In short: Christmas smells like evergreen, orange, cinnamon, clove and something baking. The easiest way to fill a house with it is a simmer pot on the stove. Add fresh greenery, bake something, and burn a pine or spice candle in the room where you spend your evenings.
Christmas simmer pot recipe
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 2 sprigs of rosemary, or a small evergreen clipping
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Put everything in a saucepan and cover it with water by an inch or two. Bring it to a simmer, then turn it to low. Add water every 30 minutes or so. Never let it boil dry, and never leave it on when you leave the house or go to bed. You can keep the pot in the fridge and reuse it for two or three days.
Without cranberries: use a sliced apple instead, and add a few star anise pods or a pinch of nutmeg. It smells closer to mulled cider.
In a slow cooker: the same recipe works on low with the lid off. It's a good choice when you want the smell all day.
The smell of a Christmas tree
A real fir or pine is the strongest Christmas smell there is. Keep it fresh: make a new cut at the base when you bring it home, and keep the stand full of water so the needles stay soft and fragrant. Fraser fir, balsam fir and Scotch pine all smell good. Balsam is known as one of the most fragrant.
With an artificial tree, you can still get the smell:
- Ask a tree lot for leftover boughs, which are often free, and tuck them into the tree, a wreath or the mantel.
- Fill a bowl with pine cones and a few cedar or fir clippings.
- Burn a fir or pine candle near the tree.
Read more about the note on our pine page.
Bake something
Gingerbread, cinnamon rolls and sugar cookies fill a house like nothing else. If you're short on time, put a sheet of foil on a baking tray, sprinkle it with cinnamon and a little sugar, and warm it in a low oven for a few minutes.
Christmas candle scents
- Evergreen: fir, pine, cedar and cypress.
- Spice: cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg.
- Fruit: orange peel, cranberry and apple.
- Treats: cocoa, peppermint, vanilla and caramel.
Our A Christmas Carol Book Candle Bundle pairs Dickens with fir, pine, cypress, cinnamon, clove and orange peel. Hot Cocoa and Marshmallows smells like a mug by the fire. The My Favorite Things sample pack is six small candles to try. You can see all of them in our holiday candles.
Putting it together
Use one main scent per area and keep them in the same family, so the house smells like one Christmas rather than five. A simple plan:
- Entryway: an evergreen wreath or boughs.
- Kitchen: the simmer pot.
- Living room: the tree, plus a pine or spice candle.
- Bedroom and bathroom: something lighter, like peppermint or a soft vanilla.
Common questions
Can I use essential oils? Yes, in a diffuser: fir or pine with sweet orange is a classic mix. Many essential oils, including pine, cinnamon and citrus, can be harmful to cats and dogs, so ask your vet first if you have pets.
How long does a simmer pot last? A pot gives off scent for several hours, and you can refresh it with water for two or three days before the ingredients need replacing.
For the rest of the year, see how to make your house smell good all the time.