Making a stovetop potpourri is one of my favorite things to do in the fall and winter to start getting myself into the holiday spirit. In case you’ve never made it before, stovetop potpourri is a super-simple way to make your house smell amazing, made with all-natural, everyday ingredients from your kitchen.

I find that scent is one of the most powerful ways to uplift my mood. Especially for the holidays, scent drives so many of my favorite nostalgic memories – whether it’s apple pie baking in the fall, for Thanksgiving, or the way a fresh Christmas tree perfumes your entire home.

I love a good holiday candle, but since having a baby I haven’t loved the idea of such intense scents (which are likely made with artificial ingredients) around her, so I’ve been loving this method to scent my home for the holidays.

All you need to create your own stovetop potpourri is a stove, a pot, water, and a few of the below ingredients.

Stovetop Potpourri Ingredients

1. Fruit | Apples, citrus (lemons, oranges, grapefruit, blood oranges), cranberries (for color)
2. Spices | Cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, juniper berries, cardamom, vanilla bean, ginger
3. Herbs | Rosemary, thyme, sage, evergreen branches (pine tree, juniper, etc.)

How to Make Stovetop Potpourri

Simply add ingredients to the pot, cover with water, and heat until desired scent is reached. Add more water as necessary. Ingredients will last 2-3 days; cover when not in use.

You really don’t need a recipe to make stovetop potpourri, but here are a few favorite combinations that I share in the video:

Combination #1 | Home for the Holidays: Oranges, apples, cinnamon, rosemary or pine, cranberries, star anise

Combination #2 | Sugar & Spice: Apples, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla

Combination #3 | The Everyday Fave: Lemon, vanilla, rosemary

Stovetop Potpourri Tips

• Split the vanilla bean lengthwise for more pronounced flavor
• Use powdered spices if you don’t have whole on hand
• You can use vanilla extract in place of vanilla beans