Ree puts up a Noble fir every year because she adores the smell—and, she says, "I don't mind the mess!" But you don't have to rely on a tree to make your place smell like Christmas: You can fill your house with that great woodsy scent by whipping up some potpourri.
Roxanne Hahn, owner of Roxanne's Dried Flowers in Pittsburgh, created these colorful blends. Drop the dry ingredients into a ceramic bowl, sprinkle on the essential oil in the recipe, mix with a wooden spoon and seal inside a glass container for a couple of weeks to let the scent develop. Then put the potpourri on display in a shallow bowl. It will look and smell great all season long!
Citrus Spice Potpourri
- 3 ounces dried orange slices
- 3 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
- 2 ounces dried bay leaves
- 1 ounce dried red and orange strawflower heads
- 12 star anise pods
- 10 drops orange essential oil
- 3 drops cinnamon essential oil
Christmas Tree Potpourri
- 2 branches preserved juniper stems, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
- 1 stem fresh or dried cedar branch, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
- 12 small pinecones
- 15 senna pods
- 3 ounces dried rose hips
- 8 to 10 drops balsam essential oil
Peppermint-Rose Potpourri
- 2 ounces crushed dried peppermint leaves
- 1 ounce dried red rose petals
- 3 stems dried red canella berries
- 2 ounces lavender buds
- 6 drops peppermint essential oils
Kelsey Hurwitz is the associate features editor for The Pioneer Woman Magazine. When she's not writing about ranch life, home decor and food, she can be found knitting and catching up on her favorite reality TV shows.
