I love giving gifts from the kitchen and garden during the holidays, and stovetop potpourri is one of my favorites. Dried oranges, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices combine to create a lovely gift that will fill the gift recipient’s home with the most fragrant “holiday” aromas. Find out how to make your own orange spice stovetop potpourri.
What is stovetop potpourri?
I grew up in the 80’s, so having a glass dish out with dried potpourri in it was pretty standard. Some of the mystery pieces in that potpourri was even colored to match the decor. Wild times, y’all! I would consider this homemade potpourri to be a step up from the potpourri of my childhood, but I’ll let you decide.
Stovetop or simmering potpourri is a much more economical and healthy way to get wonderful smells into your home without using candles or false fragrances. This type of potpourri is slowly simmered on the stop causing the oils in the fruits and spices used to be released.
These types of homemade potpourris are wonderful as gifts, especially for those who have sensitivity to artificial fragrances or who are leery of scented candles. If you don’t feel comfortable using the stovetop, they can also be heated in small crockpots.
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In the past, I’ve just used what I’ve had on hand to create a stovetop potpourri… orange peels from my kids lunch, extra ends of a lemon that aren’t being used, a few cinnamon sticks… it can all go inside! There’s really no wrong way to assemble it; just use scents that you enjoy.
This orange spice stovetop potpourri uses dried oranges and the classic holiday spices like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Here’s the ingredient breakdown:
Ingredients for Orange Spice Stovetop Potpourri
Per recipe, you’ll need:
- 4-5 Dried Orange Slices (see my tutorial for How to Dry Orange Slices)
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2-3 Whole Cloves
- 5 Whole Allspice
- 2 Star Anise
Other options:
- Rosemary Sprigs
- Fresh Cranberries
- Vanilla Pods
How to Make Stovetop Potpourri
- Begin by gathering together ingredients and drying your orange slices ahead of time. (Or purchase already dried slices!)
- In a pint sized glass jar, combine all ingredients, bending orange slices as needed.
3. For gifting, place top on jar and add free printable label. (See link at the bottom of the post.)
4. For simmering, place ingredients in a small pot with 2 cups of water. Add a splash of vanilla extract.
5. Bring to simmer and allow aromas to fill your home.
6. Add additional water as needed. Enjoy!
Free Printable Potpourri Gift Tags
If you’re planning to make a large batch of this potpourri to give as gifts, then be sure to use these printable gift tags! They include a label but also instructions on how to use the potpourri once your recipient receives it!
They are created to be printed on both sides of the cardstock or paper that you use, so just pay attention to how to reload the paper to print the back side of the tag.
I hope this homemade potpourri will fill your home with all of the scents of Christmas and the holidays. If you need more ideas of homemade gifts, check out my post on Gifts from the Garden!
Have a wonderful day!
Orange Spice Stovetop Potpourri
Learn how to make this easy stovetop potpourri using dried oranges, cinnamon, and other spices. Perfect for Christmas or anytime of year!
Materials
- 4-5 Dried Orange Slices
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2-3 Whole Cloves
- 5 Whole Allspice
- 2 Star Anise
Tools
- Glass Jar
- Small Pot for simmering
Instructions
- Begin by gathering together ingredients and drying your orange slices ahead of time. (Or purchase already dried slices!)
- In a pint sized glass jar, combine all ingredients, bending orange slices as needed.
- For gifting, place top on jar and add free printable label. (See link at the bottom of the post.)
- For simmering, place ingredients in a small pot with 2 cups of water. Add a splash of vanilla extract.
- Bring to simmer and allow aromas to fill your home.
- Add additional water as needed. Enjoy!
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