles, or cloves.
Use Christmas-Scented Cleaners and Soap
Why stop at candles and diffusers when your everyday essentials can just as easily add a touch of the season to your home? Switching to Christmas-scented cleaners and hand soap is a very practical way to signify the holiday season. Most brands release limited-edition scents during the holidays like peppermint candy cane, frosted cranberry, or spiced cider.
