Some people are just impossible to shop for and that’s okay. For the ones on our Christmas list that we find ourselves drawing blanks on, we shoot for practical gifts, but just because something is practical doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and well, adorable. Today we’re making simmer pots and let us tell you, not only are these great little gifts for the person who is impossible to shop for, but they’re great to make in bulk for your work friends or kiddo’s teachers. Check out this tutorial from Country Hill Cottage!
First things first, what is a simmer pot? A simmer pot is a pot filled with water, fruits, spices, and herbs that gently simmer for hours to make your house smell simply delicious. The gift we’ll be making today is everything you’ll add to the pot of boiling water which means you get to choose which scents are gifted. (If the whole scent thing is stressing you out, don’t worry, we’ve got some ideas for you!)
Materials needed:
- Mason jars of any jars you can find at your local thrift store with a lid
- Small ornaments
- Christmas ribbon
- Printable instruction label (you can find this at the link!)
- Cinnamon sticks, dried oranges, cranberries, dried herbs, etc. This is the part that’s up to you!
Instructions:
- Fill the holiday potpourri ingredients into a clean jar and seal it with a lid.
- Decorate the potpourri jar with an instruction label, ribbon, and ornaments.
That’s it, that’s the gift! But before we turn you loose, let’s talk scents. Below are some of our favorite winter/holiday scents!
Gingerbread
- dried crystallized ginger (regular dried ginger works too)
- cinnamon sticks
- vanilla bean
- star anise
- whole cloves
- nutmeg
- cardamom pods
- whole almonds (with skin!)
Winter
- fir tree branches
- whole cloves
- cinnamon sticks
Spiced Coffee
- 1/4 cup whole roasted coffee beans
- whole spices (3-4 cinnamon sticks, 1 tablespoon whole cardamom pods, 4 star anise, and 1 teaspoon allspice berries)
Cran-Apple Spice
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or 1/2 cup fresh)
- 1/4 cup dried apple rings (or 1/2 fresh apple, sliced)
- a few slices dried ginger (use equal amount of fresh)
Citrus Juniper
- 3-4 slices dried oranges
- 1-2 tablespoons dried lemon peel
- 1 tablespoon dried juniper berries
Citrus and Orange
- dried orange slices
- dried lemon slices
- cinnamon sticks
- cardamom pods
Candy Cane and Vanilla
- candy canes or starlight mints
- vanilla bean
- coconut flakes
- cinnamon sticks
- star anise