how to make your home smell like the holidays

scents and easy DIY ways to make your space smell delicious.

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by Bailey Swilley

three votive gift set in roland pine

No tree? No problem. Burn these pine votives in three different sections of your home and the whole place will smell like a forest!

forest botanical reed diffuser

If you don’t love a flame (fire hazards with big families!), opt for a reed diffuser. All the tree scent without the risk!

dried fruit potpourri

Use your oven to dehydrate different fruits, like oranges and apples, plus their rinds. Add spices and essential oils to make it a traditional potpourri mixture. Check out the full instructions here.

simmering potpourri pot

Mix any combination of scents that make you think of the holiday (cranberries, pine, cinnamon, nutmeg…and the list goes on) and simmer in a pot of water for as long as you like to make your home smell like the yummiest one on the block.

glass candle in creamy peppermint

Like a clean, winter­fresh approach to the holidays? Go for a peppermint candle, which works as a great pick­-me-­up for the winter blues in January.

orange clove pomander balls

Simple idea, big smell! Citrus and cloves go together like marshmallows and cocoa, so poke an orange with tiny cloves in any design you like. Hang them or display in bowls around the house for an intoxicating and spicy scent.

“portable fireplace” candle by d.s. & durga

If you love that smoky, crackling scent in the air during the coldest months of the year, pick up one of these candles. It replicates the scent of a fireplace without all the work.

cinnamon stars

Use a glue gun to form stars with cinnamon sticks and hang them from trees, windows, and doorways. Embellish with star anise or holly berries and call yourself the domestic dominator!

cinnamon pinecones

If you’re a traditionalist, you’ll love this craft that takes you back to holidays of yester­year. All you need are clean pine cones, a plastic zip bag, and cinnamon essential oil.

trailside candle by ursa major

Looking for a more masculine vibe this holiday season? Go for Ursa Major’s Trailside for that cozy Vermont mountain smell.