How To Make Your House Smell Like Christmas: 5 Ways

From the aroma of warm eggnog to the scent of a freshly cut pine tree, one of the best parts of the Christmas season is the nostalgic smells that come with it. 

Festive fragrances can bring back nostalgic memories of past Christmases. Just one sniff can transport you back to a cozy night singing carols around the fire or an exciting morning opening gifts by the tree. 

Filling your home with these scents is one of the quickest ways to create a Christmas haven and get your family in the holiday spirit. Today, we’ll be walking through five easy and effective ways to make your house smell like a Christmas wonderland.

What Scents Are Associated With Christmas?

Certain fragrances are so deeply and universally linked to the holidays that they can instantly spread Christmas cheer. To accomplish this in your own home, here are five scents popularly associated with Christmas.

Fir Balsam

Balsam Fir is one of the most frequently used types of Christmas trees. As a result, the fresh, woodsy scent that it emits immediately puts people in a celebratory mood.

Apples

Apples are most commonly associated with Christmas because they’re a popular ingredient in holiday baked goods like apple pie, apple muffins, and baked apples.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is another nostalgic Christmas smell. Aside from being used a lot in baking, we often also associate cinnamon with holiday drinks like cider and mulled wine.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread houses are essentially synonymous with the Christmas season. The smell of ginger in the air is a fragrant reminder of baking and decorating gingerbread cookies.

Peppermint

Peppermint is tightly linked to holiday treats and decor. Although it comes in many variations, candy canes are amongst the most popular methods for consuming peppermint on Christmas.

What Are the Best Ways To Make Your House Smell Like Christmas?

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into the good stuff — how to actually make your house smell like Christmas. Here are our top tips. 

1. Festive Candles

One of the easiest ways to make your house smell like Christmas is with the help of festive candles. Sprinkling delightfully scented candles throughout your home is perhaps the quickest way to create a jovial atmosphere. 

Here are our Christmas candle recommendations:

• Lost Claus: This sweet, spicy candle blends cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, smoked marshmallow, peppered gingerbread, and caramelized patchouli for a comforting, naughty-list-worthy scent experience.

• Old Saint Wick: Old Saint Wick is a fresh cut scent with siberian pine, apple blossom, rosemary, jasmine, fir balsam, and sandalwood, bringing you a merry, bright, perfectly cozy scent.

• Half Baked Gingerbread Smash: With baked gingerbread, chai, cinnamon swirl, nutmeg, spiked eggnog, and frothy vanilla, this gingerbread candle gives you the perfect home-for-the-holidays scent without spending hours in the kitchen.

2. Potpourri

Potpourri is a combination of dried flowers, herbs, and other plants that, when mixed together, can be used to scent a room. Although potpourri is always sold during the holiday season, it’s very easy to make at home. In fact, this can be a fun activity to do with the kiddos.

Simply look up a potpourri recipe online or get creative and DIY one yourself. First, gather the aromatic ingredients that you would like to use. It is essential that they are all dry or dehydrated. 

Popular holiday potpourri ingredients include pine sprigs, nutmeg, orange peels, fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, vanilla leaves, and whole cloves. You are also welcome to add a few drops of essential oil.

Mix everything together, place it in a sealed container, and let it sit. Ideally, the scents will get at least a week to blend before you open the container and display your Christmas potpourri in decorative bowls throughout your home.

3. Simmer Pots

Simmer pots are a super easy way to fill your home with festive scents. An easy way to think of it is like a stovetop potpourri. 

Simply put a pot of water on the stove at low heat to simmer and toss in whatever fresh ingredients you desire. In addition to emitting warmth, the heat from the pot will release and spread the various scents up into the air and throughout the space.

If you would like to tailor the aroma to the holiday season, we suggest using ingredients like dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cedar sprigs, and bits of pine trees. You can even use a couple of drops of vanilla extract or peppermint essential oil.

The next time you have friends or family over for a holiday party, try this natural oil diffuser and watch your guests sit back and relax as they enjoy the scents of Christmas.

4. Holiday Baking

The most delicious way to make your home smell like Christmas is to do some baking. When you bake classic holiday treats in your oven, their recognizable aromas fill your home with the smell of Christmas.

The reason this happens is because the heat from the oven causes the ingredients to release aromatic compounds. These organic molecules and their distinct smells travel out from the oven and up your nasal passage. 

Popular yummy baked goods that emit familiar festive scents include gingerbread cookies, cinnamon rolls, peppermint bark, chocolate chip cookies, and spice cake.

5. Incorporate Fresh Pine Elements

It is very easy to incorporate fragrant pine elements into your Christmas decorations. In addition to elevating your holiday decor, these organic pieces will help to bring the natural scents of the season indoors. 

Whether it's pine cones or sprigs from a pine tree, there are several elegant, easy DIY ways to incorporate these pieces. For example, you can hang a pine wreath on the front of your house. Guests will be met with the delightful scents of the season before you even open the door.

Inside, you can hang pine garlands throughout the room. This can include over the fireplace, on your staircase, over windows, or along the table. To make these garlands extra festive, pair them with ornaments and red ribbons.

Holiday Cheer

One of the easiest ways to spread holiday cheer within your home is to make the space smell like Christmas. The aromas of the festive winter season have the ability to put you in a joyful, celebratory mood. 

The best part is that it’s super easy to accomplish. With some scented candles, delicious goodies baking in the oven, and a simmer pot over the stove, your loved ones are going to feel like they’re stepping right into Santa’s workshop!

Sources:

The proust effect: Scents, food, and nostalgia | PubMed

Tips for Spending Quality Time With Your Child | NAEYC

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils: A Map of the Evidence | PubMed

Aromatic hydrocarbons, Benzene, Cyclic compounds | Britannica