Special Ways To Scent Your Home This Winter
Do you want create a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home this winter with fragrance? Or perhaps you are looking for a home fragrance gift to make or buy for a friend or loved one. Here are nine easy winter home fragrance ideas to make or buy to transform your home and create a lasting impression.
1. Scented Garlands
Making your own natural garlands can be a fun and festive way to dress your home for the winter. Try tying clippings of herbs such as, rosemary and thyme, sprigs of eucalyptus and pine, citrus slices, pine cones and cinnamon sticks to string. This will create a natural garland that can be hung from your Christmas tree, along a wall, a shelf or mantlepiece using Washi tape (Japanese rice paper masking tape).
You can buy dried citrus slices in craft shops to fragrance your home but it’s easy to make your own. Cut the citrus fruit into 3-5mm slices. Place on baking parchment in a baking tray in a cool oven (100c or 200f), for 2-3 hours for smaller citrus such as lemons and limes and 3-4 hours for larger fruit such as oranges and grapefruit.
2. Candles
As well as making a great gift, a scented candle is a powerful way to lift your spirits and fill your home with aromatic scent this winter. Lighting a candle at the breakfast table instantly transforms the space into something magical. As well as filling your home with scent, candlelight is also very flattering and creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Make a statement with our NEW Dram of Whisky Three Wick Candle. It has an impressive 120 hour burn time and will create an instant glowing ambiance, while scenting the air with notes of honeyed woods and spice. Our Fireside Single Wick Candle is our winter best-seller – its spicy, woody aroma diffuses through the home, adding the finishing touch to a cosy night in.
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3. Sprigs of Greenery & Scented Foliage
Bunches of aromatic greenery and herbs such as rosemary, lavender, bay leaves, thyme, eucalyptus and pine can be hung upside down in bunches to dry. Not only do they subtly scent the air but can also make a pleasing display. If you hang your Christmas cards you could also add some bunches of herbs and greenery to the display. Hanging a bunch of eucalyptus from the shower also scents the room and releases refreshing eucalyptus oil when you shower.
4. Diffusers
Reed diffusers are a simple way to add long-lasting scent to your room. Our Reed Diffusers are popular gifts and their subtle matt black flasks with black silk reeds look elegant, luxurious and timeless. Choose from warming Whisky & Water, best-selling Rhubarb Rhubarb!, fresh green Golden Harvest or soothing Willow Song.
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5. Pomanders
Dating back to medieval times, pomanders have a long history of being used to scent the air in the home for winter. Pomanders are easy to make – all you need is an orange (or apple), whole cloves and some thin ribbon (approximately 10mm wide works well). Start by criss-crossing the ribbon around your fruit so it’s divided into quarters. Make a loop at the top of your ribbon for hanging your pomander. Then all you need to do is press your cloves into the fruit. The more cloves the stronger the scent – you can place the cloves in a pattern, to form a shape or just randomly to create your chosen design.
6. Dried DIY Potpourri
For many years, potpourri have been seen as old fashioned but are now making a come back as an alternative to synthetic air fresheners. You can make your own DIY Winter or Christmas Potpourri with a few simple ingredients – for a fresh, crisp clean scent try pine cuttings, dried citrus slices (lime works especially well in this blend), dried lavender and some pine cones scented with a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil. For a warm spicy blend try cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, dried orange slices and some dried rose buds or rose petals.
7. Simmering Fresh DIY Potpourri
An alternative to dried potpourri is to make a hot, simmering fresh potpourri. Add a whole orange, a handful of fresh cranberries, 3-4 cinnamon sticks, ground nutmeg and a few whole cloves to a pan with three cups of water. Bring to the boil on the stove or Aga and leave to cool. Keep the water topped up and your simmering fresh potpourri should last for several days.
8. Natural Tree
Choose a natural Christmas tree with a scent. Norway Spruce has a wonderful Christmassy scent, and is a popular choice in the UK but it does drop its needles more quickly that other varieties. Douglas Fir trees also have a beautiful scent and keep their needles well but are often only available as larger trees. Blue Spruce, Fraser Fir and Balsam Fir also all have a great fragrance. Go greener by trying to buy local, choosing a potted tree that you can use again or even try renting a local Christmas tree.
9. Scented DIY Fire Lighters
If you have some left over candle wax or tea lights you can make your own scented fire lighters using an old cupcake tin. Line any holes with paper liners and half fill with pieces of wax, place in the oven at 180c / 350f until the wax melts. Once the wax has melted, add a pine cone and aromatic herbs such as rosemary, bay leaves or lavender.
For more Winter home fragrance ideas click here to discover our full range of Scented Candles and Reed Diffusers
